Sharia has not had a significant legal application or influence throughout Texas’ history, and there are no Sharia courts in the state of Texas. However, recent political developments have brought more attention to Sharia in Texas and its growing Muslim population. Prominent Texan politicians such as Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have generated significant political opposition to Sharia and Muslim organizations such as CAIR and EPIC City. Contemporary topics of discussion surrounding Sharia in Texas include the previously mentioned organizations CAIR and EPIC City, Muslim politicians and voters, the presence of Halal food in grocery stores, school voucher programs, and religious discrimination.
Sharia (literally “path” in Arabic) consists of the laws and behaviors that Muslims follow based on the divinely-revealed Quran, the customs and traditions of Muhammad known as the Sunnah, and the Hadith, or collection of reports about Muhammad's actions which are deemed halal, or permissible. Sharia encompasses belief, practice, and ethics, in addition to areas more typically associated with law, such as civil and penal law. Historically, these principles were implemented in a wide variety of contexts, producing plurality and flexibility in various historical contexts. In most Muslim countries, Sharia has been replaced by European legal codes and remains only as an influence in codified versions of family law. In modern states, Muslims generally engage with the Sharia in areas that govern their personal and spiritual lives. Because Sharia involves religious traditions that a secular state does not make decisions for, some Muslims turn to scholars or Islamic tribunals for providing spiritual guidance or religious rulings in accordance with Sharia, including marriage, divorce, or other family laws. Another important aspect of Sharia is halal foods - that is, foods which are permissible for Muslims to eat. Halal foods are often difficult for Muslims to access in America, especially in more rural areas. Some popular grocery chains like H-E-B have incorporated halal foods into their selections while others like Jana Food specifically cater to these diets. Businesses that sell halal foods must be certified under Texas state law.
European colonialism in the 19th and 20th centuries across the Muslim world had a significant impact on Sharia and its various interpretations. Jurists in this period utilized the legal process of takhayyur (selection) and talfiq (amalgamation) to draw from Sharia across various madhabs in the codification of legal systems adhering to Western standards and approaches. Modern perceptions of Sharia in the 21st century have been profoundly altered by the global War on Terror, American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Muslim immigration in Europe and the United States. Additionally, perceptions of Sharia in the West and non-Muslim nations are characterized by controversy and Islamophobia, and Sharia is often represented as oppositional with women's rights, pluralism, democracy, and global human rights.
History of Muslims in Texas
Early history Muslims first began migrating to the Americas as enslaved peoples as early as the 16th century. One of the first known Muslims to have migrated was Estevanico, an enslaved member of the Spanish Narváez Expedition in 1528. Estevanico and three other survivors were shipwrecked in east Texas, near modern Galveston, and continued to explore the American Southwest and Mexico until 1539, when he perished. As the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade persisted, an estimated 10-30% of slaves brought to America were Muslim. During this time, many first generation immigrants resisted pressure to convert to Christianity. However, a significant factor in the difficulty of Islam being fully passed between generations was the structure of chattel slavery, in which men were disproportionately sold and families were intentionally broken up. As a result, a specific amount for the number of Muslim slaves is unclear.
19th and 20th centuries The Muslim population in the United States remained consistently low for the most part until 1870, when immigrants from the Ottoman Empire began to migrate in search of opportunity. Scholars estimate that by 1914 about 100,000 Muslim immigrants lived in America, with Texas having a population of 1,051 Muslims in 1910 and over 3,200 in 1920. Immigrants were drawn to Texas specifically due to the efforts of Texas' Bureau of Immigration and private commercial interests after the Civil War, marketing the state as a land of opportunity. Most of them found work as merchants and traders. However, immigration was halted by the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act of 1924 which set strict quotas on how many immigration, particularly excluding Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. This set precedent for American immigration policies for the next several decades, and the Muslim population remained stagnant across the country.
In 1965, the Hart-Cellar Immigration Act was passed with the intent of reversing the restrictive doctrine and eschewing the discriminatory quotas. As a result, the population of Muslims in America dramatically increased, with 2,780,000 people migrating from majority Muslim countries, and an estimated 1.1 million of them being Muslim.
Modern day As of 2022, the Muslim population in Texas was about 421,972, making it the second largest religion in the state. This also makes among the top 5 Muslim populations by state. Houston has the largest population, ranging from 60,000 to 70,000 people and over 209 mosques and religious centers. Dallas-Fort Worth also has a large population of Muslims with over 44,000 people and 67 mosques, 62 Sunni and 5 Shia. Austin has over 15,000 Muslims, and other cities with notable Muslim populations include Midland, Odessa, and San Antonio.
Council on American-Islamic Relations The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been heavily scrutinized and accused of promoting Sharia by Republican lawmakers. CAIR is a Muslim civil rights organization that has facilitated counter-Islamophobia movements during post-9/11 society.
On November 18, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott declared CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), claiming the organization as having links to Hamas and The Muslim Brotherhood. In 2008, CAIR was one of 200 entities with ties to the Holy Land Foundation, an Islamic charity organization based in Richardson, Texas labeled as a terrorist organization. The Holy Land Foundation was closed in 2001 on the grounds that it had funneled over 12 million dollars to Hamas. The families of The Holy Land Five claim all money ended up being donated lawfully as zakat (charitable donation) in the Palestinian territories, while the United States Department of the Treasury alleged that it "served Hamas ends by encouraging children to become suicide bombers and to recruit suicide bombers by offering support to their families."
Abbott claims CAIR advances "radical Islamism in Texas" and urged Attorney General Ken Paxton to regulate and strip the organization of its nonprofit status. On February 5, 2026, the Attorney General sued the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and its separate chapters across Texas on the grounds of "engaging in terrorism", "transnational criminal organizations owning property", and "radical groups engaging in gang activities". Paxton claims CAIR has a single goal: "establish Sharia law, punish infidels, and overtake Texan institutions of power."
In response to claims by Governor Abbott, CAIR filed a lawsuit against the Governor, calling his declaration "defamatory and unconstitutional". The Texas branch of CAIR claimed the declaration was an effort to silence critics of Israel's genocide and to punish the organization for winning previous three federal lawsuits against Abbott. CAIR claims to only work to expand free speech, religious freedom, and racial equality for all Americans.
On April 7, 2026, Republican representatives unsuccessfully attempted to keep Muslim activists from testifying in the Texas State Board of Education, citing the FTO status of CAIR. The updated social studies curriculum removed learning about the Muslim origins of algebra and astronomy while Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to add a curriculum standard to describe the Islamic prophet Muhammad as someone who "married a minor" and "sexual assault, torture, and 'killing of Christian and Jews' occurred under his leadership".
2026 midterm election Sharia law became a major issue in the 2026 Republican primary elections. Several Islamic organizations have become the targets of incumbent Republican politicians running for office. On November 18, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared both CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. On January 28, 2026, Abbott called for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to pursue litigation against CAIR targeting their ability to do business in the state of Texas. Paxton responded quickly, opening a lawsuit against CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood a few days after receiving Abbott's letter. CAIR refuted the allegations that they are a foreign terrorist organization and sued Abbott claiming that he has no authority to declare them as such. Abbott won the March 3, 2026, primary and will advance to the general election as the Republican nominee for Texas Governor.
Sharia law became a particularly contentious issue among the candidates running for the 2026 Republican Senate nomination in Texas. Incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn is facing a competitive primary run-off election. Cornyn's opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, criticized his support of an Afghan refugee program. U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt, who came in third in the first round of voting and did not advance to the run-off, dubbed Cornyn "Sharia John," citing past comments he made concerning Ramadan. Cornyn himself has run several television ads on the issue, raising concerns about the dangers of radical Islam. Cornyn also suggested that Paxton was unfit to defend Texans from Sharia law, referencing Paxton's past political scandals. In addition, Cornyn highlighted the relationship between Paxton and a lawyer representing East Plano Islamic Center's developers (also known as EPIC city), as further evidence.