1.6 billion: Estimated number of Muslims worldwide in 2010, according to a report by the Pew Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life titled “The Future of the Global Muslim Population.” According to the same study, the number of Muslims in the world is projected to increase to 2.2 billion by 2030.
5.1 million: Estimated number of Muslims in PH as of July 2011, according to the CIA World Factbook. (The last census by the National Statistics Office put the number at 3.9 million as of 2000)
570: Year that the prophet Muhammad was born.
12: Number of months in the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims all over the world observe Ramadan during the ninth month of the calendar, spending the daylight hours in complete fasting to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice.
5: Number of obligations that every Muslim must satisfy to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. Called the Five Pillars of Islam, it includes the Shahadah (sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith), Salat (performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day), Zakat (paying an alms – or charity – tax to benefit the poor and the needy), Sawm (fasting during the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
2009: Year that Republic Act No. 9849, which declares as a national holiday the observance of Eid’l Adha in the country, was signed
9997: Republic Act signed in 2010 by former President Arroyo, which created the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) and abolished the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA). The NCMF was created to provide advice and assistance on policies and programs affecting Muslim Filipinos, the establishment of Muslim Filipino settlements, and the identification of lands for homeless and displaced Muslim families, among others.
Compiled by Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research
Sources: religion.blogs.cnn.com, newsfeed.time.com, pewresearch.org, census, islam.about.com, bbc.co.uk, lawphil.net, pia.gov.ph, ncmf9a.com, CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html)
