India
is home to the second largest Muslim population in
the world. The number of Muslims in India is more
than 180 million, exceeding the population of all
the Arab countries put together. Although a
minority in India, their presence can be felt in
every walk of national life. The Muslim community
has become a vital and inalienable component of the
Indian nation. As part of the global Islamic umma
the Indian Muslims have set an example of peaceful
co-existence with members of the other communities
and have made significant contributions to the their
motherland, which is India.
The
history of Muslims in India is co-terminus with the
history of Islam in the world. Every chapter of the
history of last fifteen centuries bears witness to
their remarkable contribution to the economic,
cultural and political life of the country. The
advent of Islam in India dates back to the period of
the Prophet. Islam first came to India at the
Malabar Coast of Kerala through Arab traders as
early as 6 AD, the first century of the Islamic
calendar. Arab traders frequenting the coastal
regions of this country brought his message. As
their business acumen and fair trade practices had
earned them a high reputation in Indian society, the
message of Islam was received with respect among all
classes.
The word 'Islam' is an Arabic word which means 'submission to
the will of God'. This word comes from the same root as the
Arabic word 'salam', which means 'peace'. As such, the religion
of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and
surety of heart, one must submit to Allah (God) and live according to
His Divinely revealed Law. The word 'Muslim' means one who
submits to the will of Allah, regardless of their race,
nationality or ethnic background. Islam is not a new religion
but is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all
of God's prophets and messengers.
Muslims believe that all of Allah's prophets which
include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad,
brought the same message of Pure Monotheism. For
this reason, Prophet Muhammad is not considered as
the founder of a new religion, as many people
mistakenly think, but he was the Final Prophet of
Islam.
R. A. Nicholson in The Mystics of Islam (1914) describes
Sufism as "Islamic mysticism" and says that Sufism was largely
the product of diverse philosophical and spiritual influences,
including Christian, Neoplatonic and others.
A.J. Arberry similarly states in Sufism (1950) that
Sufism is "the name given to the mysticism of Islam" and "the
mystical movement of an uncompromising Monotheism". He says that
Sufism in essence derived from the Quran and Prophet
Muhammad’s tradition and attempted to view "the movement from
within as an aspect of Islam". This approach became generally
accepted and was echoed by later scholars.
Indian architecture took new
shape with the advent of Islamic rule in India towards the end
of the 12th century AD. New elements were introduced
into the Indian architecture that include: use of shapes
(instead of natural forms); inscriptional art using decorative
lettering or calligraphy; inlay decoration and use of coloured
marble, painted plaster and brilliantly glazed tiles. In
contrast to the indigenous Indian architecture which was of the
trabeate order i.e. all spaces were spanned by means of
horizontal beams, the Islamic architecture was arcuate
i.e. an arch or dome was adopted as a method of
bridging a space.
The death anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (pubh) also falls
on the twelfth day of Rabi-ul-Awwal. This occasion
is also observed in some parts of Indian sub-continent as 'Barawafat'.
The word 'barah' stands for the twelve days of the
Prophet's sickness. During these days, learned men deliver
sermons in mosques, focusing on the life and noble deeds of
the Prophet. In some parts of India, a ceremony known as
sandal rite is performed over the symbolic footprints
of the Prophet engraved in stone.
Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869) was the greatest of all the classical Urdu poets. His Diwan-e-Ghalib
(1847) is a masterpiece in Urdu literature.
Ustad Bismillah Khan
was the most outstanding and popular Shehnai player of contemporary times. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon
in Bihar.
Faizabad:
Residents of Ayodhya largely want that the various
parties in the Ayodhya title suit case must accept
the High Court's judgment and should not move
Supreme Court, as it may initiate another legal
battle that may take several years more to reach
conclusion.
THEMuslimsofIndia
Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869) was the greatest of all the classical Urdu poets. His Diwan-e-Ghalib
(1847) is a masterpiece in Urdu literature.
Ustad Bismillah Khan
was the most outstanding and popular Shehnai player of contemporary times. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon
in Bihar.