Islam in South Asia

Overview of Islam in the subcontinent Islam is the second-largest religion in South Asia , with more than 640 million Muslims living there, forming about one-third of the region's population. Islam first spread along the coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka , almost as soon as it started in the Arabian Peninsula , as the Arab traders brought it to South Asia. South Asia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, with about one-third of all Muslims living here. Islam is the dominant religion in half of the South Asian countries (Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Afghanistan). It is the second largest religion in India and third largest in Sri Lanka and Nepal. On the Indian subcontinent, Islam first appeared in the southwestern tip of the peninsula, in today's Kerala state. Arabs traded with Malabar even before the birth of Muhammad. Native legends say that a group of Sahaba , under Malik Ibn Deenar , arrived on the Malabar Coast and preached Islam. According to that legend, the first mosque of India was built by the mandate of the last King of Chera Perumals of Makotai , who accepted Islam and received the name Tajudheen during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). On a similar note, Tamil Muslims on the eastern coast also claim that they converted to Islam in Muhammad's lifetime. According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad , the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam , Madayi , Barkur , Mangalore , Kasaragod , Kannur , Dharmadam , Panthalayini , and Chaliyam , were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjid s in Indian Subcontinent. Historicaly, the Barwada Mosque in Ghogha , Gujarat built before 623 CE, Cheraman Juma Mosque (629 CE) in Methala , Kerala and Palaiya Jumma Palli (630 CE) in Kilakarai , Tamil Nadu are three of the first mosques in South Asia . The first incursion occurred through sea by Caliph Umar 's governor of Bahrain , Usman ibn Abu al-Aas, who sent his brother Hakam ibn Abu al-Aas to raid and reconnoitre the Makran region around 636 CE or 643 AD long before any Arab army reached the frontier of India by land. Al-Hakim ibn Jabalah al-Abdi, who attacked Makran in the year 649 AD, was an early partisan of Ali ibn Abu Talib . During the caliphate of Ali, many Hindu Jats of Sindh had come under the influence of Shi'ism and some even participated in the Battle of Camel and died fighting for Ali. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep islands, situated just to the west of Malabar Coast, by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. After the Rashidun Caliphate , the role of Islam was significantly diminished throughout the Muslim world including South Asia as Muslim political dynasties came to power. South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today . "The countries with the 10 largest Christian populations and the 10 largest Muslim populations" . The World Factbook (2022 ed.). "Sri Lanka population (2023) live — Countrymeters" . countrymeters.info . "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950–2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). "Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project - Research and data from Pew Research Center" . Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics . South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today . The Times of India . 5 November 2016 . The Times of India . 6 November 2016 .

Overview of Islam in the subcontinent Islam is the second-largest religion in South Asia , with more than 650 million Muslims living there, forming about one-third of the region's population. Islam first spread along the coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka , almost as soon as it started in the Arabian Peninsula , as the Arab traders brought it to South Asia. South Asia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, with about one-third of all Muslims living here. Islam is the dominant religion in half of the South Asian countries (Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Afghanistan). It is the second largest religion in India and third largest in Sri Lanka and Nepal . On the Indian subcontinent, Islam first appeared in the southwestern tip of the peninsula, in today's Kerala state. Arabs traded with Malabar even before the birth of Prophet Muhammad . Native legends say that a group of Sahaba , under Malik Ibn Deenar , arrived on the Malabar Coast and preached Islam. According to that legend, the first mosque of India was built by the mandate of the last King of Chera Perumals of Makotai , who accepted Islam and received the name Tajudheen during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). On a similar note, Malabar Muslims on the western coast also claim that they converted to Islam in Muhammad's lifetime. According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad , the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam , Madayi , Barkur , Mangalore , Kasaragod , Kannur , Dharmadam , Panthalayini , and Chaliyam , were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjid s (mosques) in the Indian Subcontinent. Historicaly, the Barwada Mosque in Ghogha , Gujarat built before 623 CE, Cheraman Juma Mosque (629 CE) in Methala , Kerala and Palaiya Jumma Palli (630 CE) in Kilakarai , Tamil Nadu are three of the first mosques in South Asia . The first incursion occurred through sea by Caliph Umar 's governor of Bahrain , Usman ibn Abu al-Aas, who sent his brother Hakam ibn Abu al-Aas to raid and reconnoitre the Makran region around 636 CE or 643 AD long before any Arab army reached the frontier of India by land. Al-Hakim ibn Jabalah al-Abdi, who attacked Makran in the year 649 AD, was an early partisan of Ali ibn Abu Talib . During the caliphate of Ali, many Hindu Jats of Sindh had come under the influence of Shi'ism and some even participated in the Battle of Camel and died fighting for Ali. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep islands, situated just to the west of Malabar Coast, by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. After the Rashidun Caliphate , Muslim dynasties came to power. Since the 1947 partition of India , South Asia has been largely governed by modern states , with Pakistan, which later split into Pakistan and Bangladesh in 1971 , emerging as the primary Muslim-majority countries in the region. South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today . "The countries with the 10 largest Christian populations and the 10 largest Muslim populations" . The World Factbook (2022 ed.). "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950–2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). "Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project - Research and data from Pew Research Center" . Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics . South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today . Non-Muslims in the Early Islamic Empire .