Islam in the Maldives

religion in the Maldives

religious observance in the Maldives

The Rannamaari was a sea monster from Maldivian folklore that was believed to have sexually abused and murdered countless young women. According to popular versions of the story, a Maghrebi merchant called Al-Barbari performed a ritual after convincing the authorities at the time to let him take the place of girls meant to be sacrificed to the monster in an effort to save them and the islanders. He recited the Qur'an in the presence of the Rannamaari. With this ritual, the Rannamaari fled and never returned and the incident led to the islanders converting to Islam. The story is one of the most

thumb|People celebrating Maahefun on a beach at Fuvahmulah, Maldives.|alt=A photo of dark-skinned boys and girls standing, sitting and lying in wet clothes on the surf of a beach. Some palm trees stand in the background. Some women in veils are among the kids. Maahefun is a celebration marking the beginning of Ramadan, where Muslims in the Maldives celebrate the taking of their last meal before beginning the month-long fasting.