Islam is the official religion of the United Arab Emirates. 39.8% of United Arab Emirates population are muslims, of them are 35.82% Sunni Muslims and the remainder 3.98% are Shia, who are concentrated in the Emirates of Dubai and Sharjah. Although no official statistics are available for the breakdown between Sunni and Shia Muslims among noncitizen residents, media estimates suggest less than 20 percent of the noncitizen Muslim population are Shia. History The arrival of envoys from the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632 heralded the conversion of the region to Islam. After prophet Muhammad's death, one of the major battles of the Ridda Wars was fought at Dibba, to the east coast of the present-day Emirates. The defeat of the non-Muslims, including Laqit bin Malik Al-Azdi, in this battle resulted in the triumph of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. The Bani Yas, which today form the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Emirate of Dubai, traditionally adhere to the Sunni Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence from the Uyunid dynasty, who spread the Maliki school by the command of Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Uyuni. The four emirates of Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, and Ajman follow the Hanbali school, and the Emirate of Fujairah follows the Shafi'i school. Structure The federal General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) oversee the administration of Sunni mosques, except in Dubai, where they are administered by the Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD). The Awqaf distributes weekly guidance to Sunni imams regarding the themes and content of khutbah with a published script every week. The khutbas get posted on the Awqaf website. The Awqaf applies a three-tier system in which junior imams follows the Awqaf khutbah script closely; midlevel imams prepare khutbas according to the topic or subject matter selected by Awqaf authorities; and senior imams have the flexibility to choose their own subject for their khutbas. Some Shia religious leaders in Shia majority mosques choose to follow Awqaf-approved weekly addresses, while others write their own khutbah. The government funds and supports Sunni mosques, with the exception of those considered private, and employs all Sunni imams as employees. Islamic studies are mandatory for all students in public schools and for Muslim students in private schools. The government-funded public schools do not provide instruction in any religion other than Islam. In private schools, non-Muslim students are not required to attend Islamic study classes.