The 1968 constitution of Mauritius recognized four religious categories: Hindus, Muslims, Sino-Mauritians, and the general population. According to a 1989 estimate, of a total population of 1,080,000, Muslims constituted about 16 percent(179,280). Recent statistics are not available because questions on religious affiliations have been removed from the population census.

The Muslim population is approximately 95 percent Sunni and many are Urdu-speaking. Other languages include Bhojpuri, Gujarati, and Arabic. Sunnis adhere mostly to the Hanafi school of thought, reflecting their roots in the Indian subcontinent. The biggest and second oldest place of worship is the Jummah Mosque in Port Louis, but there are many smaller mosques in the towns and villages. The highest concentration of Muslims is found in the capital Port Louis, predominantly in the Plaine Verte neighborhood.

Among the Shi'a minority, some have their origins in different parts of India, others are adherents of the Agha Khan from East Africa, and still others are Ahmadiist from the Punjab.

See also

• Islam by country – All the Muslims of Mauritius speak Mauritian Creole and have a good knowledge of
  
  
  
  French and English. Moreover, many of them speak Urdu.

References

• This article incorporates public domain text from the Library of Congress Country Studies.