# Morocco Religion Explained

> Morocco's state religion, king's role, and minority faiths.
- Title: Morocco Religion Explained · The Rio Times | Shortify
- Summary: Morocco's state religion, king's role, and minority faiths. Morocco's constitution makes Islam the state religion with King Mohammed VI as Commander of the…
- Keywords: morocco, islam, king mohammed vi, sunni muslim, jews, christians, shia muslim, bahai, constitution, religion, moroccan government, family code
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/morocco-religion-explained-2026
- Author: Contributing Reporter
- Published: 2026-10-19T09:14:58+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: morocco, islam, king mohammed vi, sunni muslim, jews, christians, shia muslim, bahai, constitution, religion, moroccan government, family code
## Islam as State Religion
Morocco's constitution makes Islam the state religion with King Mohammed VI as Commander of the Faithful.
## Sunni Muslim Majority
More than 99 percent of Moroccans are Sunni Muslims, as of 2022, with Islam as the state religion.
## King's Religious Role
King Mohammed VI holds the title Commander of the Faithful and chairs the Supreme Council of the Ulema.
## Religious Education
Schools teach the Maliki-Ashari tradition of Sunni Islam, except private Jewish schools.
## Minority Faiths
Jews, Christians, Shia Muslims, and Baha’is together make up under 1 percent of Moroccans.
## Jewish Community
Jewish leaders estimated about 3,500 Jews in Morocco as of 2022, with 2,500 in Casablanca.
## Christian Presence
Foreign-resident Christian leaders estimated at least 30,000 Catholics and about 10,000 Protestants in Morocco.
## Religious Law
The penal code punishes Muslims who break the fast in public during Ramadan with fines and imprisonment.
## Eid al-Adha
In 2026, the king sacrificed a lamb on Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the pilgrimage season.
## Religious Council
The Supreme Council of the Ulema rules on fatwas, which the king endorses by decree and parliament confirms in law.
## Ministry of Endowments
Ahmed Toufiq leads the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, sworn in on 16 October 2026.
## Mosque Construction
In February 2026, the king ordered 157 mosques opened before Ramadan for 647.3 million dirhams (about US$67 million).
## Earthquake Damage
In 2025, the minister reported 2,217 mosques damaged by the Al Haouz earthquake of 2023.
## Jewish Heritage
The monarchy backed the restoration of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries as symbols of tolerance.
## Christian Churches
Morocco allows 44 registered foreign-resident Christian churches, with estimates of 30,000 Catholics and 10,000 Protestants.
## Shia and Baha’i Communities
Shia leaders estimate several thousand Shia citizens, while Baha’i leaders report 350 to 400 members.
## Key takeaway

Morocco's constitution makes Islam the state religion with King Mohammed VI as Commander of the Faithful, while Jews and Christians make up less than 1 percent of the population.