Somalia also well established, with many local "jama'a" ("zawiya") or congregations of the various "tariiqa" or Sufi orders. The constitution of Somalia likewise defines Islam as the state religion of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Islamic sharia as the basic source for national legislation. It also stipulates that no law that is inconsistent with the basic tenets of Shari'a can be enacted. Islam entered the region very early on, as a group of persecuted Muslims had sought refuge across the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa at the urging of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Islam may thus have been
Demographics of Somalia about 15% of the nation's population. They include [[Bantus (Somalia)|Bantus]], [[Bajuni people|Bajunis]], [[Eyle people|Eyle]], [[Ethiopia]]ns, [[India]]ns, [[Pakistan]]is, [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Arabs]], [[Italy|Italians]] and [[British people|Britons]]. Somalia has been described as the most ethnically homogenous nation in Sub-Saharan Africa, ahead of [[Botswana]], which is four-fifths [[Tswana people|Tswana]]. [[File:Shaxmednuradc1.ogg|thumb|right|180x180px|Speech sample in [[Somali language|Standard Somali]].]] [[Somali language|Somali]] and [[Arabic language|Arabic]] are the official languages of Somalia. The Somali language is the [[first language|mother tongue]] of the Somalis, the nation's most populous ethnic group. It is a member of the [[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]] branch of the [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] family. In addition to Somali, Arabic, which is