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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName AMANA MUTUAL FUNDS TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Sep. 14, 2012
Amana Developing World Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading

Amana Developing World Fund
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock Long-term capital growth, consistent with Islamic principles.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareowner Fees
Shareholder Fees [Table] rr_ShareholderFeesTableTextBlock There are no fees that shareowners pay directly from their investments, such as charges for purchases, redemptions, and exchange of shares.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock During the most recent fiscal year, the Developing World Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio. The Fund generally buys and sells securities through Saturna Brokerage Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna Capital, which presently charges no commissions on portfolio trades.

The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio) through other brokerage firms. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 12.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock The example below is intended to help investors compare the cost of investing in the Developing World Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example assumes an investor invests $10,000 in the Developing World Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeems all shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that the investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions an investor's expenses would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The Developing World Fund only buys stocks of companies with significant exposure (50% or more of assets or revenues) to countries with developing economies and/or markets. Investment decisions are made in accordance with Islamic principles. The Fund diversifies its investments across the countries of the developing world, industries, and companies, and generally follows a value investment style.

In determining whether a country is part of the developing world, the adviser will consider such factors as the country's per capita gross domestic product, the percentage of the country's economy that is industrialized, market capitalization as a percentage of gross domestic product, the overall regulatory environment, and limits on foreign ownership and restrictions on repatriation of initial capital or income.

By allowing investments in companies headquartered in more advanced economies yet having the majority of assets or revenues in the developing world, the Developing World Fund seeks to reduce its foreign investing risk.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks of Investing
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock The value of Developing World Fund shares rises and falls as the value of the stocks in which the Fund invests goes up and down. Only consider investing in the Fund if you are willing to accept the risk that you may lose money. Fund share prices, yields, and total returns will change with the fluctuations in the securities and currency markets as well as the fortunes of the industries and companies in which the Fund invests.

The Developing World Fund's restricted ability to invest in certain market sectors, such as financial companies and conventional fixed-income securities, limits opportunities and may increase the risk of loss during economic downturns. Because Islamic principles preclude the use of interest-paying instruments, the Fund does not maximize current income because reserves remain in cash.

The Developing World Fund involves risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. These include fluctuations in currency exchange rates, currency devaluation, less public information about securities, less governmental market supervision, and lack of uniform financial, accounting, social and political standards.

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may involve risks in addition to those normally associated with investments in the securities of U.S. issuers. All foreign investments are subject to risks of: (1) foreign political and economic instability; (2) adverse movements in foreign exchange rates; (3) currency devaluation; (4) the imposition or tightening of exchange controls or other limitations on repatriation of foreign capital; (5) changes in foreign governmental attitudes towards private investment, including potential nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of assets, and (6) differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries. The risks of foreign investing are generally magnified in the smaller and more volatile securities markets of the developing world.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The value of Developing World Fund shares rises and falls as the value of the stocks in which the Fund invests goes up and down. Only consider investing in the Fund if you are willing to accept the risk that you may lose money.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Developing World Fund by showing changes in performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the previous one year and since the Fund's inception on September 28, 2009, compare to those of a broad-based market index. A fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not a guarantee of how a fund will perform in the future.

Performance data current to the most recent month-end and quarter-end are available on www.amanafunds.com.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Developing World Fund by showing changes in performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the previous one year and since the Fund's inception on September 28, 2009, compare to those of a broad-based market index.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.amanafunds.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture A fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not a guarantee of how a fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Best Quarter Q3 2010 5.4%
Worst Quarter Q3 2011 -10.8%

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter (which ended June 30, 2012) was 1.50%.
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns
for periods ended December 31, 2011
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and likely differ from those shown. After-tax illustrations are not relevant to retirement plans, corporations, trusts, or other investors that are taxed at special rates.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher In loss periods, the average after-tax total return may be higher than average annual total return because of an assumed deduction of losses from other income.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and likely differ from those shown. After-tax illustrations are not relevant to retirement plans, corporations, trusts, or other investors that are taxed at special rates. In loss periods, the average after-tax total return may be higher than average annual total return because of an assumed deduction of losses from other income.
Amana Developing World Fund | Amana Developing World Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.95%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.43%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.63%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 166
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 514
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 887
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,933
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 3.10% [1]
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 5.63%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (8.01%)
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel year-to-date return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Jun. 30, 2012
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn 1.50%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2010
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 5.40%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2011
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (10.80%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (8.01%)
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 0.08%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 28, 2009
Amana Developing World Fund | Return after taxes on distributions | Amana Developing World Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (8.02%)
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 0.07%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 28, 2009
Amana Developing World Fund | Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | Amana Developing World Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (8.02%)
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 0.07%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 28, 2009
Amana Developing World Fund | Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (18.37%)
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 2.88%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 28, 2009
[1] For the period September 28, 2009 (the inception of the fund) through December 31, 2009 and not annualized.