Religion in the Maldives: Islam and what visitors need

The Constitution of the Maldives (2008) names Islam as the religion of the state and says it is one of the bases of all the country’s laws. It also says a non-Muslim may not become a citizen. In practice this means:

• Public worship of other religions is not permitted.
• Religious teaching and preaching other than Islam is not allowed in public.
• Islamic principles inform family law, public holidays and some criminal law.

None of this stops you from visiting. Tourists keep their own beliefs, and nobody will ask about yours. The rules are about public life, not private faith.

Sunni Islam in the Maldives

Maldivian Muslims follow Sunni Islam, traditionally within the Shafi’i school of law. Religious affairs are overseen by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which also issues the official prayer times used by mosques across the country.

Before Islam, the islands were Buddhist, and there were older beliefs before that. Archaeological remains of Buddhist stupas and monasteries have been found on several islands.

Maldivian tradition dates the conversion to 1153, when the king accepted Islam and took the title of sultan. Stories credit a visiting Muslim scholar, often named as Abu al-Barakat, with the change. The details differ between sources, but the date is widely used, and the country has been Muslim ever since. The famous North African traveller Ibn Battuta, who lived in the Maldives in the 1340s, described an Islamic sultanate.

For the longer story, read our history of the Maldives and historical sites of the Maldives.

Muslims pray five times a day: at dawn (fajr), around midday (dhuhr), in the afternoon (asr), at sunset (maghrib) and at night (isha). Times shift slightly through the year with the sun.

On a local island you will hear the call to prayer (the adhan) from the mosque loudspeakers five times a day. The first comes before sunrise, so light sleepers may want earplugs for the first night or two.

What it means for you:

• Some small shops and cafés close briefly during prayer times, especially in Malé and on local islands. If a door is shut, it will usually reopen a short while later.
• Keep music and noise down near a mosque while prayers are going on.
• Don’t walk in front of someone who is praying, inside or outside.

Friday prayers

Friday is the holy day and the start of the Maldivian weekend (Friday and Saturday). The main congregational prayer is held around midday. Shops, cafés and offices close for a while, and the streets go quiet as men head to the mosque.

Friday also changes transport. Most MTCC public ferry routes do not run on Fridays, so plan your island hopping around it. See getting around the Maldives.

Every inhabited island has at least one mosque, and larger islands have several, including separate ones for women. They are usually the most carefully kept buildings on the island.

The oldest are the coral stone mosques, built from carved reef stone with lacquered wooden interiors. Six of them are on the UNESCO Tentative List, and the Maldives submitted a World Heritage nomination in January 2026. Read more in our guide to the coral stone mosques of the Maldives.

Visiting a mosque

Mosques are places of worship first. Rules on visits by non-Muslims vary, so always ask before going in.

• Ask permission from someone at the mosque or, on a local island, at the island council office.
• Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered for everyone; women may be asked to cover their hair.
• Take your shoes off before entering.
• Don’t visit during prayer times, especially at Friday midday.
• Ask before taking photos, and never photograph people who are praying.

Old mosques often have cemeteries with carved coral headstones; walk quietly and don’t touch them.

In Dhiffushi, the island mosque sits at the heart of village life; see Dhiffushi mosque for what to expect.

Most of the rules visitors notice on local islands come from religious and cultural values. They are simple to follow.

• Dress. Swimwear only on designated bikini beaches. Elsewhere, cover shoulders and knees. Nude or topless sunbathing is not allowed anywhere in the country. Our what to wear guide has the detail.
• Alcohol. Alcohol is not sold or allowed on inhabited islands. Only resorts, the airport hotel island and liveaboards are licensed. See alcohol in the Maldives.
• Pork. Pork is not served on local islands and may not be brought into the country.
• Affection in public. Keep it low-key. Holding hands is fine for couples in most places; more than that is best kept private.
• Conversation. Maldivians are usually happy to talk about their faith if you are curious and polite. Avoid criticising religion, and don’t debate it in public.
• Social media. Posts or comments seen as insulting Islam can lead to legal trouble. Think before you post.

For island-by-island manners, our local island etiquette guide uses Dhiffushi as a worked example.

Maldives Customs lists several items as prohibited imports. Those linked to religion include:

• Idols for worship.
• Alcohol (duty-free alcohol bought on the way is held by customs).
• Pork and pork products.
• Pornography.

Narcotics are also prohibited.

What about your own faith? Bringing religious materials to share or distribute is not allowed, and the rules on religious books are strict, so check Maldives Customs guidance before you pack any. Statues or images intended for worship are prohibited, even if they are souvenirs from somewhere else. If in doubt, leave it at home.

Practise your own faith privately, in your room. Group worship and public religious gatherings of other faiths are not allowed.

The Islamic calendar is lunar, so religious holidays move about 11 days earlier each year.

Ramadan

Ramadan is the month of fasting. Muslims don’t eat, drink or smoke from dawn until sunset. On local islands, visitors should not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight. Guesthouses still serve guests, usually indoors, and the evening breaking of the fast (iftar) is a warm, social time.

Working hours are shorter, cafés may open only after sunset, and island life moves later into the night. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, depending on the moon sighting.

Read Ramadan in the Maldives for practical tips, or visiting Dhiffushi during Ramadan for a local island view.

Eid and other holidays

Eid al-Fitr ends Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha follows the Hajj pilgrimage. Both are national holidays with family visits, special food and island games. Other religious dates include the Islamic New Year, the Prophet’s birthday and the day the Maldives embraced Islam. Dates are confirmed close to the time by the government. See Maldives festivals and public holidays.

Resorts are private islands with their own rules. Alcohol is served and swimwear is normal there. The country is still an Islamic state, though, so the import rules apply at the airport, and staff may pray during their shifts.