cultural Muslims

{{Islam}}

In Central Asia and in former communist countries, the term "cultural Muslim" came into use to describe those who wished their "Muslim" identity to be associated with certain national and ethnic rituals, rather than merely religious faith.{{cite book|author1= Cara Aitchison|author1-link= Cara Aitchison|author2= Peter E. Hopkins|author3-link= Mei-Po Kwan|author3= Mei-Po Kwan|title= Geographies of Muslim Identities: Diaspora, Gender and Belonging|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DRnthQxB8lYC&pg=PA147|access-date= 30 June 2013|year= 2007|publisher= Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn= 978-1-4094-8747-0|page=147}}

Malise Ruthven (2000) discussed the terms "cultural Muslim" and "nominal Muslim" as follows:Islam: A Very Short Introduction, by Malise Ruthven, Oxford University Press, 2000.

There is, however, a secondary meaning to Muslim which may shade into the first. A Muslim is one born to a Muslim father who takes on his or her parents' confessional identity without necessarily subscribing to the beliefs and practices associated with the faith, just as a Jew may describe him- or herself as Jewish without observing the Tanakh or Halacha. In non-Muslim societies, such Muslims may subscribe to, and be vested with, secular identities. The Muslims of Bosnia, descendants of Slavs who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule, are not always noted for attendance at prayer, abstention from alcohol, and other social practices associated with believing Muslims in other parts of the world. They were officially designated as Muslims by nationality to distinguish them from Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats under the former Yugoslav communist regime. The label Muslim indicates their ethnicity and group allegiance, but not necessarily their religious beliefs. In this limited context (which may apply to other Muslim minorities in Europe and Asia), there may be no contradiction between being Muslim and being atheist or agnostic, just as there are Jewish atheists and Jewish agnostics. This secular definition of Muslim (sometimes the terms cultural Muslim or nominal Muslim are used) is very far from being uncontested.

Scholar G. Hussein Rassool (2015) discussed the label "cultural Muslim" as follows:

The label 'Cultural Muslim' is used in the literature to describe those Muslims who are religiously unobservant, secular or irreligious individuals who still identify with the Muslim culture due to family background, personal experiences, or the social and cultural environment in which they grew up.

A cultural Muslim internalizes the Islamic cultural tradition, or way of thinking, as a frame of reference. Cultural Muslims are diverse in terms of norms, values, political opinions, and religious views. They retain a shared "discourse or structure of feeling" related to shared history and memories.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=l-axAgAAQBAJ&q=%22cultural+Muslim%22&pg=PT90|title= Islam in Europe: Public Spaces and Civic Networks|author= Spyros A. Sofos|author2= Roza Tsagarousianou|publisher= Palgrave Macmillan|year= 2013|isbn= 978-1-137-35777-9}}

The concept of a cultural Muslim{{snd}}someone who identifies as a Muslim yet is not religious{{snd}}is not always met with acceptance in Islamic communities.

In non-Muslim majority countries, Muslims may identify themselves by distinguishing themselves as practicing vs. not-practicing and believer vs. non-believer.{{Cite book|last1=Aune|first1=Kristin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8z8lDwAAQBAJ&q=+%22Cultural+Muslim%22&pg=PA96|title=Religion and Higher Education in Europe and North America|last2=Stevenson|first2=Jacqueline|date=2016-12-01|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-22738-0|language=en}} Usually, ritual practicing ones are presumed to be believers, while non-practicing ones may be believers or non-believers.

In several countries, self-reported Muslims practice the religion at low levels. According to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center, who interviewed Muslims across the world, about 1% of those interviewed in Azerbaijan, 5% in Albania, 9% in Uzbekistan, 10% in Kazakhstan, 19% in Russia, and 22% in Kosovo said that they attend mosque once a week or more.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary/|title=The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity|work=Pew Research Center|date=August 9, 2012}}

According to the same study, only 15% of those who were interviewed in 2012 in Albania and 18% of those who were interviewed in Kazakhstan said that religion was very important in their lives,{{Cite web |url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2012/08/the-worlds-muslims-full-report.pdf |title=The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity |access-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126060051/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2012/08/the-worlds-muslims-full-report.pdf |archive-date=2017-01-26 }} and only 2% of those interviewed in Kazakhstan, 4% in Albania, 10% in Kosovo, 14% in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 14% in Kyrgyzstan, 16% in Uzbekistan, and 21% in Azerbaijan reported that they perform all five prayers a day. Approximately 71% of those who were interviewed in Uzbekistan, 64% in Azerbaijan, 54% in Tajikistan, and 50% in Kyrgyzstan never went to a mosque in the 2012 survey.

According to scholar Ibrahim Warde the majority of the Muslims in the Balkans are considered as 'cultural' or 'nominal' Muslims. Scholar Adeeb Khaled cited that the majority of the Muslims in Central Asia and Russia are cultural or nominal Muslims. There are significant segment of Muslim immigrants in the United States and Western Europe who are cultural or nominal Muslims, particularly among second-generation immigrants, where their "Muslim" identity associated with cultural or ethnic heritage rather than merely religious faith. According to an Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan "most Muslim Westerners do not practice their religion regularly", and some define themselves as merely "cultural" Muslims.{{cite book|title=What I Believe|first=Tariq |last=Ramadan|year= 2021| isbn=978-0-19-973672-0| page =8|publisher=Oxford University Press}}

According to scholars, the majority of Muslims in Albania are 'nominal' or 'cultural' Muslims.{{cite book|title=Muslim and Supermuslim: The Quest for the Perfect Being and Beyond|first=Roy |last=Jackson|year= 2020| isbn=978-3-030-37093-0| page =65|publisher=Springer Nature}}{{cite book|title=Islam in the Balkans: Religion and Society Between Europe and the Arab World|first=Harry |last=Thirlwall Norris|year= 1993| isbn=978-0-87249-977-5| page =277|publisher=Univ of South Carolina Press}} In a Pew research center survey of Muslim Albanians in 2012, religion was important for only 15%, while 7% prayed, around 5% went to a mosque, 43% gave zakat (alms), 44% fasted during Ramadan and 72% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad.{{cite book|last=Jazexhi|first=Olsi|chapter=Albania|pages=21–24|editor1-last=Nielsen|editor1-first=Jørgen|editor2-last=Akgönül|editor2-first=Samim|editor3-last=Alibašić|editor3-first=Ahmet|editor4-last=Racius|editor4-first=Egdunas|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 5|year=2013|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-25586-9}}

A medical study from 2008 in Tirana on the relationship between religious observance and acute coronary syndrome found out that 67% of the Muslims interviewed were completely religiously non-observant. The regular attendance of religious institutions (at least once every 2 weeks) was low (6%), and weekly attendance was very low (2%). Frequent praying (at least 2 to 3 times per week) among and among the Muslims we were asked it was around 17%, and praying several times daily (as required of devout Muslims) was rare (2%). Regular fasting during Ramadan was similarly low (5%).{{Cite journal |last1=Burazeri |first1=Genc |last2=Goda |first2=Artan |last3=Kark |first3=Jeremy D. |date=December 2008 |title=Religious observance and acute coronary syndrome in predominantly Muslim Albania: a population-based case-control study in Tirana |journal=Annals of Epidemiology |volume=18 |issue=12 |pages=937–945 |doi=10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.09.001 |issn=1873-2585 |pmid=19041593}} Also in Albania according to one study only 36.8% of the males are circumcised, with the rate being 46.5% for those from Muslim background even though for Muslims in general it is an almost universal Islamic custom.[https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR230/FR230.pdf] WHO page 236{{cite journal| pmc=4772313 | pmid=26933388 | doi=10.1186/s12963-016-0073-5 | volume=14 | title=Estimation of country-specific and global prevalence of male circumcision | year=2016 | journal=Popul Health Metr | page=4 | last1 = Morris | first1 = BJ | last2 = Wamai | first2 = RG | last3 = Henebeng | first3 = EB | last4 = Tobian | first4 = AA | last5 = Klausner | first5 = JD | last6 = Banerjee | first6 = J | last7 = Hankins | first7 = CA | doi-access=free }}https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR230/FR230.pdf WHO page 236{{Cite web|url=http://www.instat.gov.al/media/5050/adhs-2017-2018.pdf|title=Albania Demographic and Health Survey (2017–18 ADHS)|website=instat.gov.al|page=279|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110014350/http://www.instat.gov.al/media/5050/adhs-2017-2018.pdf|archive-date=10 January 2019}}

Orthodox observance of the faith is much less widespread among Algerians,Dr Jonathan N.C. Hill (2006) Identity and instability in postcolonial Algeria, The Journal of North African Studies, 11:1, 1–16, DOI: 10.1080/13629380500409735 and Kabyle people are seen as secular rather than religious.{{cite book|last=Karen |first=Christensen|year=2016|title=Women and Leadership: History, Theories, and Case Studies|publisher=Berkshire Publishing Company, Limited|page=173|isbn= 978-1-61472-855-9}} Algerian Berbers tend to be less orthodox in their religious practice and have tended to resist the so - called political Islam, and they have been described as "cultural Muslims" or "nominal Muslims".{{cite book|last=Danziger|first=Raphael|year=2008|title=Abd Al-Qadir and the Algerians: Resistance to the French and Internal Consolidation|publisher=Homes & Meier Publishers|page=8|isbn=978-0-8419-0236-7|quote=All contemporary observers agreed that the Berbers were only nominal Muslims as far as observance of the formal Islamic precepts was concerned. The degree of observance was only slightly higher among Arab nomads.}}

Many Muslim Australians describe themselves as secular or nominal or cultural Muslims.{{cite book|last=Hosen|first=Nadirsyah |year=2018|title=Research Handbook on Islamic Law and Society|publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing|page=35|isbn= 978-1-78100-306-0}}{{cite book|last=Gabriele|first=Marranci|year=2010|title=Muslim Societies and the Challenge of Secularization: An Interdisciplinary Approach|publisher=Springer Netherlands|page=219|isbn=978-90-481-3362-8}}

Azerbaijan is a mostly Shia Muslim country,{{Cite web |first=Joshua |last=Kucera |url=https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijani-shias-gather-for-ashura-under-close-watch-from-the-state |title=Azerbaijani Shias gather for Ashura, under close watch from the state |date=20 September 2018 |access-date=1 May 2021 |work=Eurasianet |quote=The majority of Azerbaijanis are Shia Muslims and, as elsewhere in the region, expressions of religion are on the rise following the collapse of the Soviet Union and its atheist ideology. }} with more than 96% of its population being Muslim.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf |title=Mapping The Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population |publisher=The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life |date=October 2009 |access-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909221522/https://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf |archive-date=9 September 2013 }} According to scholars the majority of Muslims in Azerbaijan are 'nominal' or 'cultural' Muslims.{{cite book|title=Geography of Russia and Its Neighbors, Second Edition|first=Mikhail |last=S. Blinnikov|year= 2021| isbn=978-1-4625-4459-2| page =225|publisher=Guilford Publications}}{{Cite book|title=Azerbaijan Since Independence|first=Svante E.|last=Cornell|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|year=2010|pages=165, 284}}{{citation|last=Lederer|first=Gyorgy|year=2011|chapter=Hungary|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe, Volume 3|editor-last1=Nielsen|editor-first1=Jorgen|editor-last2=Akgönül|editor-first2=Samim|editor-last3=Alibašic|editor-first3=Ahmet|editor-last4=Maréchal|editor-first4=Brigitte|editor-last5=Moe|editor-first5=Christian |page=45|publisher=BRILL Publishers|isbn=978-90-474-2850-3}} A 1998 survey estimated the proportion of ardent believers in Azerbaijan at close to 7 percent, slightly more than the number of declared atheists{{snd}}almost 4 percent{{snd}}with the largest numbers falling into the category of those who consider Islam above all as a way of life, without strict observance of prohibitions and requirements, or as a fundamental part of national identity.Tadeusz Swietochowski [http://www.islamawareness.net/Asia/Azerbaijan/aj_article002.html Azerbaijan: The Hidden Faces of Islam. World Policy Journal, Volume XIX, No 3, Fall 2002]

According to a 2009 Gallup Poll, Azerbaijan is one of the most irreligious countries in the Muslim world, with about 54% of respondents indicating the importance of religion in their life as little or none.{{Cite news |first1=Steve |last1=Crabtree |first2=Breet |last2=Pelham |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/114211/alabamians-iranians-common.aspx |title=What Alabamians and Iranians Have in Common |publisher=Gallup |access-date=1 May 2021 |date=9 February 2009 }}{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/04/14/map-these-are-the-worlds-least-religious-countries/ |title=Map: These are the world's least religious countries |first=Rick |last=Noack |date=14 April 2015 |access-date=1 May 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post }} The same poll indicates that only 21% of the respondents have attended religious services.{{Cite news |url=http://www.today.az/news/society/50636.html |title=Gallup: "Azerbaijan is ranking 5th in the list of most atheistic countries of the world" |publisher=Today |access-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006084434/http://www.today.az/news/society/50636.html |archive-date=6 October 2014 }} Gallup International indicated that only 34% of Azerbaijanis adhere to religious practices, and ranked Azerbaijan the 13th least religious country from data compiled in 2005, 2008 and 2015.{{Cite web |first=Oliver |last=Smith |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/most-religious-countries-in-the-world/ |title=Mapped: The world's most (and least) religious countries |date=14 January 2018 |access-date=1 May 2021 |work=The Daily Telegraph }} It is a secular country by its constitution,{{Cite web |url=https://studies.aljazeera.net/en/reports/2015/10/20151015112738701335.html |first=Fatima |last=Al-Smadi |title=Azerbaijan: Religious Pluralism and Challenges of Cultivating Identity |date=15 October 2015 |access-date=1 May 2021 |work=Al Jazeera |quote=Although Azerbaijan is secular according to its constitution, Islam is an integral part of its cultural and social identity. Today Azerbaijan is experiencing the formation of a national secular identity in which religion will play a significant role. }} and according to James Reynolds of BBC News one of the goals of the secular government of Azerbaijan is to "check the spread of political Islam".{{Cite web |first=James |last=Reynolds |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19063885 |title=Why Azerbaijan is closer to Israel than Iran |date=12 August 2012 |access-date=1 May 2021 |work=BBC News |quote=Israel and the secular government of Azerbaijan share the same goal: to check the spread of political Islam in general and Iran in particular. }}

Some Bangladeshis are nominal or cultural Muslims,{{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Craig|author-link = Craig Baxter|year=1997|title=Bangladesh: From A Nation To A State |publisher=Westview Press|pages=70–75|isbn=978-0-813-33632-9}}{{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Craig|year=1997|title=Bangladesh: From A Nation To A State |publisher=Westview Press|pages=88–98|isbn=978-0-813-33632-9}} in a Pew research center survey of Muslim Bangladeshis in 2012, religion was important for 81%, while 39% prayed, around 53% went to a mosque, 78% gave zakat (alms) and 96% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad.

Surveys conducted 1994 and 1996 observed a decrease in religiosity based on lowering mosque participation, less frequent prayer, dropping importance attached to a religious education, etc.{{r|history|page=242}} This decrease in religiosity was more visible in younger Muslims; however, other more recent studies show that while participation in religious activities among young Muslims is reducing, they are more likely to identify with Islam culturally.{{r|history|page=243}}

A 2005 Université Libre de Bruxelles study estimated that about 10% of the Muslim population in Belgium are "practicing Muslims".{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71371.htm |title=US State Department, International Religious Freedom Report 2006, Belgium |publisher=State.gov |date=2 October 2005 |access-date=8 June 2012}} A 2009 survey found that the majority of Muslims in Belgium supported "separation between religion and state". A 2010 study found that while Muslims put great emphasis on religious freedom and the overwhelming majority stated people should be free to leave Islam if they wanted, they were less comfortable with the idea of Muslims marrying non-Muslims.{{r|history|page=244}}

Bosniaks have been described as "Cultural Muslims"{{cite book|last1=Jeffries|first1=Ian|title=Balkans: A Post-Communist History|url=https://archive.org/details/balkanspostcommu00jeff|url-access=limited|date=2007|page=[https://archive.org/details/balkanspostcommu00jeff/page/n350 330]}} or "Progressive Muslims".{{cite book |last1=Hoare |first1=Marko Attila |title=The Bosnian Muslims in the Second World War |date=1 February 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-936531-9 |language=en|page=3}} Bosnian Muslims tend to often be described as moderate, secular and European-oriented compared to other Muslim groups.Bringa 2002:24; Bringa 1995:7. In a Pew research center survey of Muslim Bosnians in 2012, religion was important for 36%, while 14% prayed and around 14% went to a mosque.

Evgenia Ivanova of the New Bulgarian University stated in 2011 that "religion is not of primary importance to Bulgaria's Muslims." The New Bulgarian University conducted a survey of 850 Muslims in Bulgaria, which found that 48.6% described themselves as religious, 28.5% of which were very religious. Approximately 41% never went to a mosque and 59.3% did not pray at home. About 0.5% believed that disputes should be resolved using Islamic Sharia law and 79.6% said that wearing a veil in school was "unacceptable". More than half of the respondents said cohabitation without marriage was "acceptable", 39.8% ate pork and 43.3% drank alcohol. On the contrary, 88% of respondents said they circumcised their boys and 96% observed Muslim burial practices for their relatives.{{cite web|url= http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bulgarias-muslims-not-deeply-religious-study.aspx?pageID=238&nid=8817|title=Bulgaria's Muslims not deeply religious: study|date=9 December 2011|website=Hürriyet Daily News|access-date=10 December 2011}}

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey, 33% of Bulgarian Muslims responded that religion is "very important" in their lives.{{cite web|title=Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|website=Pew Research Center|access-date=22 October 2017|page=121|date=10 May 2017}} The same survey found that 7% of Bulgarian Muslims pray all five salah,{{cite web|title=Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|website=Pew Research Center|access-date=22 October 2017|page=154|date=10 May 2017}} 22% attend mosque at least once a week,{{cite web|title=Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|website=Pew Research Center|access-date=22 October 2017|page=118|date=10 May 2017}} and 6% read Quran at least once a week.{{cite web|title=Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|website=Pew Research Center|access-date=22 October 2017|page=122|date=10 May 2017}}

Most of the Muslims in Central Asia do not practice their religion daily, and have only nominal or cultural affiliation to Islam. According to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center, approximately 71% of Muslims in Uzbekistan, 64% Azerbaijan, 54% in Tajikistan, and 50% in Kyrgyzstan never went to a mosque. This was largely due to the religious restriction of Islam under communist rule, during that era all religions had only a nominal presence.{{Cite book |last=Eaton |first=Katherine Bliss |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VVFuYN8TS5AC |title=Daily Life in the Soviet Union |date=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-31628-9 |page=296 |language=en}}

In a 2005 survey, 40% of Muslim immigrants and their descendants participated in religious ceremonies/services compared to 60% of Roman Catholic immigrants/ descendants did the same. In a 2008 survey of immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, ex-Yugoslavia, Iran, Iraq, and Somalia, 37% considered themselves very little/little religious, 33% considered themselves moderately religious, 24% considered themselves very religious.{{Cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of European Islam|last=Cesari|first=Jocelyne|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-960797-6|page=402}} A 2011 survey found that 37% of Danish Muslims were non-practicing Muslims.{{Cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of European Islam|last=Cesari|first=Jocelyne|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-960797-6|page=403}}

Scholar estimates the number of 'cultural' nominal Muslims in Estonia in 2008 is around 4,500, meanwhile the numbers of practicing Muslims "hardly exceed several hundred".{{citation|last=Lederer|first=Gyorgy|year=2009|chapter=Hungary|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe, Volume 1|editor-last1=Nielsen|editor-first1=Jorgen|editor-last2=Akgönül|editor-first2=Samim|editor-last3=Alibašic|editor-first3=Ahmet|editor-last4=Maréchal|editor-first4=Brigitte|editor-last5=Moe|editor-first5=Christian |page=111|publisher=BRILL Publishers|isbn=978-90-474-2850-3}}

File:Zidane 2008.jpg identifies as a "non-practicing Muslim".{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/apr/04/sport.features |title=ZZ top |first=Andrew |last=Hussey |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=4 April 2004 |access-date=17 December 2022}}]]

According to a survey, only 33% of French Muslims who were interviewed said they were practicing believers. That figure is the same as that obtained by the INED/INSEE survey in October 2010.Michael Cosgrove, [http://plus.lefigaro.fr/note/how-does-france-count-its-muslim-population-20110407-435643 How does France count its Muslim population?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010074044/http://plus.lefigaro.fr/note/how-does-france-count-its-muslim-population-20110407-435643 |date=2017-10-10 }}, Le Figaro, April 2011. And 20% claimed to go regularly to the mosque for the Friday service,L'Islam en France et les réactions aux attentats du 11 septembre 2001, Résultats détaillés, Ifop, HV/LDV No.1-33-1, 28 September 2001 and 31% practice prayer (salat),{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-muslims-idUSL176050220080117|title=French Muslims becoming more observant|first=Tom|last=Heneghan|newspaper=Reuters |date=January 17, 2008|via=www.reuters.com}} and 70% said they "observe Ramadan". According to expert Franck Fregosi: "Although fasting during Ramadan is the most popular practice, it ranks more as a sign of Muslim identity than piety, and it is more a sign of belonging to a culture and a community", and he added that not drinking alcohol "seems to be more a cultural behavior".

Between November 17, 2019, and March 23, 2020, Pew Research Center completed 29,999 face-to-face interviews with non-institutionalized adults ages 18 and older living in 26 states and three union territories across India. The sample includes interviews with 22,975 Hindus, 3,336 Muslims and other faith's where it was found that 79% of the Indian Muslims who were interviewed believe in the existence of God with absolute certainty, 12% believes in the existence of God with less certainty (they are not sure whether God exists or not, can be referred/classified as Agnostics), and 6% of the Indian Muslims have declared themselves as atheists by stating that they do not believe in any God.{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Travis |date=2021-06-29 |title=12. Beliefs about God |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/beliefs-about-god-in-india/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |language=en-US}}{{cite web | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/appendix-a-methodology-12/ | title=Appendix A: Methodology | date=29 June 2021 }}

Classical documentations divide Indonesian Muslims between "nominal" Muslims, or abangan, whose lifestyles are more oriented toward non-Islamic cultures, and "orthodox" Muslims, or santri, who adhere to the Orthodox Islamic norms. Abangan was considered an indigenous blend of native and Hindu-Buddhist beliefs with Islamic practices sometimes also called Javanism, kejawen, agama Jawa, or kebatinan.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Indonesia: a country study|publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d00276008p|last=Kuipers|first=Joel C.|series=Area handbook series1057-5294|date=1993|editor1-last=Frederick|editor1-first=William H.|edition=5th|isbn=978-0-8444-0790-6|entry=Islam|editor2-first=Robert L.|editor2-last=Worden}} {{PD-notice}}{{cite book | title = Abangan, santri, priyayi: dalam masyarakat Jawa, Issue 4 of Siri Pustaka Sarjana | author1 = Clifford Geertz | author2 = Aswab Mahasin | author3 = Bur Rasuanto | publisher = Pustaka Jaya, original from the University of Michigan, digitized on 24 June 2009 | year = 1983 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7MTXAAAAMAAJ}} According to a study in 1999, 17.3% of the Muslims in Indonesia who took part in it identified themselves as secularists who never or rarely perform Islamic devotions.{{cite book|last=W. Hefner|first=Robert|year=2009|title=Remaking Muslim Politics: Pluralism, Contestation, Democratization|publisher=Princeton University Press|page=279|isbn=978-1-4008-2639-1}}

The Iranian diaspora has been commonly defined as being largely secular; internal polls reflect Iranians (within Iran and the diaspora) not identifying with Islam, instead identifying with secularism/atheism or with other religions such as Christianity or Zoroastrianism.{{cite book|title=Secularism and Identity: Non-Islamiosity in the Iranian Diaspora|first=Reza |last=Gholami|year= 2016| isbn=978-1-317-05827-4| pages =2–5|publisher=Routledge}}

In Iraq, the Turkmen minority are mainly cultural Muslim and secular, having internalized the secularist interpretation of state–religion affairs practiced in the Republic of Turkey since its foundation in 1923.{{citation|last=Oğuzlu|first=Tarik H.|year=2004|title=Endangered community:The Turkoman identity in Iraq|journal=Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs|volume=24 |issue=2|publisher=Routledge|page=313|doi=10.1080/1360200042000296681|hdl=11693/49129|s2cid=56385519 |url=http://repository.bilkent.edu.tr/bitstream/11693/49129/1/Endangered_community_the_Turkoman_identity_in_Iraq.pdf|hdl-access=free}}

According to a study published by Pew Research Center in 2016, while Muslims living in Israel, overall, are more religious than Israeli Jews, they are less religious than Muslims living in many other countries in the Middle East.{{cite web|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/03/Israel-Survey-Full-Report.pdf|title=Israel's Religiously Divided Society|date=8 March 2016|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=23 February 2017}} Muslim women are more likely than men to say that religion has high importance in their lives, and younger Muslims are generally less observant than their elders. The nature of Muslim identity varies among Israeli Muslims: 45% of Muslims say their identity is mainly a matter of religion, 29% say being Muslim is mainly about ancestry and/or culture, and 26% say their identity is characterized by a combination of religion and ancestry/culture.

According to the Israel Democracy Institute survey conducted in 2015, 47% of Israeli Muslims identified as traditional, 32% identified as religious, 17% identified as not religious at all, and 3% identified as very religious.{{cite web|url=https://www.idi.org.il/media/8292/%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%93-%D7%94%D7%93%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA-2016-%D7%A2%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D.pdf|title=Israel of Citizens Arab of Attitudes: Index Democracy Israeli|date=8 March 2016|publisher=Israel Democracy Institute|access-date=23 February 2015}}

The overwhelming majority of Kosovo Albanians are cultural/nominal Muslims,{{cite book|title=Faith- Based Diplomacy Trumping Realpolitik| first=Douglas |last=Johnston|year= 2008| isbn= 978-0-19-972195-5| page = 153|publisher=Oxford University Press}}{{cite book|title=Nordic, Central, and Southeastern Europe 2020–2022| first=Wayne |last=C. Thompson|year= 2021| isbn= 978-1-4758-5626-2| page = 508|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield}} according to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center. 13% of Kosovan Muslims who were asked said that they attend Friday prayer once a week and 40% say they never visit their local mosque, while 81% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad.

A significant segment of Lebanese Muslims has been described as nominally or culturally Muslim; only 35% of Muslims in Lebanon attended mosque once a week according to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center.

According to Professor Tajuddin Rasdi of the Islamic Renaissance Front, about 9% of Muslims in Malaysia are cultural Muslims who do not strictly follow all the tenets of the faith. Most abstain from pork and fast during Ramadan, but some may also consume alcohol and do not always perform the daily prayers. Cultural Muslims in Malaysia observe the more performative aspects of the religion, including circumcision, wedding ceremonies, funerary rites, and celebrating Muslim festivals such as Eid, effectively viewing them more as tradition to be followed out of respect for family ties and cultural heritage. At the same time, their own personal convictions and approaches to religion, if any, may vary or differ significantly from conventional interpretations of Islam.[https://www.irfront.org/post/navigating-through-four-types-of-malay-muslims-in-malaysia-12333 Navigating through four types of Malay Muslims in Malaysia]. Prof. Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi. Islamic Renaissance Front. Retrieved 21 May 2025

Many Moroccans have been described as nominal or cultural Muslims,{{Cite book|title=The Ethnographic State: France and the Invention of Moroccan Islam|last=Burke III|first=Edmund|publisher=University of California|year=2014|isbn=978-0-520-27381-8|location=Oakland}}

A survey of about 2,400 Moroccans by Arab Barometer found that due to COVID-19 pandemic the levels of religiosity in Morocco have increased: in 2021 about 6% answered that they are "not religious", 39% said they are "somewhat religious", and 51% "religious",{{Cite web|title=Morocco Country Report 2021-2022|url=https://www.arabbarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/ABVII_Morocco_Report-ENG.pdf|date =2 October 2021 |publisher=Arab Barometer|pages=22–23}} compared to 13% who answered that they are "not religious", 44% said they are "somewhat religious", and 38% "religious" in 2019.{{Cite web|title=Arab Barometer V Morocco Country Report|url=https://www.arabbarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/ABV_Morocco_Report_Public-Opinion_Arab-Barometer_2019.pdf|date =2 July 2019 |publisher=Arab Barometer|pages=13–14}} In 2019, a lower percentage of individuals aged 18–29 considered themselves "religious," with only 24% identifying as such. By 2021, this number had further declined to just 10% in the same age group.

In 2009, according to a study only 24% of Muslims who took part in the survey in the Netherlands attended mosque once a week according to a survey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/publicatie/2009/31/religie-aan-het-begin-van-de-21ste-eeuw|title=Religie aan het begin van de 21ste eeuw|last=CBS|website=www.cbs.nl|date=29 July 2009 |language=nl-NL|access-date=2017-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202234607/https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/publicatie/2009/31/religie-aan-het-begin-van-de-21ste-eeuw|archive-date=2017-02-02|url-status=live}} According to the same 2004 survey, they found that the importance of Islam in the lives of Dutch Muslims, particularly of second-generation immigrants was decreasing. This observation was based on the reducing participation of younger Muslims in Islamic rituals, organizations, and prayer. The study also predicted that the trend would continue with increasing education and "individualization". However, the study also found that second-generation immigrants attached more importance to religion that the first generation as an "individual experience". The study concluded "the expression of religiosity by Muslim youth was not much different to that of their Dutch Christian or Jewish peers".{{r|:1|page1=178}}

In Northern Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriots are generally very secular and seen as cultural Muslims, and only attend mosques on special occasions (such as for weddings, funerals, and community gatherings).{{citation|last=Henry Dodd|first=Clement|year=1993|title=The Political, Social and Economic Development of Northern Cyprus|publisher=Eothen Press|page=266|isbn=978-0-906719-18-3}} The secularizing force of Kemalism has also exerted an impact on Turkish Cypriots.{{citation |last1=Nevzat|first1=Altay|last2=Hatay|first2=Mete|year=2009|title=Politics, Society and the Decline of Islam in Cyprus: From the Ottoman Era to the Twenty-First Century|journal=Middle Eastern Studies|volume=45|issue=6|page=928|doi=10.1080/00263200903268686|s2cid=144063498}} Religious practices are considered a matter of individual choice and many do not actively practice their religion.{{citation |last=Darke|first=Diana|year=2009|title=North Cyprus|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=978-1-84162-244-6|page=10}} Alcohol is frequently consumed within the community and most Turkish Cypriot women do not cover their heads.{{citation |last1=Boyle|first1=Kevin|last2=Sheen|first2=Juliet|year=1997|title=Freedom of Religion and Belief: A World Report|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-15978-4|page=290}} Turkish Cypriot males are generally circumcised at a young age in accordance with religious beliefs, although, this practice appears more related to custom and tradition than to powerful religious motivation.{{citation |last1=Nevzat|first1=Altay|last2=Hatay|first2=Mete|year=2009|title=Politics, Society and the Decline of Islam in Cyprus: From the Ottoman Era to the Twenty-First Century|journal=Middle Eastern Studies|volume=45|issue=6|page=911|doi=10.1080/00263200903268686|s2cid=144063498}}

Studies conducted for a TV channel in 2006 found that 18% of Norwegian Muslims reported visiting the mosque once a week. A similar study in 2007 reported that 36% of Muslim youth visit the mosque less than once a month.{{cite web|last1=Walseth|first1=Kristin|title=Muslim girls' experiences in physical education in Norway: What role does religiosity play?|url=https://oda-hioa.archive.knowledgearc.net/bitstream/handle/10642/1671/1022673%20postprint.pdf?sequence=2|publisher=Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences|access-date=1 August 2017|location=Oslo, Norway|page=4|date=18 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801114818/https://oda-hioa.archive.knowledgearc.net/bitstream/handle/10642/1671/1022673%20postprint.pdf?sequence=2|archive-date=1 August 2017|url-status=live}} According to scholar Christine Jacobsen many Muslim youth in Norway are nominal or cultural Muslims, and they identify as such only because of cultural heritage rather than because of religious conviction.{{cite book|title=Islamic Traditions and Muslim Youth in Norway| first=Christine|last= Jacobsen|year= 2010| isbn= 978-0-19-972195-5| page = 298|publisher=BRILL}}

According to a 2007/2008 survey of students at upper secondary schools in Oslo, 25% of Muslims pray regularly while 12% attend religious services weekly.{{cite journal|last1=Botvar|first1=Pål Ketil|last2=Sjöborg|first2=Anders|title=Views on human rights among Christian, Muslim and non-religious youth in Norway and Sweden|journal=Nordic Journal of Religion and Society|date=2012|volume=25|issue=1|page=73|doi=10.18261/ISSN1890-7008-2012-01-04 |url=http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:477055/FULLTEXT01.pdf|access-date=1 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802042135/http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:477055/FULLTEXT01.pdf|archive-date=2 August 2017|url-status=live}}

According to scholar Mikhail S. Blinnikov the majority of the Muslims in Russia are 'cultural' nominal Muslims, and fewer than 4% of the Russian Muslims who were interviewed "actually practice Islam". According to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center, 12% of Russian Muslims who were asked say that they attend Friday prayer once a week and 33% say they never visit their local mosque, and 89% expressed a belief in God and Muhammad.

Scholar Åke Sander claimed in 1992 that at most 40–50% of the people of Muslim background in Sweden "could reasonably be considered to be religious",Sander (2004), p. 217 and in 2004, based on discussions and interviews with Muslim leaders, concerning second-generation Muslims born and raised in Sweden that "it does not seem that the percentage they consider to be religious Muslims in a more qualified sense exceeds fifteen percent, or perhaps even less".Sander (2004), pp. 216–7 Sander re-stated in 2004 that "we do not think it unreasonable to put the figure of religious Muslims in Sweden at the time of writing at close to 150,000".Sander (2004), p. 218 According to Göran Larsson a "great majority of people with a Muslim cultural background are as secular or irreligious".{{citation|last=Larsson|first=Göran|year=2009|title=Islam in the Nordic and Baltic Countries|page=58|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-134-01292-3}}

A significant segment of Tunisians have been described as nominal or cultural Muslims.Laurie A. Brand. Women, the State and Political Liberalization: Middle East and North Africa Experiences, p. 178. Yet, there is no reliable data on the number of practicing Muslims.{{Cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35509.htm|title=United States State Department's 2004 Religious Freedom Report}}

{{See also|Secularism in Turkey}}

In a poll conducted by Sabancı University in 2006 16% of Turkish Muslims said they were "extremely religious", 39% said they were "somewhat religious", and 32% said they were "not religious".{{Cite web|url=http://www.selendi.com/forum/ankette-mezhep-sorulari-t4816.0.html;wap2=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202012548/http://www.selendi.com/forum/ankette-mezhep-sorulari-t4816.0.html;wap2=|archive-date=2013-02-02|title=Ankette Mezhep Soruları}}

Many ethnic Turkish people are either cultural or non-practicing Muslims,{{citation|author=Mayer, Ann Elizabeth|year=2010|chapter=Turks|title=The Contemporary Middle East: A Westview Reader|publisher=Westview Press|pages=27–30|isbn=978-0-8133-4465-2}} and many cultural or non-practicing Turkish Muslims tend to be politically secular. Many of the Turkish people only attend mosques on special occasions (such as for weddings, funerals, and community gatherings), according to a 2012 survey by Pew Research Center, 19% of Turkish Muslims say that they attend Friday prayer once a week and 23% say they never visit their local mosque. In general, "Turkish Islam" is considered to be "more moderate and pluralistic" compared to the Middle Eastern-Islamic societies.{{citation|last1=Rabasa|first1=Angel|last2=Larrabee|first2=F. Stephen|year=2008|title=The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey|publisher=RAND Corporation|page=96|isbn=978-0-8330-4457-0}}

According to the Pew Research Center in a 2014 survey, 1% of American Muslims do not believe in God.[http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/ "Religious Landscape Study"]. Pew Research Center. 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2018. The frequency of receiving answers to prayers among Muslims was, 31% at least once a week and 12% once or twice a month.[http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/beliefs_portrait-Muslims.pdf Portrait of Muslims – Beliefs & Practices] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125054035/http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/beliefs_portrait-Muslims.pdf |date=January 25, 2009 }} Pew Research Center

There are significant segment of Muslim immigrants in the United States who are cultural Muslims. For instance, many Turkish Americans identify as cultural Muslims.{{citation |last=Akcapar|first=Sebnem Koser|year=2009|title=Turkish Associations in the United States: Towards Building a Transnational Identity|journal=Turkish Studies|publisher=Routledge|volume=10|issue=2|pages=165–193|doi=10.1080/14683840902863996|s2cid=145499920 }}

According to Kia Abdullah, cultural Muslims are at the receiving end of criticism not only from Muslims but also from some progressives, saying that cultural Muslim cherry-pick the best of both worlds without enough proactive contribution and commitment to liberalism.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-06|title=It is possible to be a secular Muslim|url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/secular-muslim-islam-faith-484560|access-date=2020-07-08|website=inews.co.uk|language=en}}

• Bella Hadid: She shared during an interview with Porter that she is "proud to be a Muslim",{{Cite web |date=2017-04-03 |title=Bella Hadid Says She Is "Proud to Be a Muslim" |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bella-hadid-proud-muslim |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2017-04-04 |title='I am proud to be a muslim': Bella Hadid opens up about her Islamic faith {{!}} The Independent |website=Independent.co.uk |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/bella-hadid-muslim-islam-faith-father-refugee-us-sisters-paestinian-jordanian-american-a7665611.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404153949/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/bella-hadid-muslim-islam-faith-father-refugee-us-sisters-paestinian-jordanian-american-a7665611.html |archive-date=2017-04-04 }} but also stated that she lives a spiritual lifestyle, and although her family was not religious, she grew up learning about Judaism and is interested in Islam. "I'm very spiritual, and I find that I connect with every religion," she explained. "There's that my-way-is-the-right-way thing in human nature, but for me it's not about my god or your god. I kind of just call on whoever is willing to be there for me."{{Cite web |date=2022-03-15 |title=Bella From the Heart: On Health Struggles, Happiness, and Everything In Between |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/bella-hadid-cover-april-2022 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}
• Cenk Uygur: Although he is agnostic, he still identifies as a cultural Muslim.{{Cite web|date=2019-12-13|title=Bernie Sanders retracts endorsement of Californian who defends crude sex ratings of women|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-12-12/bernie-sanders-endorses-cenk-uygur-young-turks|access-date=2020-07-19|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Uygur|first=Cenk|title=Cenk says he is a Muslim|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tzv4plwtOQ&t=276s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/9Tzv4plwtOQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-21|website=YouTube|date=20 February 2021 }}{{cbignore}}
• Fatima Bhutto: Said in an interview that she is a cultural Muslim, and describes herself as a secularist.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH-s1iMndSo Fatima Bhutto's interview in Italy] YouTube[https://asiatimes.com/2018/12/fatima-bhutto-everything-is-political-if-you-do-it-right/ Fatima Bhutto: 'Everything is political, if you do it right'] Asia Times
• Kia Abdullah: In 2020, she stated that she identifies as an agnostic and a cultural Muslim.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-06|title=It is possible to be a secular Muslim|url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/secular-muslim-islam-faith-484560|access-date=2020-07-10|website=inews.co.uk|language=en}}
• Marat Safin: While he does not really believe in a personal God,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/golovin/2263291.html|title = "У меня нет ни девушки, ни жены. Я не хочу отношений". Такой Марат Сафин вас очень удивит| date=7 December 2018 }} he identifies as an "ethnic Muslim".
• Mehmet Oz: He identifies as a "secular Muslim".{{cite web | last=Levy |first=Marc | url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-pennsylvania-campaigns-islam-mehmet-oz-8d7d0c28032a8aa3e97129c012e883fd | title=Oz's Senate bid could be a Muslim first but is 'complicated' | website=Associated Press | date=August 25, 2022 }}
• Laila Rouass: She was raised Muslim but is now non-practising, although she calls the Islamic faith an important part of her identity.{{Cite news |author=Rhian Lubin |date=28 September 2016|title=Laila Rouass on life with Ronnie O'Sullivan - he's very open, it's good that he talks about his depression |url=http://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/laila-rouass-life-ronnie-osullivan-8935728 |newspaper=Irish Mirror}}{{rs|date=August 2024}}
• Mohamed Hadid: He does not consider himself a devout Muslim.{{Cite web |date=2016-06-22 |title=ANGE – August 2010: The Radar People |url=http://digital.modernluxury.com/article/The+Radar+People/453793/0/article.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622064637/http://digital.modernluxury.com/article/The+Radar+People/453793/0/article.html |archive-date=2016-06-22 }}
• Mustafa Suleyman: co-founder of Google's deepmind, now being a [https://twitter.com/mustafasuleyman/status/1770123596121432351 CEO of Microsoft AI] talks about being a secular Muslim on Sam Harris' podcast{{Citation |title=Can We Contain Artificial Intelligence?: A Conversation with Mustafa Suleyman (Episode #332) | date=29 August 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkojE37PUO8 |access-date=2023-09-04 |language=en}}
• Naseeruddin Shah: Said he and Javed Akhtar are non-practicing Muslims.{{Citation |title=Javed Akhtar And I Are Resented Since We're Non-Practicing Muslims: Naseeruddin Shah {{!}} Reality Check | date=13 September 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHYWT6jSXDQ |access-date=2023-06-25 |language=en}}
• Orhan Pamuk: He describes himself as a cultural Muslim who associates the historical and cultural identification with the religion, while not believing in a personal connection to God.{{Cite news |date=21 October 2005 |title=SPIEGEL ONLINE — Orhan Pamuk and the Turkish Paradox |work=Der Spiegel |publisher=Spiegel.de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,380858,00.html |access-date=13 May 2011}}
• Sajid Javid: While his family's heritage is Muslim, Javid himself is non-practicing,{{cite news |date=30 April 2018 |title=Who is Sajid Javid, the new home secretary? |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43947008 |url-status=live |access-date=30 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430125753/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43947008 |archive-date=30 April 2018}} but has remarked that he was 'the first Muslim Home Secretary to be invited (to the iftar)',{{cite news |last=Sanghera |first=Sathnam |date=27 October 2018 |title=Sajid Javid interview – the home secretary on Asian grooming gangs, Brexit and leadership ambitions |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/sajid-javid-interview-the-home-secretary-on-asian-grooming-gangs-brexit-and-leadership-ambitions-0d7gl8jxq |url-status=live |access-date=27 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027052246/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sajid-javid-interview-the-home-secretary-on-asian-grooming-gangs-brexit-and-leadership-ambitions-0d7gl8jxq |archive-date=27 October 2018}} whereas his wife is a practicing Christian.{{cite news |last=Peck |first=Tom |date=4 June 2018 |title=Beneath Sajid Javid's Teflon coating, the cracks are starting to show |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/sajid-javid-home-secretary-brexit-immigration-theresa-may-a8382756.html |url-status=live |access-date=17 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617101632/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/sajid-javid-home-secretary-brexit-immigration-theresa-may-a8382756.html |archive-date=17 June 2018}}
• Salman Khan: Khan identifies as both Muslim and Hindu, commenting that, "I'm Hindu and Muslim both. I'm Bharatiya (an Indian)".{{cite web |date=28 January 2017 |title=I'm Hindu and Muslim both: Salman Khan tells court |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/im-hindu-and-muslim-both-salman-khan-tells-court/525446/ |access-date=5 April 2018 |website=The Financial Express}} He explained, "My father is Muslim and my mother is Hindu".{{cite news |date=29 April 2015 |title=I'm both Hindu and Muslim: Salman Khan tells Jodhpur court |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/i-m-both-hindu-and-muslim-salman-khan-tells-jodhpur-court/story-IjBMWwKy331jGv9GACtIBI.html}}
• Sohail Ahmed: He describes himself as a cultural Muslim.{{Citation|title=My Journey In and Out of Extremist Islam| date=28 February 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFonhCPlph4|language=en|access-date=2021-10-10}}
• Fareed Zakaria: Zakaria is a self-described secular and non-practicing Muslim. He added: "My views on faith are complicated{{snd}}somewhere between deism and agnosticism. I am completely secular in my outlook." His ex-wife is a Christian, and his three children have not been raised as Muslims.{{cite news |last=Zakaria |first=Fareed |date=10 December 2015 |title=I am a Muslim. But Trump's views appall me because I am an American. |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-am-a-muslim-but-trumps-views-appall-me-because-i-am-an-american/2015/12/10/fcba9ea6-9f6d-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html |access-date=13 December 2015}}{{cite news |last=Zakaria |first=Fareed |date=12 December 2015 |title=Fareed's Take: Why Trump's rhetoric is dangerous |work=Fareed Zakaria GPS |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/12/12/exp-gps-1213-take-muslim.cnn |access-date=13 December 2015}}

• Hasan Piker: the nephew of Cenk Uygur Is a self-described, non-practicing Muslim. He has admitted to not observing religious practices.{{Citation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LMT_HKgF3c | title=Hasan Talks About Ramadan and His Personal Experience Growing up in Turkey | Hasanabi Islam | date=28 March 2023 }}{{cite web |last1=Nouri |first1=Selma |title=Is Hasan Piker the Progressive Voice of a Generation? |url=https://www.gqmiddleeast.com/culture/hasan-piker-liberal-voice-generation |website=GQ Middle East |date=2 July 2024 |access-date=17 August 2024}}

• Nuseir "Nas Daily" Yasin: stated that he is both an agnostic and non-religious Muslim.{{Cite web |last=Darling |first=Cary |date=2019-01-04 |title=Your daily dose of Nas Daily is flying away |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/culture/tv/article/Your-daily-dose-of-Nas-Daily-is-flying-away-13508412.php |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=Houston Chronicle |language=en-US}}

• Shohreh Aghdashloo: despite being born a Muslim, she has stated that she has never practiced it.{{Cite web |date=2009-06-28 |title=Iranian Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo Speaks Out Loudly About The Stoning of Soraya M. |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/iranian-actress-shohreh-a_b_221992 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}
• T-Pain: he was raised in a Muslim household, but he lacked interest in the religion. His wife is a Christian, but his three children follow both religions.{{Cite web |date=2012-04-12 |title=T-Pain On Being A Muslim Married To A Christian [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] |url=https://elev8.hellobeautiful.com/577270/t-pain-on-being-a-muslim-married-to-a-christian-exclusive-video/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=elev8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529063243/https://elev8.hellobeautiful.com/577270/t-pain-on-being-a-muslim-married-to-a-christian-exclusive-video/ |archive-date=2017-05-29 |language=en}}
• Zinédine Zidane: he has described himself as a "non-practising Muslim".{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/john-lichfield-why-france-still-loves-zidane-407511.html |title=Why France still loves Zidane |newspaper=The Independent |date=11 July 2006 |location=London |access-date=19 September 2017 |archive-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925214248/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/john-lichfield-why-france-still-loves-zidane-407511.html }}
• O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson: he converted to Islam in the early 1990s after being introduced to Nation of Islam though he denied membership to the group. Listening to his own conscience, he self-described as a "natural Muslim, 'cause it's just me and God. You know, going to the mosque, the ritual and the tradition, it's just not in me to do. So I don't do it."{{Cite news |date=2000-02-25 |title=Chillin' with Cube |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/feb/25/icecube |access-date=2024-03-30 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} He has also said that he thinks "religion is stupid" in part and explained, "I'm gonna live a long life, and I might change religions three or four times before I die. I'm on the Islam tip{{snd}}but I'm on the Christian tip, too. I'm on the Buddhist tip as well. Everyone has something to offer to the world."{{Cite news |last=Stern |first=Marlow |date=2017-02-10 |title=Ice Cube on Donald 'Easy D' Trump: 'Everybody Is Getting What They Deserve' |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/10/ice-cube-on-donald-easy-d-trump-everybody-is-getting-what-they-deserve |access-date=2024-03-30 |work=The Daily Beast |language=en}}
• Ali A. Rizvi: He has identified himself as an Cultural Muslim in his book The Atheist Muslim.
• Meša Selimović{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

{{Portal|Islam|}}

• Abangan
• Hermeneutics of feminism in Islam
• Islam and secularism
• Islamic culture
• Islamic feminism
• Islamization
• Liberalism and progressivism within Islam
• Muslims (ethnic group)
• Taqiya
• Zindīq

• Cultural Christians, Nominal Christian, Lapsed Catholic
• Cultural Hindus
• Jewish secularism, Jewish atheism
• Cultural Mormon
• Irreligion
• Non-denominational Muslim
• Spiritual but not religious
• Laïcité

{{reflist|35|refs=

{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NW7DBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA233|title=The Oxford Handbook of European Islam|last=Cesari|first=Jocelyne|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-960797-6|access-date=20 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421111303/https://books.google.com/books?id=NW7DBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA233|archive-date=21 April 2017|url-status=live}}

{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NW7DBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA182|title=The Oxford Handbook of European Islam|last=Cesari|first=Jocelyne|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-960797-6|access-date=2017-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417161938/https://books.google.com/books?id=NW7DBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA182&lpg=PA180|archive-date=2017-04-17|url-status=live}}

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• Yilmaz, Selman. Cultural Muslims: Background Forces and Factors Influencing Everyday Religiosity of Muslim People. December 2014 DOI:10.7596/taksad.v3i3.360

{{Culture}}

Category:Islamic culture

Category:Islam and secularism