what type of muslims are in iran

Most Muslims in Iran are Twelver Shia , with a smaller but important Sunni minority, plus a few other smaller Shia and Islamic-related groups.

Main types of Muslims in Iran

• Twelver Shia (Ithna Ashari) – This is the official state religion and by far the largest group, usually estimated at around 85–90% of the population.

• Sunni Muslims – Often estimated around 7–10% (some sources give higher ranges), mainly among ethnic Kurds, Baluch, Turkmen, some Arabs, and some Persians.

• Other Shia currents – Historically and in small pockets, you also find groups linked to other Shia traditions such as Ismaili, Zaidi, and a few distinct local Shia-influenced faiths.

Within Shia Islam

Most Shia Muslims in Iran follow Twelver Shia Islam , centered on belief in twelve Imams, with the twelfth as the hidden Mahdi.

• Twelver Shia is strongest in big cities and across the Persian-speaking heartland (Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Qom, etc.).

• It shapes Iran’s legal system, religious education, and major rituals like Ashura.

Smaller Shia-linked traditions exist, for example some communities historically influenced by Ismaili and other Shia variants, though they are numerically much smaller than Twelver Shia.

Within Sunni Islam

Among Sunnis in Iran, the main schools of law (madhhab) are similar to those in the wider Sunni world.

• Many Kurds in western Iran are Sunni, often following the Shafi‘i school.

• Baluch and Turkmen communities tend to follow the Hanafi school.

• Some Arabs, Larestani (south), and other minorities are Sunni as well.

So if you’re asking “what type of Muslims are in Iran,” the short practical answer is:

1. Mostly Twelver Shia Muslims.
2. A significant minority of Sunni Muslims (mainly Shafi‘i and Hanafi).
3. A few smaller Shia-related and Islamic-influenced groups with local or historic roots.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.