How Did Islam Become Popular in India? – Impacts and Influence

Islam has become one of the most popular religion in India. There are many Islamic believer in the country. How did Islam become popular in India? Islam has indeed a long history in India, from the first it spread until it become highly popular.

Here we are going to talk about the impact and influence of Islam, particularly in the country of India. Islam has change the holistic way of living for Indian people, as well as the culture and customs in there.

Here are how di Islam become popular in India looking from the impacts and influence.

1. The Purda System and Marriage Culture

The Purda system who is largely practiced by Indian society was inspired by Islamic practices. After Islam, women in India no longer reserved themselves. They start to move out of the house using the palanquins and covered under the curtains. More than that, Islam changed the child marriage in Hindi.

It only after the spread of Islam Hindi society set a puberty age as a non-requirement to get married. It was influenced by Islam practice. Hindu women are also become more dependent to men as according to Islamic culture, men sit on the higher hierarchy than women. Also read Positive Impacts of Islam in West Africa

2. Erasing Slavery

Another impact of Islam in India is how they practiced slavery after it entered. Even when Islam no longer practice slavery, it still exist in India until today. It was one bad influence of Islam, but it’s still changed the Indian society.

3. Food and Dressing

Another result of the spread of Islam in India was the way they dressed that following Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They follow the dressing, fashion, etiquette, and food. The Hindus in India eventually adopted Muslims etiquette up to the sitting arrangements for various classes as practiced at the Delhi court. Also read Importance of Islam in Western Civilization

4. Music and Dance

India is a country that is rich of music and dance. They have their own style to celebrate special occasion. However the music and dance that we know today was influenced by Islam. Their music style changed once the Hindus artist were in contact with Muslim singers. Thus, made Islam highly contributed in Indian classical music.

5. Rising Oneness in Religion

Before Islam, Hindus worship more than one God. Islam use the oneness system from the beginning, and it later impacted in the belief system in India. But this was not come as easy, since the entrance of Islam was more like challenge for the Hinduism upholders.

Islam introduced messages that categorized as new at the time, such as universal brotherhood, rejection of caste system, and introduction equality in the society. The oneness or monotheism has now rooted in every society in Indian people. Also read Impacts of Islam on Indian Society

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6. Emergence of Liberal Religion

In the past, Indian society used the caste system where people were divided by class ever since they were born, according to their family status. But as Islam got more popular, it promotes the emergence of liberal religion that no longer use caste system to people.

7. Teaching Respect Between People

How did Islam become popular in India is because it taught mutual respect between people. Not only among Muslims but also between Hindus and Muslims. It’s a healthy spirit and mutual toleration that happen between two beliefs and it growth even more today. Also read Quran Verses of Respecting Parents

8. Developing New Linguistic System

More than mutual respect and cooperation between belief and religion, Islam also brought linguistic synthesis. Urdu that is widely used as language nowadays is the outcome of assimilation of Hindu and Muslim. In the medieval period, the Urdu was even the most common language used. As the result, many literature was published in the Urdu language.

Amir Khusru, Kutaban, Malik Muhammad Jayasi, and many other wrote about life of Hindi as well as their religion. More than that, Islamic rules practiced by Muslims are also facilitated the growth of the vernacular literature.

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9. Changing Architecture

All over the India today, there are mixture between Muslim and Hindu in the architecture. Islamic influence can be seen in the massive structure such as domes, mosques, courtyards, tall minarets, huge walls, etc. Other Islamic influence were in buildings, palaces, and Hindu temples. Islam also adopted the design of Hindi such as the design of Kalash, lotus, creepers, mango leaves, etc. Also read Basic Greetings in Islam

10. Art and Painting

After the coming of Islam, there were massive changes in the style of painting. Islamic styled paintings such as ladies blowing the trumpets was followed by the Hindus. Islamic art such as the calligraphy was imitated by the Hindus.

11. Enriching the Literature

Many of the literature and history about India were influenced by the Turko-Afghans. The books were written in Parsi and it made great impacts on the Hindus. Those books were Utbi’s ‘Kitab-ul-Yamini’, Hassan Nizami’s ‘Taj-ul-Maa’ Sir, Qazi Minhaz- us-Siraj’s ‘Tabakat-i-Nasiri’ and many more.

12. Contact with Outside World

Indian people were reserved and isolated from the outside world after the fall of Gupta Empire. After Islam, the contacts were restored once again. Indian people enabled to exchange cultural and doing trade with countries in Southeast Asia, Greece, China, Egypt, and Rome.

13. Creation of Crafts

The creation of new crafts were strongly influenced by Islamic style. From that, India was able to established sustainable economy.

So that is a little explanation how did Islam become popular in India. By the day, Islam has become more popular, not only in India but throughout the world. It because more people have interest in Islam that provide the holistic way of living, so Islam is more than a religion but also a way of live.