Islam
Art & Culture › Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism & Jainism · Topic 8.8
Islam is a monotheistic religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad (about 570 to 632 CE) in Arabia, based on the Quran and the Hadith, with five pillars: Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. It reached India first through Arab traders on the Malabar coast, where the Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur in Kerala is held to be the earliest mosque of India, and politically through the conquest of Sindh by Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 CE and the Delhi Sultanate from 1206. Muslims were about 14.2 percent of Indians in Census 2011.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism & Jainism
At a Glance
- Founder Prophet Muhammad
- Scripture Quran, with Hadith
- Pillars Five
- First entry Arab traders, Kerala; Sindh 712 CE
- Census 2011 About 14.2 percent
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism & Jainism
Where Does It Fit?
This is the eighth topic of the macro on religion and philosophy. It starts the group of religions that came from outside India and became part of its composite culture, followed by Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Previous topic: Sikhism. Next topic: Christianity.
What Are the Beliefs and Sects of Islam?
| Item | Meaning | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shahada | Declaration of faith | One God, Allah, and Muhammad as his messenger |
| Salat | Prayer | Five daily prayers facing Mecca; Friday congregational prayer at the mosque |
| Zakat | Obligatory charity | A fixed share of wealth given to the poor |
| Sawm | Fasting | Fast during the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset |
| Hajj | Pilgrimage | To Mecca at least once for those who are able |
| Sunni | Majority branch | Follow the Sunna and the first four caliphs; four schools of law: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii and Hanbali; the Hanafi school dominates in India |
| Shia | Minority branch | Hold that Ali and his descendants were the rightful leaders; the Ismaili Bohras and Khojas are in India |
How Did Islam Come to India and Grow?
- Arab traders: traders from Arabia lived on the Malabar and Coromandel coasts before the political conquests; the Mappilas of Kerala descend from them and local women
- Cheraman Juma Masjid: in Kodungallur, Kerala, it is traditionally held to be the first mosque in India, with a date in the seventh century CE
- Muhammad bin Qasim: Arab general who took Sindh from Raja Dahir in 712 CE
- Mahmud of Ghazni: raided northwest India repeatedly from about 1000 to 1027 CE
- Muhammad Ghori: defeated Prithviraj Chauhan at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192; his general Qutbuddin Aibak founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206
- Sufi orders: Chishti, Suhrawardi and other orders spread Islam by love, music and service, as in sufism-chishti-suhrawardi-silsilas/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Nature Mystic tradition of Islam Chishti founder in India Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer Suhrawardi founder in India Bahauddin Zakariya,…">Sufism (Chishti, Suhrawardi Silsilas)
- Mughal period: the Mughals built an empire from 1526 and a synthesis of Persian and Indian culture, as in Mughal Style
- Reform: Shah Waliullah in the eighteenth century, the Deoband school founded in 1866 and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s Aligarh movement
What Else Should You Remember?
- Alternate names and spellings: Quran is also spelt Koran; Allah is the Arabic name for God; Muslims also call the faith Deen; Prophet Muhammad is also written Mohammed
- Hijri calendar: a lunar calendar starting with the migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE; its first month is Muharram
- Quran and Hadith: the Quran is the revealed word of God in Arabic, and the Hadith are sayings and deeds of the Prophet
- Sharia: the Islamic law drawn from the Quran, Hadith, ijma (consensus) and qiyas (analogy)
- Festivals: Eid-ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Adha, Muharram with the memory of Hussain at Karbala, and Milad-un-Nabi
- Language: Urdu grew in the camps and cities of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughals from Persian, Arabic and local languages
- Persian literature: Persian was the court language, as in Persian Literature
- Music and arts: qawwali, Hindustani music enriched by Amir Khusrau, calligraphy, miniature paintings and Indo-Islamic architecture
- Din-i-Ilahi: Akbar’s syncretic order of 1582, which accepted few followers, was an outcome of his policy of Sulh-i-Kul or peace with all
- Sects in India: Sunni Hanafi Barelvi and Deobandi, Shia Twelvers, Ismailis such as Dawoodi Bohras, and Ahmadiyya from Qadian in Punjab
- Law in India: the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 applies Islamic law to Muslims in personal matters
- Population: Muslims were about 14.2 percent of Indians in Census 2011, around 17.2 crore people
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Pillars and terms: Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj, Hijri and Sharia
- Arrival: Kerala, Sindh in 712 and Delhi Sultanate in 1206
- Sects: Sunni and Shia and legal schools
- Reformers: Shah Waliullah, Deoband and Aligarh
- Common errors: saying Hijri began with the Prophet’s birth, or placing Cheraman Juma Masjid in Gujarat
As an analytical point, Islam in India is not a single stream. Sufi traditions, regional languages, trade and the court cultures produced a composite society with shared music, language, food and crafts, which is a base for pluralism and social cohesion.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Basics Pillars and sects
- History Arrival and sultanate
- Mains Composite culture
What Came Next?
The next topic covers Christianity in India. Next topic: Christianity.
Key People and Terms
- Shahada Declaration of faith
- Zakat Obligatory charity
- Sharia Islamic law
- Hijri Muslim lunar calendar
- Ulema Learned scholars
- Hadith Sayings of the Prophet
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Five pillars: Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj.
- Hijri era begins 622 CE.
- Sindh conquest: 712 CE.
- Delhi Sultanate: 1206.
- First mosque: Cheraman Juma Masjid, Kerala.
Do Not Confuse With
- Sunni and Shia Sunna and caliph succession versus Ali and his line
- Quran and Hadith Revealed word versus Prophet’s sayings
- Sufism and orthodoxy Mystic path versus the ulema’s legal focus
Memory Hook
Five pillars, two branches, one road from Malabar to Delhi.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about composite culture and the role of Islam in Indian society. These points give a balanced frame.
- Synthesis Language, art and music
- Reform Education and law
- Pluralism Sufi tradition
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Examine the contribution of Islam to the composite culture of India.”
How to Answer
- Arrival Traders and conquests.
- Synthesis Language and art.
- Reform Deoband, Aligarh.
- Way Shared heritage.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Islam?
Islam is a monotheistic religion revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the early seventh century CE. Its followers, called Muslims, believe in one God, Allah, and follow the Quran and the Hadith. The faith rests on five pillars: Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj.
When and how did Islam reach India?
Islam first reached India through Arab traders on the Malabar coast in the seventh century CE, with the Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur held as the first mosque. Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 712 CE, and the Delhi Sultanate was established in 1206.
What are the five pillars of Islam?
The five pillars are Shahada, the declaration of faith; Salat, five daily prayers; Zakat, obligatory charity; Sawm, fasting in the month of Ramadan; and Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca once for those who are able. They form the basic duties of every Muslim.
What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Islam?
Sunnis follow the Sunna and accept the first four caliphs, and form the large majority of Muslims in India, mostly of the Hanafi school. Shias hold that Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, and his descendants were the rightful leaders, and mourn Hussain at Muharram.
Why is Islam in India important for UPSC?
Islam in India is asked in Prelims through the pillars, sects, the Hijri calendar, early arrival and reformers, and in Mains through the idea of composite culture, Sufi tradition, Indo-Islamic art and the reform movements of Deoband and Aligarh. It links culture with medieval history.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 712 CE.
He defeated Raja Dahir.
2 The Hijri era begins with the birth of the Prophet.
It begins with the migration to Medina in 622 CE.
3 Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam.
It is the obligatory charity.
4 The Hanafi school is the most followed Sunni school in India.
The Shafii school is strong on the Kerala coast.
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