Islam

Muhammad bin Qasim in A.D. 712. After the foundation of Muslim rule in India, Islam spread far and wide and brought about a great change in the social a religious outlook of the people. Muhammad Bin Qasim, the great Muslim hero and commander, entered India as a conqueror and lived there for three years. He introduced Islamic system and left an indelible impact on Indian society by the example of his character and generosity. Islam, as a faith and system of life, won many followers in sub-continent because of its simple and humanitarian principles.

Before the advent of the Muslims many foreign tribes had come to India, but all of them had been assimilated into Indian society. This however was not possible in case of the Muslims. The basic social and religious ideas of Islam differed so widely from those of Hinduism that Muslim invaders could not be absorbed in Indian society Islam was a well-defined faith and its monotheistic belief and exclusive religious outlook made its absorption into Hinduism impossible.

During their stay in India from 12th century A.D. to 18th century A.D., the Muslims converted a considerable number of native people into Islam. Yet throughout this period the Muslims remained a minority community. However gradually Hindus and Muslims came in close contact with each other in various fields like administration, literature and in religions. History has shown that when two civilizations, however opposed and different, come in close contact for centuries, both are bound to be influenced by each other. This is what has happened in India in the medieval period.

The idea of brotherhood of man, the belief in one God, a total surrender to God, which are the basic principles of Islam made a deep impression on the minds of Indian thinkers and reformers of the period. Finally, as a result of Hindus and Muslims interacting with each other two religious movements developed, namely Sufism among the Muslims and Bhakti among the Hindus.

MAJOR ISLAMIC IMPACTS ON INDIAN SOCIETY

(i)Religious Impact:

Before the coming of Islam to India, the people were divided in several religious factions and an intense struggle was going on between Hinduism and other religions.

When Islam was introduced to the people of the sub-continent, it attracted many followers because of its simple and easily understandable principles. The introduction of Islam completely transformed the Indian society into a well knit social fraternity.

Islam came as blessing for the oppressed classed in India whose life had become miserable because of the deep rooted caste system Most of the Indian Muslims converted to Islam were belonged to the lower classes of the Indian society. Besides these Muslims there are also Muslims who belonged to the ruling families of the different Indian kingdoms. Some of these rulers were Hindus who actually belonged to the warrior castes of the Hindu society and adopted Islam.

Islam brought a new way of life for them which they had never experienced before in the Hindu society. The respectable way of life, shown to them under Islam, gave them a feeling of being human beings. Islam infused a different thinking and sentiments among the people of the sub-continent.

(ii) Social Impact:

India was divided into several sects and class when Islam reached here. Since Islam propounds that all human beings are equal and accordingly make no discriminations on the basis of caste or creed. Hindus in large numbers adopted Islam voluntarily. However, even the Muslim rulers got many Hindus forcibly converted to Muslim. Islam had its deep impact on the social life too. The practice of purdah has been the result of the impact of Islam.

Since the Hindu society was living in isolation for several thousand years under a tight Brahminic control, it had lost its vigor and vitality. Bottled in their own customs and rites the Hindus were politically divided and militarily weak. This naturally resulted in a major shake up by the Muslim who was strong and better equipped.

A sense of homogeneity and oneness grew in the social set-up after the arrival of the Muslims in India. Indian society was now a well knit whole and a sense of centralism had evolved amongst the various sections of society. With the arrival of the Muslims, India established relations with the other countries of the world. Diplomatic and trade links were established.

(iii)Cultural Impacts:

The impact of Islam could be seen on the cultural life of the Indians too. The Hindus to a great extent have adopted the thoughts and belief of Islam. The impact of Islam on Indian culture has been inestimable. It permanently influenced the development of all areas of human like language, dress, cuisine, all the art forms, architecture and urban design, and social customs and values.

Conversely, the languages of the Muslim invaders were modified by contact with local languages, to Urdu, which uses the Arabic script. The Farsi language was introduced in the sub-continent by the Muslims. At the time of the Mughal, Farsi became the official language in the whole sub-continent. Even the Hindus used this language for communication. By the interaction of these languages new languages like Urdu and Hindi emerged

In the rule of Delhi Sultans, there are constructions which are designed by Muslims and built by Hindus who could not shun their artistic excellence which they have shown in temple constructions. The materials used in temples were used later for the construction of Mosques which led to consist of Hindu element in Islamic constructions. Sometimes, they have only morphed the temple into Mosque by changing roof.

Islamic influence was visible in the miniature paintings of that time. Due to Muslim influence there was a wide transformation in Hindu Art and cultural activities. Sufi created the spirit of tolerance. Muslim influence brought music out of the temples into the courts and chambers of royal families. Some of the Muslim Mughal rulers, who loved music and helped it grow, enriched North Indian music by incorporating Persian elements. New types of music like the Khayal, Thumri and Tarana were introduced.

The Muslim conquest of India left a considerable impact on the Indian architecture and there was a unique development in art during the Muslim rule. Muslim architecture frequently mingled with the Hindu style of buildings. The Hindu temples, their pillars and domes reflected some glimpses of Muslims architecture. In the new buildings red stone and marble was used which was a significant characteristic of the Muslim way of construction.

(iv) Impact on Literature:

In every country that was conquered including India, the first duty of Islam was to build a mosque in which Allah would be worshipped. Attached to the mosque was a school (Madersa)where people were taught to read and study the Quran. From this initial point they enlarged the study of science, literature and art. Schools were founded, great universities established, and libraries were built, which laid the permanent foundation of knowledge.

The old languages Sanskrit and Parakrit were influenced by Arabic and Persian and later on by Turkish language. By the interaction of these languages new languages like Urdu and Hindi emerged.

(v) Impact on History:

The arrival of Muslims in the sub-continent marks a new development in the art of recording historical events. Historical literature which existed before the arrival of the Muslims was mostly legendary and unauthentic.

On the secular level:

• Each one feels that the other two are wrong and they only are correct.
  
• Segments of each one have undertaken campaigns to eliminate either one or the other or both of the others
  

Events in the late 1920s and 1930s led Muslims to begin to think that their destiny might be in a separate state, a concept that developed into the demand for partition. Motilal Nehru convened an "all-party" conference in 1929 to suggest changes that would lead to independence when the British took up the report of the Simon Commission. The majority of the delegates demanded the end of the system of separate electorates. Jinnah, in turn, put forward fifteen points that would satisfy Muslim interests--in particular, the retention of separate electorates or the creation of "safeguards" to prevent a Hindu-controlled legislature. Jinnah's proposals were rejected, and from then on cooperation between Hindus and Muslims in the independence movement was rare.

In his presidential address to the Muslim League session at Allahabad in 1930, the leading modern Muslim philosopher in South Asia, Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1876-1938), described India as Asia in miniature, in which a unitary form of government was inconceivable and religious community rather than territory was the basis for identification. To him, communalism in its highest sense was the key to the formation of a harmonious whole in India. Therefore, he demanded the establishment of a confederated India to include a Muslim state consisting of Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, and Balochistan. In subsequent speeches and writings, Iqbal reiterated the claims of Muslims to be considered a nation "based on unity of language, race, history, religion, and identity of economic interests."

Iqbal gave no name to his projected state. That was done by a group of students at Cambridge in Britain who issued a pamphlet in 1933 entitled Now or Never. They opposed the idea of federation, denied that India was a single country, and demanded partition into regions, the northwest receiving national status as a "Pakistan." They explained the term as follows: "Pakistan . . . is . . . composed of letters taken from the names of our homelands: that is, Punjab, Afghania [North-West Frontier Province], Kashmir, Iran, Sindh, Tukharistan, Afghanistan, and Balochistan. It means the land of the Paks, the spiritually pure and clean."

In 1934 Jinnah returned to the leadership of the Muslim League after a period of residence in London, but found it divided and without a sense of mission. He set about restoring a sense of purpose to Muslims, and he emphasized the Two Nations Theory.

The 1937-40 period was critical in the growth of the Two Nations Theory. Under the 1935 Government of India Act, elections to the provincial legislative assemblies were held in 1937. Congress gained majorities in seven of the eleven provinces. Congress took a strictly legalistic stand on the formation of provincial ministries and refused to form coalition governments with the Muslim League, even in the United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh in contemporary India), which had a substantial Muslim minority, and vigorously denied the Muslim League's claim to be the only true representative of Indian Muslims. This claim, however, was not substantiated because the Muslim League had done poorly in the elections, especially in the Muslim-majority provinces such as Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province. The conduct of Congress governments in the Muslim-minority provinces permanently alienated the Muslim League.

By the late 1930s, Jinnah was convinced of the need for a unifying issue among Muslims, and Pakistan was the obvious answer. At its annual session in Lahore on March 23, 1940, the Muslim League resolved that the areas of Muslim majority in northwestern and eastern India should be grouped together to constitute independent states--autonomous and sovereign--and that any independence plan without this provision was unacceptable to Muslims. Federation was rejected. The Lahore Resolution was often referred to as the "Pakistan Resolution"; however, the word Pakistan did not appear in it.

An interesting aspect of the Pakistan movement was that it received its greatest support from areas in which Muslims were a minority. In those areas, the main issue was finding an alternative to replacing British rule with Congress, that is, Hindu, rule

Answer 1

The Sunni belief about the Caliph is to be elected and chosen among more than one nominee and not to be confined in the Prophet through the nomination of Aly (may Allah be pleased with him) for being the closest relative to the prophet as his cousin and for being the husband of the prophet's daughter Fatima (Allah be pleased with her).

Answer 2

Shia and Sunni have mostly same beliefs and both believe in fundamental beliefs of Islam. Today there is up to 260 sects in Islam that are in two main categories of shia and sunni.

the conflict of shia and sunni has been always amplified by world Imperialism to prevent Islam from gaining power.

Shia believes in Allah, prophet and all fundamentals of Islam.

Shia pray 5 times a day but usually do the 2, 3 and 4, 5 pray together and so may seem they do only 3 pray a day. there is some differences in details of pray like genuflect (for shia should be on a stone or part of earth and for sunni on carpet or floor ).

shia believe after death of prophet God selected the successive for prophet who is the political leader of Muslim community and people can not and does not the right to selected it.

Shia believes the Caliph (Representative of God in earth) is selected only by God and can not be selected by people because God said in Koran: "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority" (Quran 2:30) or "O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth" (Quran 38:26) also other verses.

Shia believes such verses means only God can select an Islamic political leader (Caliph).

In Shia Islam Caliphs after prophet are 12 Imams and all of them are the same and have no mistake and have the knowledge of everything (not absolute knowledge like knowledge of God) and they hear all sayings and even thinks of all humans after even after their death by permission of God and they are intermediates between God and human Shia Muslims always support them and forgive their lives for them.

Shia Muslims do not consider selection of Abubakr as Caliph by people valid because God did not select him. They believe God ordered prophet to declare people that Ali is selected as successor of prophet and prophet did this mission many times during his prophet-hood and mainly in Ghadir event after last Hajj of his life at a 3-4 hour speech in front of 120,000 Muslims at Ghadir in hot desert after 2 days stop of long caravan for gathering and 3 days after speech for congratulations and homage of Muslims to Ali. Islam at that time had high power in world and Some companions had high interest in leadership position after prophet. Muslims knew that it is the final Hajj of prophet (predicted by prophet) and were going along with prophet to hear what prophet says at end of his life. Shia believes Ghadir event is the most important event of Islam and is mentioned in Koran in many verses like "Today" (اليوم) in verse 5:3 of Quran is the day of Ghadir. Or Verse 5:67 (O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guideth not those who reject Faith) is revealed at Ghadir day and is about declaring political leadership of Ali after prophet.

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims accept happening of Ghadir event But different interpret. Some Sunni writers tried to reject the event of Ghadir as declare of leadership of Ali and said at Ghadir prophet only wanted to say Ali is my friend and no one should bother him. Ali had 3 different missions to Yemen by prophet during 10 years and in 2 of them some companions of prophet had some conflicts with Ali and and prophet said some sayings about Ali to solve conflicts and some sunni writers have mixed stories of missions of Ali to Yemen with story of Ghadir to prove Ghadir event is not about Leadership of Ali and is not important.

Shia scholars believe some Sunni writers have changed and deviated historical evidences about political leadership of Ali in old historical books and republished them to destroy evidences of leadership of Ali from old Sunni books.

The famous Shia book Al-Ghadir (الغدير) by Allameh Amini is a collection of evidences and proofs for Ghadir Events written after referring to 100,000 Sunni books and full reading of 10,000 sunny books. Allameh Amini is a famous Shia scholar and spent 40 years of his life in travelling to access original old Sunni books in libraries in different countries to write this 20 volume book only from Sunni books and not using any Shia book. Some Sunni scholars tried to reply this book but then said if we want to reply this book we should first destroy all books of ourselves.

Shia doctrine have root in Karbala tragedy. When tragedy of Karbala happened most of Iranians understood there is two different kinds of Islam and after happening of Karbala tragedy most of Iranians became followers of "Ahl al-Bayt" and forgive their lives for them like what they did in Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War. Shia Muslims have at least 120,000 Hadith (saying) from The Fourteen Infallibles that is the base of Shia Islam along with Quran. Shia believes according to " Hadith of the two weighty things" The Fourteen Infallibles are the only valid interpreters of Quran and sayings of them are from God because they are Representative of God in earth and they do not say anything from themselves. Shia believes 12th of them (Mahdi) is alive and because people have killed all 11 Imams before him, he is in hide like Jesus and will come out of hide toghether with Jesus when people become ready and want to accept his leadership. All 11 Imams have been killed and during their life thy all have been in prison or under hard control of government to not have any political action. They never had enough serious followers to can get political power. Among them only the sixth Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq was relatively free in his life to have only scientific activities (but banned from any political action) and so only he is known in west because he established university and had students from all over the world. Westerns know him as a polymath: an astronomer, alchemist, Imam, Islamic scholar, Islamic theologian, writer, philosopher, physician, physicist and scientist. He was also the teacher of the famous chemist, Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber), and of Abū Ḥanīfa, the founder of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. He never wanted be a famous man and only shared his knowledge with who wanted to learn. Some researchers consider his teachings the root cause of renaissance.

Sunni Muslims also accept Mahdi and his worldwide leadership as Caliph of God in earth at end of world. There is a famous Hadith from prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that Mahdi at hide is like sun behind cloud, he is hidden from people but people receive his benefits. Shia Muslims say some faithful believers have connection with Mahdi and use his knowledge. Shia Muslims believe that it is proved at least 1000 persons have had connection and talk with Mahdi during his hide period but Any one having relation with Mahdi keep it and does not declare it in public until is alive.

Answer:

Performing salah (the five daily prayers at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and night) does not show your commitment. It helps you strengthen your commitment, if you already believe.

"Showing your commitment" is just like "showing off". We don't show off. Unless you do it purely for God's sake, then it is simply impure. Not good.

Jesus said to go pray in secret.

But if one's heart is empty of the love and fear of God, then no ritual will place that there.

When you read the words of God from the Qur'an, as you stand and bow down to Him, then you will know how it buildscommitment.

It re-connects you to the source of all good - God.

They are:

1. Belief in God as the one and only one God with no partner, no son, no father, no companion, no associate, and no equivalence
2. Belief in all god prophets (including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad; peace be upon them all)
3. Belief in all God holy books (including Torah, the Bible, and Quran)
4. Belief in God angels
5. Belief in the second eternal life and the Day of Judgment
6. Belief in destiny

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