Introduction
Despite claiming to belong to one universal brotherhood or Umma , the only things common about Muslims is the use of the word “ Allah” for addressing God , as being the followers of The Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]1 and his teachings and practices and in their adherence to the holy book of Koran. There is much difference between Indian Muslims and Arab Muslims.
Race
The basic difference between the two is race. Indian Muslims are descendants of the Hindu Arya race who are different from Arabs in facial appearance, skin color, body stature and body language. Indian Muslims who have gone for employment in the Arabian Peninsula have complained of racial discrimination and of being looked down upon by Arabs as being inferior.
Language
Indian Muslims speak one of the Indian languages as their mother tongue depending on the part of India they were born in. The Arab Muslim on the other hand speaks the Arab language which is his or her mother tongue.
Dress
The Indian Muslim has his own distinctive dress. In North India they usually dress in loose pair of Shirt [Kurtha] and pants [Pajama] which is usually white in color. Muslims from the state of Bengal and South India generally wear a long rectangular piece of colored cloth called “Lungi” which is fastened around the waist and hangs down lose up to the toe. The Indian Muslim women in North India wear the version of the loose shirt and pajama called the Kurtha and Salwaar. In some parts they also wear the “Sari” and “Lungi” .The Arab Muslim wears a loose, ankle length white cotton robe common throughout the Arabian Peninsula while the women wear the Hijab or veil from head to toe with slit opening for the eyes.
Non-indigenous
Islam has no roots in the Indian sub-continent. It entered India through waves of invasions by Islamic armies between 900AD to 1700AD. The invaders compelled Hindus to convert to Islam. Those who resisted were killed and their women and children, sold into slavery. The establishment of Muslim rule over parts of India may have encouraged some Hindus engaged in different profession to convert in order to win favor of the ruling dispensation. Voluntary conversions were almost negligible. The Arabs Muslims were followers of the Prophet who was himself an Arab, born in the Arabian Peninsula. Islam is an indigenous creation and Arab Muslims were the original followers of his teachings
History
The Indian Muslim belongs to the seven thousand year old Arya [Hindu] civilization, heirs to the world most ancient and largest number of written records on almost every subject of human knowledge from Mathematics to Architecture to Philosophy. They are heirs to the ancient Sanskrit language which is the most advanced of all human languages and the original source of them. Of course being Muslims they have been indoctrinated to reject their pre-Islamic past as something Un-Islamic and belonging to Non-Muslims or Kafirs. In the contrast The Arabs can hardly claim to belong to any Civilization of worth. They were a nomadic people who never stayed long in any one place to create anything permanent. They never knew how to write. Their first book, The Koran, was a gift from “Allah” given through the Prophet. The Arabian Peninsula is a barren land filled with dry sand.
Customs
Indian Muslims follow certain customs which would otherwise be considered un-Islamic by orthodox Islam. This includes such practices as “ Kite Flying “ , Visiting tombs of revered saints , Singing songs and ringing bells etc all of which are prohibited by Islam. In contrast the Arabs follow customs that have been allowed by the Prophet and have discarded all pre-Islamic practices.
Conclusion
All the above mentioned differences are superficial and not important. So long as Muslims follow the teachings of The Prophet as found in the Koran, Hadith and Sunna and is devoted to “Allah” he is a Muslim of the “Umma” .
- Difference Between Indian Farmer and U.S. Farmer - January 11, 2016
- Difference Between Ashtanga and Vinyasa - January 11, 2016
- Difference Between Indian Muslim and Arab Muslim - December 3, 2015
you are a f***ing islamophobe wbsite, i ve neer seen such hatred! i loughed all along reading this f***ing disgusting article !
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Well, actually I feel that something has touched a nerve and quite possibly there are some Islamophobes among the Islamic followers, which by the way is a philosophy based on hatred and not a religion. And certainly the Prophet Mohammed asks of Muslims to convert infidels, which is what has happened in India. Thank my happy Brahman the Muslim converts in India still have music.
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anjan kapil kya hu teri gand kyu jaali maachod gaye teri arabia walo sa
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Haha haha
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Completely incorrect information.
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This was seriously meant to discriminate on the grounds of religion!!!
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Huh, I totally disagree there is discrimination here. It simply shows the conversion of infidels to Islam.
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Well,all humans are good
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“The invaders compelled Hindus to convert to Islam. Those who resisted were killed and their women and children, sold into slavery”
please give me the reference and source.
1. if they really compelled hindus to convert to islam, now india would be a islamic country.
2. most of the hindus who convert to islam because of cast discrimination in the hindu.
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By your logic, all lower castes should have being converted to Islam, but they still exist in larges numbers.
Islamic Invaders took all means – love, force, fraud, coercion, extortion, killing etc. to convert.
Not sure, you are trying to be innocent or intentional ignorant.
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You people robbed hindus and their dignity…to stop this they converted to islam…
If we had such issues….
1 why hindu are still 80% ….
2 Buddhusm and Jainism were here before your terror came…
????
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This article was informative until the end when it slams Arab Muslims and talks about Arab Muslims as though they were somehow inferior to Indian Muslims. It appears to be written by an Indian Muslim who does not have the maturity to appreciate the Arab civilized world as having great value and worth.
“In the contrast The Arabs can hardly claim to belong to any Civilization of worth. They were a nomadic people who never stayed long in any one place to create anything permanent. They never knew how to write. Their first book, The Koran, was a gift from “Allah” given through the Prophet. The Arabian Peninsula is a barren land filled with dry sand.”
This kind of ignorance creates the problems we face in the world. The comments about forced conversion to Islam as being a good thing is ignorant. Forced conversion to any belief system is wrong, whether muslim, christian, zoroastrian, buddhist, taoist, atheist, scientist, or any other. I was raised in western traditions as a roman catholic, but developed a strong appreciation and respect for all religions and belief systems, all of which have benefits and drawbacks than others, yet all valid.
Please revise the description to remove the ignorant and nonappreciative personal viewpoint.
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he,who write this article, knows little of Islam.
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Well said Richard, yours seems to be the only sensible reply.From a man attempting to educate himself on this subject . Thanks
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So Richard, tell me how much do you know about the Arabs. Your upbringing has taught you to respect other cultures. Nothing wrong with that.
What is wrong is avoiding the truth. Arab culture is filled with filth and hatred. They cannot love anyone, who is not an Arab.
Indian muslims, on the other hand, are warm, friendly and knowledgeable people.
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49. Surah Al-Hujuraat (The Dwellings)
10. The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.
11. O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one’s brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: “O sinner”, or “O wicked”, etc.]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.).
12. O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting) . And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.
13. O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious – see V.2:2)]. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
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Most Muslims of India have middle eastern blood as well due to Muslim rule.
People in India converted to Islam en masse because of caste system in India. The converted people included those from upper caste as well.
We Indian Muslims (in my case Indian Muslim descendant) love our Arab Muslims, Central Asian Muslims, Iranian Muslims, African Muslims, Australian Muslims, European Muslims, American Muslims, East Asian Muslims, SE Asian Muslins, Latina Muslims, Sri Lankan Muslins, Pakistani Muslims, Bangladeshi Muslims, .. and all other Muslims in the world, PERIOD.
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You are wrong MandySwe. Very few Muslims from the subcontinent have middle eastern ancestry. You have been fooled into believing that you are descended from an Arab, just because you are a Muslim. Most Sub-continental Muslims are converts and that has been proven genetically.
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Indian muslim lady has one gate of pregnancy and Arab Ladies has two
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Al salam 3likom.
Much much of lies and misunderstanding or intentional malfacts are presented here!!
Just one advice read the history of islam and its spread by its carried high morals in each life field and univeral brotherhood and equality not the special interests nor the claimed violence that convienced non muslims to leave their rooted religion.
The evident is clear, read about nations that defeated muslims later on in their withdrawal era like; mongols who burned out bagdad and slughtered children, women, … Who later on converted to islam Why? They are victorious, more powerful?! They found the missing thing inside this religion; the direct connection between their souls and the God, the simple road without any obstacles, they can call Allah at any time and any place on the earth and Allah respond immediately to their calls. No kill without justification, no steal, no alcohol, no rape, no overpowering weak nations and the use of force at the start era of islam was limited and justified by the removal of the obstacles between the islam and peoples; represented by the ruling hindring theocratic dogma, those was the real enemy not the innocent people. And even those was adviced first peacefully for three days before any war to make their mind to not hinder islam universal message. And if peace is required, the islam direct the followers to respond faithfully.
Compare that with what was done by european claimed christians with red hindu [the native people of the west] they left nothing to eliminate them from modern weapons till plague infected blankets??!! the reference at google just search. And the use of atomic bomb at WWII. that killed hundereds of thousands for nothing just to prove their power not to learn them about their holly message! Just read and make your decision.
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I have read or maybe reread this article today. This author here may be clean at heart but certainly biased in thoughts and over and above extremely naive to write such an article. He/she has definitely succeeded in triggering a heated discussion if nothing else. It would be advisable to do some thorough research before writing such articles.
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Interesting article to read…
There is a big difference in the personal behavior of the two…I live in India and notices Indian Muslims does not fit themselves into other religion people…
Arab Muslims are more friendly, modern thinking….. Why this big difference?
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Very poorly written and impartial.
I expected a run down of the differences between the two, but instead was greeted with a bigoted and racist polemic. I will go through the differences for those who expected better.
The article aught to define what it means by “Arab Muslims.” It is unhinged to compared an ethnicity to a nationality, so my information will compare Saudi Muslims to Indian Muslims.
Saudi Muslims are predominately Sunnis of the Hanbali Madhab with strong neo-conservative influence, with small Twelver, Zaydi, and Sulaymani Ismaili Shia populations, whereas Indian Muslims are predominately Sunnis of the Hanafi Madhab (also with the largest Shia population outside of Iran, composed of Twelvers and Dawoodi Bohra Ismailis), with internal conflict between the tradionalist Balrevi movement and the neo-conservative Deobandi movement. Balravi Sunnis and Shia Muslims in India accept practices such as grave visitation and saint veneration, whereas Deobandi Muslims of India and the Hanbali Sunni Muslims of Arabia reject such practices as “bid’ah” or innovation.
Saudi Muslims speak one of three dialects of Modern Arabic: Gulf to the east, Hejaz to the wast, and Najdi down the center. Indian Muslims mostly speak Urdu, a language sometimes indistinguishable from its sister language Hindi, except for numerous Arabic and Persian loanwords. Some from Pakistani disapora communities or native Indian communities may speak another language like Pashto, Sindhi, Punjabi, Hindi etc. Both national groups use Classical Arabic as a liturgical language.
Saudi Muslim men traditionally wear a thawb, a white ankle length robe, and a ghutrah or keffiyah, a white or checkered scarf respectively, held in place by a cord. Saudi Muslim women wear an abaya, a similarly loose ankle length robe, with either a hijab covering the hair, ears, and neck, or a niqab cover the aforementioned parts along with all of the face but the eyes. The dress of Indian Muslims varies as they belong to many ethnic, cultural, and social groups. Some dress in a way very similar to those in the Arabian peninsula like the Saudi Muslims. Others dress in their ethnic attire. Common clothes for Indian Muslims are taqiyah or a cap for men, and a sari, a large sash draping the body, for women. Some women wear a hijab, and others a burqa, covering the face with a mesh veil. Others wear a dupatta, a veil that lightly drapes over the head and shoulders, while some may not veil. In more urban areas, they may dress indistinguishably from a Hindu or other citizen, and in both nations, some adopt western clothing like jeans, t-shirts, and button ups.
Muslims are very diverse, with different languages, dress, and beliefs, but none of us are better for our culture or sect.
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Now this was a good read. This piece should have actually been published as an article, and not the biased, bigoted text above.
I appreciate Yazat for writing an actual informational piece. And also, recommend the people to read this.
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the words you used haven’t see mature. try to be mature
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Very nice
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There is no difference between Indian and Arab Muslims.
They all are Muslims. There are only cultural and traditional differences. Muslims are the ones who believe in Quran and that there is only one God & the prophet Mohammad (saw) is His last messenger.
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