Islam

In one minute

Islam means 'submission' to the will of the One God, Allah, and a follower is called a Muslim. Muslims believe that God sent many prophets, among them Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), and that the final prophet was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to whom the Quran was revealed in 7th-century Arabia. Muslim life is built on faith in God's oneness (tawhid), the Five Pillars of worship, and the guidance of the Quran and the example of the Prophet. Islam is followed across the world, and India is home to one of the largest Muslim populations of any country.

In India (Census 2011): 17.22 crore (14.2%)

Origins

Timeline

1. c. 570 CEBirth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Mecca.
2. c. 610 CEMuslims believe the first verses of the Quran are revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Cave of Hira.
3. 622 CEThe Hijra: the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his followers migrate from Mecca to Medina; the Hijri calendar counts its years from here.
4. 632 CEAfter the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passes away in Medina; Hazrat Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph.
5. c. 7th century CE (by tradition)Arab traders bring Islam to the Malabar coast of Kerala; local tradition dates the Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur to this period.
6. c. 650 CEUnder the third caliph, Hazrat Uthman, a standard written copy of the Quran is prepared and sent to major cities.
7. 680 CEImam Husayn, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is martyred at Karbala; Muslims, especially Shia Muslims, remember this on Ashura.
8. 9th to 10th century CEThe six major Sunni hadith collections, including Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, are compiled; the earliest of the four Shia books, al-Kafi, follows in the 10th century.
9. Late 12th to 13th century CEKhwaja Moinuddin Chishti settles in Ajmer, and the Chishti Sufi order spreads across north India.
10. 1866 and 1875 CETwo major centres of Muslim learning in India are founded: the Darul Uloom at Deoband (1866) and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's college at Aligarh (1875), later Aligarh Muslim University.

Core teachings

Sacred books

Key figures

Schools and communities

Where traditions within this faith differ. Described side by side, with no verdict.

Holy places

Festivals

• Ramadan: The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, pray more and give in charity; the fast is opened at iftar. Because the Hijri calendar is lunar, Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year.
• Eid al-Fitr: The festival that ends Ramadan, marked by special prayers, zakat al-fitr for the poor, new clothes, family visits and sweets such as sheer khurma.
• Eid al-Adha (Bakrid): Held during the Hajj season, it recalls the devotion of the prophet Ibrahim; families offer a sacrifice (qurbani) and share the meat with relatives, neighbours and the poor.
• Muharram and Ashura: Muharram begins the Islamic year. On its tenth day, Ashura, Shia Muslims mourn Imam Husayn with majlis gatherings and processions, while many Sunni Muslims observe a voluntary fast.
• Milad un-Nabi: Many Muslims mark the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the month of Rabi al-Awwal with recitations of poetry in his praise and gatherings; some Muslim groups do not hold special celebrations for it.
• Shab-e-Barat: The night of the 15th of Shaban, observed by many South Asian Muslims with prayer, seeking forgiveness and visiting the graves of loved ones.

In India today

Islam reached India early through Arab traders on the Malabar coast, where the Mappila Muslims of Kerala trace their community to the first centuries of Islam. Over the following centuries Sufi saints of the Chishti and other orders settled across the subcontinent, and their dargahs became places visited by people of many faiths. Indian Muslims are very diverse: they include Urdu-speaking communities of north India and the Deccan, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil and Konkani Muslims, the Dawoodi Bohras and Khojas, and the people of Lakshadweep, where most residents are Muslim. Indo-Islamic architecture, the Urdu language, qawwali and many shared traditions of food and craft are part of India's common heritage.

Visiting and learning with respect

• Remove your shoes before entering the prayer area of a mosque or dargah, and dress modestly with arms and legs covered; women are usually asked to cover their hair, and many dargahs ask men to cover their heads too.
• Visit outside the five daily prayer times if you can, and never walk directly in front of someone who is praying.
• Handle a copy of the Quran with clean hands and respect, and do not place it on the floor.
• During Ramadan, it is courteous not to eat or drink in front of people who are fasting where you can avoid it; a common greeting is 'Assalamu alaikum' (peace be upon you), answered with 'Wa alaikum assalam'.

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