ISLAM
Islam is a monotheistic religion. The literal meaning of Islam is ‘Peace and Submission’. Islam as a religion was established by Hazrat Mohammad in Mecca in 570 CE.
In 610 AD, at the age of forty Mohammad got Prophethood (Prophet of God). When Prophet Mohammad living in an age where there was idol worship in Arabia all over the place. He tried to oppose the idol worship, and was persecuted by the people of Arabia. The conflict between Mohammad and his opponents on idol worshipping continued for 13 years. It is marked by his first divine revelation. Revelation means guidance by God for mankind. But circumstances forced him to migrate from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. His migration is called hijrat. The hijri era begins after this incident. Prophet Mohammad died in 632 AD.
The basic tenants of Islam are that there is only one Allah (manifestation of god) who sent his messenger to help the people on Earth and Prophet Muhammad was the last Prophet. They also believe in the Day of Judgment where the merits and bad deeds will be judged and one would be sent to the hell or heaven accordingly.
The Muslims should offer namaz or prayer five times a day. The prayers on Friday are supposed to be in the community mosque and it is called the Juma Namaz. It is necessary for the Muslims to keep fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramzan, which ends with Eid celebrations on the first day of next month. According to Prophet, one has to give a portion of their earnings to the needy and the poor and is called Zakat or charity.
Although there are various sects in Islam, two major sub- divisions are: Shia (those who were partisans of Ali) and Sunni (those who follow the Sunnah). The difference between the two is based on who should be the successor to Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnis believed that it should be from those close to the Prophet and who were his initial followers like Abu Bakr. On the contrary the Shia’s claimed that Prophet’s successor should be from his own blood and supported the claim of Ali, his son-in law.
A significant aspect of Indo Islamic culture and heritage is the role of sufis in India. Sufis believed in universal peace and brotherhood. Their residences are known as dargahs and khanqahs. Different kind of travellers used to stay in their khanqahs. The khanqah people took care of their comfort and hospitality. Even today thousands of people visit these khanqahs particularly on the occasion of Urs (death anniversary) of the Sufi Sheikhs. This comprises an important part of domestic pilgrimage tourism.
There were some moments in history when the religion went through changes and movements, which affected the shape of Islam in the Indian sub-continent.
Major Movements in Islam
| MOVEMENT | FOUNDER(S) | DESCRIPTION |
| Ahmadiya Movement | Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (He called himself a Mahdi) | It began in Punjab with the goal of forming a community of people who would uphold true Islamic values. |
| Faraizi Movement (19th century) | HajiShariatullah (Prominent leaders were Naya Miyan and Dudu Miyan) | He advocated for the return of pure Islam and urged Muslims to perform the obligatory duties of Islam known as Faraiz. He did not want people to go to saints and perform their rituals. |
| Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya Movement | Under the leadership of Titu Mir who was initiated by Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi | It was a Muslim revivalist movement in the early nineteenth century. Aim: To establish the code of life advocated by Prophet muhammad. . |
| Aligarh Movement | SirSayyidAhmad Khan | He promoted modern education for Muslims, allowing them to collaborate with the British and, as a result, prosper. |