Abstract
Islam means submission. Those who submit are called Muslims. There are five pillars for all Muslims to adhere worldwide: 1) There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet. 2) Praying five times daily, kneeling in the direction of Mecca (the holy city). 3) Giving of alms (a share of each Muslim's income is given to support the mosque and the poor). 4) Fasting throughout Ramzan (the ninth month of the Muslim calendar). 5) Visiting the Haj (every believer who is able to do so must go on a pilgrimage to Mecca). Islam teaches absolute monotheism and Mohammed's primacy as Allah's last Prophet on earth. Islam stresses the brotherhood of believers, non-difference of religion and secular life, obedience to God's Law, abstinence from alcohol, and of good works. Shab-e-Barat, Id-Ul-Fitr, Id-Ul-Zuha, Muharram and various Urs of Sufi saints are the major festivals observed by them. Islamic influence first came to be felt in the 7th century with the advent of Arab traders. This was followed by sporadic raids in India by Muslim traders, but the first Muslim kingdom was established in Delhi at the end of the 12th century.The Muslims gradually spread their rule to the south and the east. During the reign of Allaudd in Khilji, only the southern part of India remained outside their power. With the coming of the Mughals in 1506, Islam seeped deeper into India. Akbar's (1556–1605) policy of religious tolerance brought the Hindus and Muslims still closer. During the reign of the Arab traders, they brought Islam into the South Indian state of Karnataka almost as soon as the faith was initiated in Arabia. Along with their faith, Muslims brought many products to the region. The Islamic presence and power in the state reached its greatest heights during the reigns of Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan. Though killed by the British in 1799, Tippu Sultan was one of the only national leaders to defeat the British in battle and is still considered a hero to many Indians. The internal structure of Indian Muslims as a religio-ethnic group was quite complex.
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