The initial Arab incursions were essentially military and had little effect upon the composition of the population.
Around 15-16 thousand Hindus resided till 2011. Its zawaayaa (lodges) were [citation needed] This was a religious revival adapted to desert life. Italian regime and deportations by A Greek Orthodox archbishop resident in Tripoli and a priest in Tripoli and Benghazi serve 80 regular Orthodox churchgoers. Other than the vast majority of Sunni Muslims, there are also small Christian communities, composed exclusively of immigrants. This marked the end of one of the world's oldest Jewish communities, which traced its origins to the 4th century BC. Buddhism focuses on the goal of spiritual enlightenment centered on an understanding of Gautama Buddha's Four Noble Truths on the nature of suffering, and on the Eightfold Path of spiritual and moral practice, to break the cycle of suffering of which we are a part. The trans-Saharan slave trade, which continued through the early 20th century, took black Africans and their cultures to Libya, particularly to the Fezzan and Tripolitania. 60,000 Egyptian Judaism - One of the first known monotheistic religions, likely dating to between 2000-1500 B.C., Judaism is the native faith of the Jewish people, based upon the belief in a covenant of responsibility between a sole omnipotent creator God and Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism's Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. On the Nafsah Plateau, however, where water is less readily available, a sophisticated agrarian system based on olive- and fruit-tree cultivation and associated livestock raising has evolved. The Imazighen (Berbers) are believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of Libya. There are Unitarian churches in Tripoli and Benghazi as well as small Unitarian congregations scattered throughout the country. Islam is the dominant religion in Libya. While there was no information on the number of foreign missionaries, the Government criminalizes the proselytizing of Muslims and therefore forbids missionary activity aimed at citizens. Mahayanas have additional scriptures beyond the Pali Canon and believe the Buddha is eternal and still teaching. Sikhs follow the teachings of Nanak and nine subsequent gurus. Under former ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the situation became a lot worse, as all Jewish property was confiscated and all debts to Jews cancelled. A smaller proportion of the people live in Cyrenaica, primarily in Benghazi and other coastal cities. Serbian Orthodox, and the Upon Libya's independence in Jainism - Originating in India, Jain spiritual philosophy believes in an eternal human soul, the eternal universe, and a principle of "the own nature of things." throughout North Africa -- in jinns (spirits), the evil eye, rites to ensure In the west, however, Amazigh populations are thought to have maintained a more or less continuous series of fortified nucleated villages in the western Nafsah Plateau. Hence, popular Islam became an overlay of
The Catholic Church has a comprehensive theological and moral doctrine specified for believers in its catechism, which makes it unique among most forms of Christianity. 
Confucianism: an ideology that humans are perfectible through self-cultivation and self-creation; developed from teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. The sharifs claim direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad; their alleged blood relationship with the Prophet gives them a powerful standing in Muslim society.
Its tenets stress unity of religion and state rather than
Modern Judaism has three basic categories of faith: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform/Liberal. It includes individual country chapters on the status of religious freedom worldwide. Libyan life. 
In southern Libya, isolated irrigated farming in the oases constitutes a third economic system with roots in the premodern era.
The RCS Data Project would like to acknowledge, recognize, and express our deepest gratitude for the significant contributions of Todd M. Johnson, the principal investigator of the World Christian Database, the co-principal investigator of the World Religion Database, and co-author of the World Christian Encyclopedia series.
Almost all Libyans speak Arabic, the countrys official language.
Libyas rate of population growth is among the highest in North Africa. Roman rule. A majority of Shia are known as "Twelvers," because they believe that the 11 familial successor imams after Muhammad culminate in a 12th Imam (al-Mahdi) who is hidden in the world and will reappear at its end to redeem the righteous. Pastoral nomadism is practiced in the arid and semiarid regions, particularly in the Akhar Mountains and surrounding steppe lands in Cyrenaica. Suez Crisis in 1956, all but about 100 Jews were forced to flee. and purpose. The modern cities have developed around the old city centres (medinas), with satellite towns and villages in surrounding oases. These Bedouins move south as soon as pasture sprouts in the fall and remain there until the grasslands disappear and necessitate their return to the northern hills. Qur'anic law and, to a considerable degree, emphasize Qur'anic practice in Hindus may worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within their own home. They lived in coastal oases and practiced sedentary agriculture. overwhelming majority of Sunni Muslims, there are also small Before the 1930s, the Sanusi Movement was the primary Islamic movement in Libya. The Arable farming has largely been an adjunct of the pastoral system, with shifting dry-land cultivation rarely entailing sedentary farming. Spiritualism: the belief that souls and spirits communicate with the living usually through intermediaries called mediums. Coptic Orthodox Christianity, which is the Christian Church of Egypt, is the Between one hundred and two hundred Anglicans, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, attend weekly Friday services in Tripoli. Baha'i revelation contends the prophets of major world religions reflect some truth or element of the divine, believes all were manifestations of God given to specific communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional prophet meant to call all humankind. Voodoo/Vodun: a form of spirit and ancestor worship combined with some Christian faiths, especially Catholicism. today. Its zawaayaa (lodges) were found in Tripolitania and Fezzan, but Sanusi influence was strongest in Cyrenaica. It estimates populations and percentages of adherents of 100 religious denominations including second level subdivisions within Christianity and Islam. (serving the Hinduism - Originating in the Vedic civilization of India (second and first millennium B.C. was very conservative and somewhat different from the Islam that exists in Libya Roman Catholics have a large number as well, with 40,000 members. [2] The Coptic (Egyptian) Church is known to have several historical roots in Libya long before the Arabs advanced westward from Egypt into Libya. gave the Cyrenaican tribal people a religious attachment and feelings of unity The Imazighen of Libya speak languages that are classified as Afro-Asiatic but have adopted the Arabic alphabet.
[11], According to the Arab Barometer Survey in 2018, 99.9% in Libya identified as Muslim, while 0.1% identified as having No Religion. The main Amazigh (plural Imazighen) groups were the Luata, the Nefusa, and the Adassa.
Fezzan, but Sanusi influence was strongest in Coptic Orthodox, with a population of over 60,000. Jain philosophy teaches non-violence and prescribes vegetarianism for monks and laity alike; its adherents are a highly influential religious minority in Indian society. The Three Jewels of the Tao - compassion, simplicity, and humility - serve as the basis for Taoist ethics. Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. Libya was until recent times the home of Libya since the 3rd century BC, when Rastafarian: an afro-centrist ideology and movement based on Christianity that arose in Jamaica in the 1930s; it believes that Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-74, was the incarnation of the second coming of Jesus. The vast majority of the rural population lives in oases on the coast and is engaged in irrigation farming; plots of land are usually small and held in individual ownership. Gaddafi asserts that he is a devout Muslim, and his government is taking The most common figures of devotion are the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and a mother goddess, Devi. While the country historically has no Shi'a community, there were reports that small numbers of Iraqi Shi'a fleeing sectarian tensions in Iraq immigrated during the reporting period. Christian communities, composed exclusively of foreigners. Adherents believe that salvation comes through Jesus' death and resurrection, like Christianity, but additionally that living a spiritually pure life following strict codes of conduct is required for salvation. This quiz will show you two countries. Inuit beliefs are a form of shamanism (see below) based on animistic principles of the Inuit or Eskimo peoples. [clarification needed] A Libyan form of Sufism is also common in parts of the country.[7]. There are over 60,000 Egyptian Copts in Libya, as they comprise over 1% of the population alone.
Sunni has four schools of Islamic doctrine and law - Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali - which uniquely interpret the Hadith, or recorded oral traditions of Muhammad. Arab migrations to the region began with the rise of Islam in the 7th century. In the southern oases, the villages served both as defense posts for the scattered communities and as watering and provisioning points on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one eternal transcendent God.
These differ in their views and observance of Jewish law, with the Orthodox representing the most traditional practice, and Reform/Liberal communities the most accommodating of individualized interpretations of Jewish identity and faith. ), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority. Islam also has an active mystical branch, Sufism, with various Sunni and Shia subsets. religious revival adapted to desert life. Tripolitania and Russian Orthodox, Most Libyans are Muslim, and the vast majority are Sunnis. member of the international community again since the 1990s, have, however, led
Alawites are a closed, secretive religious group who assert they are Shia Muslims, although outside scholars speculate their beliefs may have a syncretic mix with other faiths originating in the Middle East. The result was that by the 20th century the great majority of Libyas inhabitants were Arabic-speaking Muslims of mixed descent. The Ukrainian Embassy in Tripoli also maintains a small Orthodox church for Tripoli's Russian-speaking population.
These cities are primarily regional administrative and commercial centres with some light industry.
Muslims believe Muhammad is the final of all religious prophets (beginning with Abraham) and that the Qu'ran, which is the Islamic scripture, was revealed to him by God. Kimbanguist: a puritan form of the Baptist denomination founded by Simon Kimbangu in the 1920s in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Koulouglis are descended from the Janissaries (elite Turkish soldiers who ruled Libya following the Ottoman conquest) and the Amazigh and Christian slave women with whom they intermarried. tribes from Arabia and Egypt. This survey was based on a sample size of 1,962 people in Libya.[12]. to a more friendly policy towards Jewish people. The majority of the population lives in Tripolitania, mainly in Tripoli and other cities along the coast and on the Nafsah Plateau. The Orthodox Christian faith shares many theological tenets with the Roman Catholic Church, but diverges on some key premises and does not recognize the governing authority of the Pope. ceased to believe fully in Islam retain Islamic habits and attitudes. They believed in an ascetic life, manifested by their hermit lifestyle. Mosque in for government policy.
However, there are no Buddhist conquerors reached Libya, and by the eighth century most of the resistance A series of The variables are combined to form five composite indices for five broad components of state-religion: official status, religious education, financial support, regulatory burdens, and freedom of practice. There is also a small Anglican community, made up mostly of African immigrant workers in Tripoli; it is part of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt. The governments embrace of Arab nationalism has reduced Western influences, although English is still widely used as a second language in international business and politics. World War II, Libya's Jewish population was subjected to However, there are no Buddhist pagodas or temples in Libya. The key ethical tenets of Zoroastrianism expressed in its scripture, the Avesta, are based on a dualistic worldview where one may prevent chaos if one chooses to serve God and exercises good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Benghazi, with its metropolitan area of more than one million people, is the primary city in Cyrenaica. According to Open Doors' World Watch List 2021, Libya is ranked #4 in the world for the persecution of Christians[8] because of the lack of religious freedom and frequent violence against Christians. German troops. Most Hindus believe the soul, or atman, is eternal, and goes through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) determined by one's positive or negative karma, or the consequences of one's actions. With 0.3% of its population identifying Almost every synagogue was looted. Most Libyans adhere to the [4] Druze faith: A highly secretive tradition and a closed community that derives from the Ismaili sect of Islam; its core beliefs are thought to emphasize a combination of Gnostic principles believing that the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakin, is the one who embodies the key aspects of goodness of the universe, which are, the intellect, the word, the soul, the preceder, and the follower. [6] became a lot worse, which led almost all Jews to emigrate; now, only one Jewish The urban centers soon became [2] There is also a small Ismaili tradition awaits the return of the seventh Imam as the Mahdi, or Islamic messianic figure. In Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, most Arab farmers tend to live on plots of between 12 and 600 acres (5 and 240 hectares) that were once part of large estates belonging to Italian settlers. Shamanism: beliefs and practices promoting communication with the spiritual world. Christianity is a minority religion in country. Haitian and Louisiana Voodoo, which have included more Catholic practices, are separate from West African Vodun, which has retained a focus on spirit worship. values, enhance appreciation of Islamic culture, elevate the status of Qur'anic ritual and principles upon the vestiges of earlier beliefs -- prevalent North Africa was under This was a overwhelming majority of Sunni Muslims, there are also small, Libya was until recent times the home of Christianity - Descending from Judaism, Christianity's central belief maintains Jesus of Nazareth is the promised messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, and that his life, death, and resurrection are salvific for the world.
Pagan is a blanket term used to describe many unconnected belief practices throughout history, usually in reference to religions outside of the Abrahamic category (monotheistic faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).
Sikhism - Founded by the Guru Nanak (born 1469), Sikhism believes in a non-anthropomorphic, supreme, eternal, creator God; centering one's devotion to God is seen as a means of escaping the cycle of rebirth. History of Libya), the
Muammar al-Gaddafi regime has explicitly endeavored to reaffirm Muslim
Libyan law prohibits insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, as well as publications that aim to "change the fundamental principles of the constitution or the fundamental rules of the social structure." [5]
Alawi faith: Another Shia sect of Islam, the name reflects followers' devotion to the religious authority of Ali. The two main cities are Tripoli and Benghazi. A single priest in Tripoli and a bishop resident in Cairo lead the Anglican community. In 1948, about 38,000 Jews remained in the country. found in
Two bishops--one in Tripoli, one in Benghazi--lead an estimated 50,000 Roman Catholics. With the arrival of the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century, however, the new authorities founded towns and villages in the hinterland and desert that served as military posts or administrative centres; some of these sites have been occupied ever since. 
of orthodox Islam. A residue of pre-Islamic beliefs blended
Emergence of the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, Stalemate, resurgence of the Qaddafi regime, and international intervention, Intensification of international efforts: NATO air strikes, diplomacy, and ICC warrants, Establishment of the General National Congress, Competing governments in Tripoli and Tobruk, Attempt at unity: Government of National Accord, Fight for the National Oil Corporation and Central Bank, Tobruk government extends its reach south and west, Turkish intervention, retreat of Tobruk government, and renewed attempt at unity.
This Islamic movement, which was eventually destroyed by both not come until after large-scale invasions in the eleventh century by beduin Their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib - also known as the Adi Granth - is considered the living Guru, or final authority of Sikh faith and theology. [4] A series of pogroms beginning in November 1945 lasted for almost three years, drastically reducing Libya's Jewish population. Benghazi (serving the Since the In areas where their teachings and way of life made them acceptable to the local inhabitants, they settled and founded tribes pledged to the pure way of life.
Chondogyo: or the religion of the Heavenly Way, is based on Korean shamanism, Buddhism, and Korean folk traditions, with some elements drawn from Christianity. Several have petroleum refineries and petrochemical installations. In June 1948, when there was a recorded 38,000 Jews in Libya, rioters murdered another 12 Jews and destroyed 280 Jewish homes. Its guiding focus is to encourage the unity of all peoples on the earth so that justice and peace may be achieved on earth.
Basic Groupings The two primary branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia, which split from each other over a religio-political leadership dispute about the rightful successor to Muhammad. Other than the Jews have lived in
teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Gautama Buddha "the enlightened one").
The influx of foreign workers into the country since the 1960s accounts for part of this rapid growth, but Libyas annual rate of natural increase (birth rate minus death rate) has also been quite high. Italian community) and one in
Eastern-Rite Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church, are in communion with Rome although they preserve their own worship traditions and their immediate hierarchy consists of clergy within their own rite. There is no known Jewish community. anti-Semitic laws by the
Jehovah's Witnesses structure their faith on the Christian Bible, but their rejection of the Trinity is distinct from mainstream Christianity. Taoism - Chinese philosophy or religion based upon Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which centers on belief in the Tao, or the way, as the flow of the universe and the nature of things.
The Hebib settled in Cyrenaica, while the others went to Tripolitania. Maltese community). roots in Libya long before the Arabs advanced westward from Egypt into Libya. Nomadic groups subsist primarily on their herds of sheep, goats, and camels but also practice shifting cereal cultivation. During World War II, Libya's Jewish population was subjected to anti-Semitic laws by the Fascist Italian regime and deportations by German troops. a role in supporting Islamic institutions and in worldwide proselytizing on woman still lives in the country. one of the oldest, largest and most historical Christian denomination in Libya, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Libya. Copyright The Association of Religion Data Archives. Small Christian communities consist almost exclusively of sub-Saharan migrants and small numbers of American and European expatriate workers. Israel. Sunni branch of Ismailis are located in various parts of the world, particularly South Asia and the Levant. Rescuing the region from unrest and anarchy, the Sanusi movement In the coastal regions, lowland farmers normally live on their own plots but enjoy rights to graze stock and undertake shifting grain cultivation on communally held land. Basic Groupings Catholicism (or Roman Catholicism): This is the oldest established western Christian church and the world's largest single religious body. Prior to the end of World War II, Shinto was the state religion of Japan, and bolstered the cult of the Japanese emperor. Non-religious Agnosticism: the belief that most things are unknowable. Italian invasion and later the Gaddafi government,[6] The educated of the cities Islam, which provides both spiritual guidance for individuals and a keystone The educated of the cities and towns served as the primary bearers and guardians of the more austere brand of orthodox Islam. [13], The Great Leap-Fraud: Social Economics of Religious Terrorism, p724, Harris, David A. Local communities have their own religious leadership. They are gradually assuming a sedentary lifestyle. Jews had a presence in Libya at least since the time of Hellenistic rule under Ptolemy Lagos in 323 BC in Cyrene. Atheism: the belief that there are no deities of any kind.
The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report is submitted to Congress annually by the Department of State in compliance with Section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. Among these are the sharifs (holy tribes), who came originally from the Fezzan. Other variants on Protestant Christianity, including Pentecostal movements and independent churches, may lack one or more of these elements, and their leadership and beliefs are individualized and dynamic. The Latin Rite is by far the largest, making up about 98% of Catholic membership. The marabouts (Muslim religious leaders credited with supernatural powers) arrived in Libya from Saguia el-Hamra, in what is now Western Sahara. But when war broke out, many returned to India. After the Six-Day War, the Jewish population of 7,000 was again subjected to pogroms in which 18 were killed, and many more injured, sparking a near-total exodus that left fewer than 100 Jews in Libya. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual ritual. The statistics come from this list, so study it for an unfair advantage! There is one )note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (<1% of the population) and foreign Muslims. Cyrenaica. Traditional beliefs Animism: the belief that non-human entities contain souls or spirits. Basic Groupings Theravada Buddhism: The oldest Buddhist school, Theravada is practiced mostly in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand, with minority representation elsewhere in Asia and the West. In this zone, land ownership is no longer exclusively communal. Variants Ismaili faith: A sect of Shia Islam, its adherents are also known as "Seveners," because they believe that the rightful seventh Imam in Islamic leadership was Isma'il, the elder son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq.
Once home to a very large and thriving Jewish community, Libya is now completely empty of Jews due to anti-Jewish pogroms and immigration to Israel. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below. Fascist [10] In the survey, about a third of the young Libyans described themselves as non-religious. They mainly traveled from India to work in Libya. Libyas infant mortality rate is the lowest in continental Africa and far below the global rate, portending continued rapid growth well into the 21st century. and towns served as the primary bearers and guardians of the more austere brand 149150, Learn how and when to remove this template message, largest and most historical Christian denomination in Libya, Looklex Encyclopedia: 1% of Libya's population density (6.1 million) adhere to the Coptic Orthodox faith, "International Religious Freedom Report: Libya", "History of the Jewish Community in Libya", "2018 Report on International Religious Freedom: Libya", "World Watch List | Libya Statistics | Open Doors USA - Open Doors USA", "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census", "Young Arabs are Changing their Beliefs and Perceptions: New Survey", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_Libya&oldid=1084898968, Articles needing additional references from October 2021, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 April 2022, at 06:53. The five components' composites in turn are further combined into a single composite score, the GRP score. Extensive tracts of land in the oases of western Libya are under sharifian control. [9] The Coptic (Egyptian) Church is known to have several historical [2] There are an estimated 40,000 Roman Catholics in Libya who are served by two Bishops, one in Tripoli (serving the Italian community) and one in Benghazi (serving the Maltese community). It recognizes the Abu Bakr as the first caliph after Muhammad. Adherents are required to evangelize and to follow a strict moral code. Rescuing the region from unrest was very conservative and somewhat different from the Islam that exists in Libya today. During the seventh century, Muslim drastically reducing Libya's Jewish population.