A modern Muslim-majority nation, skyscrapers, rainforests and a thriving multi-ethnic society.
Malaysia is a Muslim-majority nation where the Petronas Towers rise above a multi-ethnic society of Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous peoples. Islam reached the Malay world through trade and Sufi teaching, and today Malaysia is one of the most developed Muslim-majority countries.
Former Prime Minister
Modern Asia's longest-serving leader; a Muslim statesman who modernised Malaysia.
Country
Malaysia
Muslims
About 20 million Muslims
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Roughly 63% of the population
Landmark
Petronas Towers · Kuala Lumpur
Islam reached the Malay Peninsula through traders and Sufi teachers from the 13th century onward, gradually replacing Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms. The Malacca Sultanate became a major Muslim trading power. Modern Malaysia, formed in 1963, is a constitutional monarchy in which Islam is the official religion while protecting the rights of its large non-Muslim communities.
View statistical sourceMalaysia shows how Islam builds, not erases. The Malays embraced Islam and kept their language, their customs and their place in the world, turning all of it toward the worship of one God. The message that crossed the Indian Ocean on merchant ships was the same one spoken in the deserts of Arabia: one Creator, one human family, a life answerable to God. It needed no force, because it was already true. That is the original, pure message of every prophet, and it is why it reached the rainforests of Southeast Asia just as surely as it reached anywhere else.
"We have sent you but as a mercy to all the worlds." — Qur'an 21:107
Positive contribution
Muslims in Malaysia contribute to the whole society — in service, scholarship, sport and charity.
Malaysia is one of the most developed Muslim-majority economies, a hub for finance, technology and halal industry.
Malaysia is a model of a Muslim-majority nation managing a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society in relative peace.
Malaysia leads the global halal standards and certification industry, serving Muslim consumers worldwide.
Malaysian universities and Islamic institutions train scholars and professionals serving the region and beyond.
Different languages, different cultures, one message. Explore more countries or read the Qur'an for yourself.
