Editing Tajiks (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Islam in Afghanistan|Islam in Tajikistan | Islam in Uzbekistan}}Various scholars have recorded the [[Zoroastrian]], and [[Buddhist]] pre-Islamic heritage of the Tajik people. Early temples for fire worship have been found in [[Balkh]] and [[Bactria]] and excavations in present-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan show remnants of Zoroastrian fire temples.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=hLi9oJMT5B8C&dq=tajikistan+zorastrian&pg=PA21 Lena Jonson, ''Tajikistan in the New Central Asia: Geopolitics, Great Power Rivalry and Radical Islam''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410122329/https://books.google.com/books?id=hLi9oJMT5B8C&pg=PA21&dq=tajikistan+zorastrian |date=10 April 2023 }} (International Library of Central Asia Studies), page 21</ref>

Today, the great majority of Tajiks follow [[Sunni Islam]], although small [[Twelver]] and [[Ismaili]] [[Shia]] minorities also exist in scattered pockets. Areas with large numbers of Shias include [[Herat Province|Herat]], [[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]] provinces in Afghanistan, the [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province]] in Tajikistan, and [[Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County]] in China. Some of the famous Islamic scholars were from either modern or historical East-Iranian regions lying in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and therefore can arguably be viewed as Tajiks. They include [[Abu Hanifa]],<ref name="Iranica"/> [[Muhammad al-Bukhari|Imam Bukhari]], [[Al-Tirmidhi|Tirmidhi]], [[Abu Dawud al-Sijistani|Abu Dawood]], [[Nasir Khusraw]] and many others.

According to a 2009 [[U.S. State Department]] release, the population of Tajikistan is 98% Muslim, (approximately 85% [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and 5% [[Shia]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm|title=Background Note: Tajikistan|publisher=State.gov|date=24 January 2012|access-date=11 June 2012|archive-date=13 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513180616/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Afghanistan]], the great number of Tajiks adhere to [[Sunni Islam]]. A small number of Tajiks may follow [[Twelver]] [[Shia Islam]]; the [[Farsiwan]] are one such group.<ref name="Shaikh 1992">{{cite book | last=Shaikh | first=F. | title=Islam and Islamic Groups: A Worldwide Reference Guide | publisher=Longman Group UK | series=Longman Law Series | year=1992 | isbn=978-0-582-09146-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlYUAQAAIAAJ | access-date=1 November 2023 | page=1}}</ref> The community of [[Bukharian Jews]] in Central Asia speak a dialect of Persian. The [[Uzbek Jews|Bukharian Jewish community in Uzbekistan]] is the largest remaining community of Central Asian Jews and resides primarily in Bukhara and Samarkand, while the [[History of the Jews in Tajikistan|Bukharaian Jews of Tajikistan]] live in Dushanbe and number only a few hundred.<ref>J. Sloame, ''"Bukharan Jews"'', Jewish Virtual Library, ([https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Bukharan_Jews.html LINK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113035036/https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Bukharan_Jews.html |date=13 January 2017 }})</ref> From the 1970s to the 1990s the majority of these Tajik-speaking Jews emigrated to the United States and to [[Israel]] in accordance with [[Aliyah]]. Recently, the Protestant community of Tajiks descent has experienced significant growth, a 2015 study estimates some 2,600 Muslim Tajik converted to Christianity.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Johnstone|first1=Patrick|last2=Miller|first2=Duane Alexander|title=Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census|journal=IJRR|date=2015|volume=11|issue=10|pages=1–19|url=https://www.academia.edu/16338087|access-date=30 October 2015|archive-date=13 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313222442/https://www.academia.edu/16338087/Believers_in_Christ_from_a_Muslim_Background_A_Global_Census|url-status=live}}</ref>

Tajikistan marked 2009 as the year to commemorate the Tajik Sunni Muslim jurist [[Abu Hanifa]], whose ancestry hailed from [[Parwan Province]] of Afghanistan, as the nation hosted an international symposium that drew scientific and religious leaders.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-186549-109-today-marks-18th-year-of-tajik-independence-and-success.html|title=Today marks 18th year of Tajik independence and success|publisher=Todayszaman.com|date=9 September 2009|access-date=11 June 2012|archive-date=11 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011014305/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-186549-109-today-marks-18th-year-of-tajik-independence-and-success.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The construction of one of the largest mosques in the world, funded by [[Qatar]], was announced in October 2009. The mosque is planned to be built in Dushanbe and construction is said to be completed by 2014.<ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel Bardsley|url=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20091009%2FFOREIGN%2F710089882%2F1002|title=Qatar paying for giant mosque in Tajikistan|publisher=Thenational.ae|date=25 May 2010|access-date=11 June 2012|archive-date=21 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921062022/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20091009%2FFOREIGN%2F710089882%2F1002|url-status=live}}</ref>