Spiritual India & Pilgrimages > Islam - by S. Chatterjee

Five basic duties of a Muslim:

Shaahdah or takbir
Namaaz
Zakat
Roza
Haj

Islam came to India in 1000 AD, with the invading armies from Afghanistan. However, it was only with the establishment of the Mughal rule in the 16th century that Islam really flourished in India. It saw a golden period during the Mughal rule, when a sizeable population converted. Sufi durgahs and qawwalis, rich cuisine, and a passion for art and music distinguish the Indian Muslim.

Almost 1,400 years ago, Muhammad, the Prophet, founded Islam in Arabia. Islam means to surrender and Muslims vow to surrender to the will of Allah. The will of Allah is revealed in the Holy Scriptures called Quran (means reading/recitation). God had revealed his will to Muhammad and ordained him to be his messenger. Muhammad the Prophet was born in 570 AD in Mecca. At the age of 40, Muhammad received his first revelation from Allah in a cave in mount Mira. Muhammad decided to leave his hometown in 622 and migrated to a town called Yathrib, later called Madinat-an-nabi or the Town of the Prophet. Today, it is called Madina. This migration (hijr) to Madina is considered to be the turning point in the history of Islam. The religion flourished in Madina.

In Islam, God is unique and has no other equal or partners. There is no concept like the trinity or trimurti as in Christianity and Hinduism. Every thing is believed to have been created by the God and has its own place and purpose in the universe. Only God is unlimited and self-sufficient. The purpose of all humans is to submit to His will. The humans have a choice to obey or disobey. This sense of pride and independence is the cause of humanity’s weakness. God does not speak directly but through his messengers, who are themselves not divine. Prophet Muhammad declared Allah as the one and only god, the real ruler of his community (umma). Even he himself was a part of His supreme will. Islam forbids idolism and deity worship. Muhammad instructed his followers to destroy all his personal belongings after he died, for none but Allah should be venerated.

The subject matter of the Islamic law can be divided into two sections: an individual's obligations to God, or ibadat, and an individual’s obligations to other people, or muamalat. A Muslim has five basic duties towards god that he is required to perform. Shaahdah or takbir means the glorification of Allah; namaz, the prayers offered five times a day - at dawn, midday, afternoon, immediately after sunset and in the early part of the night (namaz can be offered in assembly, in a mosque, or at home); zakat, (tax) today refers to voluntary and obligatory charity of two- and-a-half percent of one's yearly savings to any needy person; roza, the fasting period to be observed during the month of Ramzan. The fifth obligation to god is Haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca to perform the laid down rituals. All Muslims endeavor to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

After the death of Muhammad a dispute over succession split the movement and the legacy into two main sects: Shiah and Sunni. Though essentially following the same beliefs and tenets, they differ on two issues – firstly, regarding the succession to Muhammad, and the subsequent vesting of religious authority after him.

The Shiahs consider Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet, his rightful heir. Ali was nominated to lead the Muslims by the Prophet himself, who in turn nominated his successors. The Shiahs called them Imams. Thus the Shiahs have 12 Imams. The 12th however, is believed to have mysteriously disappeared and the Shiahs believe that he is still alive but invisible. According to them, he will reappear just before the world comes to an end. The Sunnis on the other hand believe that it was for the community to choose one amongst them as leader. They called this leader Caliph or Khalifah, meaning deputy.

Sufism or Islamic mysticism developed as an alternative to the rigidity of Islam. It believes that the real purpose of Islam was to bring man nearer to god and the purification of the soul. The two pillars on which the edifice of Islamic mysticism rests are the Love of God and Love of Man.

The Sufi cult also had its following in the subcontinent, as can be seen from their durgahs. The Sufis celebrate Urs, a ceremony to mark the birth and death anniversaries of the saint. These festivals reflect a true feeling of equality, brotherhood and secularity, and are attended by the devout of all castes and religions. In Ajmer, the biggest Muslim fair in the country is celebrated to commemorate the Urs of Khwaza Moin-ud-din Chishti, one of the pioneers of Sufism in India. Islam first came to south India In 6 AD and north India in 1000 AD. By 1200 AD the first muslim empire was established. The mughals took over this empire in 1526. Many Indians converted to Islam at that time. Muslims today comprise 12% of the Indian population, as per the 1991 census. The Indian muslims are mainly settled in Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh).

The essence of Islam has been retained over the centuries, but other religions did have their effect. Indian Muslims observe the same festivals as Muslims elsewhere, but their festivals are specially marked by Id-milans, probably a remnant of the Mughal rule. A sense of happiness and festivity prevails through out the festivities, which is not so pronounced in other parts of the world.

The Muslims are great connoisseurs of art, music and literature. Some of the prominent literary geniuses, musical masters and artists in India have been Muslims.

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