Islam
performance by some individuals exempts the others. Only for those vested with authority,
especially the sovereign (imam), does jihad become an individual duty. For the rest of the
populace, this happens only in the case of a general mobilization. For most Shias, offensive
jihad can only be declared by a divinely appointed leader of the Muslim community, and as
such is suspended since Muhammad alMahdi's occultation in 868 AD.
Community
Demographics
Commonly cited estimates of the Muslim population in 2007 range from 1.1 billion to 1.8
billion. Approximately 85% are Sunni and 15% are Shi'a, with a small minority belonging to
other sects. Some 3040 countries are Muslimmajority, and Arabs account for around 20%
of all Muslims worldwide. South Asia and Southeast Asia contain the most populous Muslim
countries, with Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh having more than 100 million
annaabi.ee 
