Given that the lands the Kurds populate are probably the most ancient as well as rather extensive, and scattered among a couple of countries, they are among the most troublesome areas for studying religions, religious beliefs and orders due to the variety of religions practised in the them. The majority of Kurds, however, follow the Shafi’i religion which is one of the four main branches of Sunni Islam. Interestingly, this proportion is also observable among all the Kurds who are living in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria. The Shafi’i religion is a distinguishing characteristic which differentiates Kurds from their neighbors in the Middle East. Moreover, there are Kurds who are Alavis, Imamis, Shiite Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians, Assyrians, Kalimis, Izadis, Yarsans, Nasiris, Qadiris, Naghshbandis, Khaksars, and Ne’matullahis. The diversity of religions, sects and orders among the Kurds is to the extent that scholars call Kurdistan the “India of the Muslim world".
