Islam as a state religion
Islam reached the shores of the Maldives in 1153, probably imported by Arab traders from North Africa. This conversion marked an important turning point in the history of the country, which from then on came under the authority of a sultanate. Professed since the 12th century, Islam became the state religion with the 1968 Constitution, promulgated "in the name of Allah the Beneficent and Merciful". The President of the Islamic Republic of Maldives is the country's political and religious leader. Sunni in origin, the country's population is 100% Muslim. Any foreigner wishing to marry a Maldivian must convert to Islam. Religion is omnipresent in the lives of its citizens, who have a duty to be Muslim. The practice of any other religion is forbidden, as is the importation of idols. It is inadvisable to display religious convictions that differ from those advocated by the State. In 1998, 19 Christians from Europe were expelled for attempting to propagate the Christian religion in the archipelago. At the same time, and even more seriously, more than 50 Maldivians suspected of practicing Christianity were arrested and imprisoned. Members of the small Christian community in the Maldives, often South Indians, are severely punished when caught practicing their faith. Children are taught Islam from an early age, and Arabic begins before Divehi. At the age of 3, Maldivian children begin to decipher the Koran in maktabs, elementary Koranic schools. But that's where the learning stops. Maldivians may be able to read the sacred text, but they don't understand the meaning of what they're reading. It's only recently that the Maldivian government has offered its inhabitants a Divehi translation of the Koran. The practice of religion punctuates Maldivian days. The call to prayer is made by the muezzin, five times a day, from the minaret of the mosque. Every inhabited Maldivian island and every island-hotel has its own mosque. On Friday lunchtime, at the time of the weekly prayer, the country comes to a standstill. All the men go to the mosque, including on the island hotels, so lunch is often served later.
The Koranic law
The Maldivian state bases its legal system on Sharia law, which governs both civil and criminal law. However, its interpretation of Koranic law is gentler than that of other states that have adopted the same legal framework. Women are not confined to the home, nor are they obliged to veil their heads. A Maldivian law even prohibits the wearing of the chador. Officially, this is to guard against terrorist attacks. Unofficially, it's to avoid putting off Western tourists. Penalties for minor offences and slight breaches of the rules professed by the Koran are rather light. Belonging to a people with a quiet soul, the Maldivian has never appreciated the "blessing" of violent Sharia punishments. The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battûta, who was appointed cadi (officer of justice) in the Maldives in the 14th century, caused an uproar when he ordered that thieves' hands be cut off. This punishment was applied only once in the Maldives, under the presidency of Mohamed Amin Didi. Traditionally, the most common punishments are exile, caning, flogging or imprisonment. The death penalty was reinstated in 2014, applicable to people from the age of 7, in accordance with Koranic law. Nevertheless, the ultimate sanction has never yet been pronounced since the end of the moratorium, dating back to 1954 and the British occupation.
Buddhism and local beliefs
Several Buddhist archaeological remains have been unearthed on Ari Atoll and Gan Island. It would appear that the cult was similar to that practiced in India. It is likely that the first settlers, who arrived around 500 BC, imported the religion to the archipelago. An 11th-century coral Buddha head is on display at the National Museum in Malé. Other archaeological discoveries made in the 1980s suggest that a belief in sun worship also existed. Many pre-Islamic beliefs still persist, particularly in isolated atolls. They serve to explain what cannot be explained by the Koran or scientific research. Many of them are linked to the world of the sea. For example, Maldivians believe in the existence of evil spirits from the sea. These djinns can only be fought by incantations(fanditas) recited by the hakeem (traditional doctor). The further away from Malé, the more deeply rooted these beliefs become. Historian Hassan Ahmed Maniku defines the djinn as "an invisible being, but sometimes visible, capable of moving across oceans, lands and through walls. He can be beneficent or maleficent. He can demand supplications or sacrifices". These djinns are made of fire and possess supernatural powers. As such, they are summoned at the Last Judgment to pronounce on the conduct of mankind. There are many "varieties" of jinn, each with its own legend. The chief jinn is Buddevi. He lives in the jungle, on the beach, in the undergrowth and near abandoned houses. Sometimes he appears at the very spot where drops of water fall from coconut leaves after a rain. He also sometimes appears in the form of a cat or an attractive man. Anyone who sees him is said to fall ill. The most famous of the djinns is Rannamaari, who, in the temple of Budkhana, formerly located on the eastern cape of Malé, waited each month for the sacrifice of a virgin from a terrorized population. When no fandita could drive him from his lair, he raped and killed young Maldivian girls. In 1153, the Somali Muslim scholar Abu Al Barakat is said to have made the Rannamaari djinn return to the bottom of the ocean by reciting the Koran to him for one night. This episode is said to have converted the Maldivians to Islam. Or when pagan legend and religion validate each other.
