40 OLDEST MUSLIM COUNTRIES

 

Determining the "oldest" Muslim countries is complex because modern nation-states (like Saudi Arabia or Egypt) often did not exist in their current political form during the initial spread of Islam in the 7th century. 

Instead, the regions listed below are ranked by when Islam was first established as a dominant political or cultural force, following the early Muslim conquests and subsequent missionary activities. 

Orange is for poor countries.

Earliest Regions to Adopt Islam (7th – 8th Centuries) 

These areas formed the core of the first Islamic states, such as the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates. 

1. Saudi Arabia: Origin point of Islam (c. 622 CE) with the establishment of the first Islamic state in Medina.
2. Yemen: Integrated into the Islamic state during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (c. 630–632 CE).
3. Oman: Among the first regions outside the Hejaz to accept Islam (c. 630 CE).
4. Bahrain: Converted early in the 7th century following the mission of Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami.
5. Iraq: Conquest began in the 630s CE; became the center of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad.
6. Syria: Conquered by 636 CE (Battle of Yarmouk) and served as the capital of the Umayyad Empire in Damascus.
7. Palestine/Jordan: Captured by the Rashidun Caliphate by 638 CE.
8. Egypt: Conquered by 641 CE; the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As in Cairo is the oldest in Africa.
9. Iran: The Sassanid Empire fell to Muslim forces by 651 CE.
10. Libya: Reached by Muslim armies in 642 CE under Amr ibn al-As.
11. Tunisia: Established as the province of Ifriqiya (c. 670 CE) with the founding of Kairouan.
12. Algeria: Incorporated during the Umayyad westward expansion (late 7th century).
13. Morocco: Islam reached the Atlantic coast by the late 7th century, leading to the Idrisid dynasty (788 CE).
14. Azerbaijan: Conquered during the reign of Caliph Umar in the 640s CE. 

Expansion into Central and South Asia (8th – 10th Centuries) 

15. Pakistan (Sindh): Conquest of Sindh by Muhammad bin Qasim in 711 CE.
16. Uzbekistan: Reached during the Umayyad conquest of Transoxiana (c. 705–715 CE).
17. Turkmenistan: Conquered in the mid-7th century as part of the Persian campaigns.
18. Afghanistan: Gradually Islamized between the 7th and 10th centuries. 

Sub-Saharan Africa and Early Kingdoms (9th – 13th Centuries) 

19. Somalia: Early adoption through trade; the Sultanate of Mogadishu dates to c. 900 CE.
20. Sudan: Islam spread via Nubia and the Red Sea; early influence began in the 7th century, though major sultanates rose later.
21. Mauritania: Islamized by the Almoravid movement in the 11th century.
22. Mali: Became a major Islamic center under the Mali Empire in the 13th century.
23. Niger: Influenced by Trans-Saharan trade starting in the 10th century.
24. Chad: The Kanem Empire adopted Islam by the 11th century. 

Further Expansion and Modern Majority States 

The remaining countries on this list transitioned to Muslim majorities or official Islamic status through trade, Sufi missions, or later dynastic rule. 

25. Turkey (11th century onwards, notably under the Seljuks and Ottomans).
26. Maldives (Official conversion in 1153 CE).
27. Indonesia (First sultanates in Sumatra, c. 13th century).
28. Malaysia (14th-century Malacca Sultanate).
29. Bangladesh (13th-century conquests; rapid growth under Bengal Sultanate).
30. Senegal (11th century via the Tekrur kingdom).
31. Gambia (11th-14th centuries via Mali Empire influence).
32. Guinea (Early 18th-century Imamate of Futa Jallon).
33. Sierra Leone (18th century).
34. Burkina Faso (15th century onwards).
35. Djibouti (Early 9th century via trade).
36. Comoros (10th century via Arab traders).
37. Kazakhstan (8th-12th centuries).
38. Kyrgyzstan (8th-12th centuries).
39. Tajikistan (8th century).
40. Albania (Widespread adoption under Ottoman rule, 15th century).