Islam In Serbia

Islam spread to Serbia during the three centuries of Ottoman rule. The Muslims in Serbia are mostly ethnic Bosniaks, Albanians and significant part of Muslim Roma as well as members of the smaller groups, like ethnic Muslims, Gorani and Serbs (Čitaci).

According to 2022 census, there were 278,212 Muslims in Serbia (4.2% of total population. Largest concentration of Muslims in Serbia could be found in the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica and Prijepolje in the Sandžak region, and in the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac in the Preševo Valley.

Ethnic groups

• Bosniaks and ethnic Muslims, mostly living in the Sandžak region.
• Albanians, mostly living in the Preševo Valley region.
• Muslim Roma, including Balkan Romani speaking and Serbian-speaking groups from southern Serbia as well as Albanian-speaking groups.
• Gorani, Slavic ethnic group.

Geographical distribution

The municipality of Novi Pazar is home to Serbia's largest Muslim population, with 82,710 Muslims out of 100,410 inhabitants (82% of its population). The municipality of Tutin has the highest share of Muslims in Serbia, with around 94% of its population being Muslim. Sjenica Municipality has also a very large Muslim population (79%), followed by Prijepolje Municipality (45%). Most Albanians, who belong to the Islamic faith, living in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa boycotted the 2011 census, but statistics from the 2002 Census shows that Muslims constitute a majority in those municipalities with 89% and 55%, respectively and in Medveđa they numbered around 29% of the population.

** Census 2011 boycotted by Albanian minority

Adherents of Islam in Serbia are organized into two separate bodies: the Islamic Community in Serbia subordinate to the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Islamic Community of Serbia founded in 2007 which traces its origins to the Principality of Serbia. In 2012, the reis-ul-ulema Mustafa Cerić of Bosnia published a fatwa against Adem Zilkić, leader of the Islamic Community of Serbia, categorizing his actions as Masjid al-Dirar.

The Islamic Community of Serbia (Islamska zajednica Srbije), with seat in Belgrade, is administered by reis-ul-ulema Sead Nasufović. It is divided into:

• • Mešihat of Serbia, with seat in Belgrade
  • Mešihat of Raška, with seat in Novi Pazar
  • Mešihat of Preševo, with seat in Preševo

The Islamic Community in Serbia (Islamska zajednica u Srbiji), with seat in Novi Pazar, is administered by mufti Mevlud Dudić, which include:

• • Islamic Community in Sandzak region or Muftiship of Sandžak, with seat in Novi Pazar, administered by mufti Mevlud Dudić.
  • Islamic Community in Vojvodina or Muftiship of Novi Sad, with seat in Novi Sad, administered by mufti Fadil Murati.
  • Islamic Community in Preševo Valley or Muftiship of Preševo, with seat in Preševo.
  • Islamic Community in Central Serbia or Muftiship of Belgrade, with seat in Belgrade.

•  
  Sketches of ordinary Serbian Muslims.
•  
  Ottoman manuscript from Smederevo, 1526
•  
  Organization of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community of Serbia (as of 2007)
•  
  Organization of the Mešihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia, which is part of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (as of 2007)

• Religion in Serbia