Islam first reaches the subcontinent (India, Pakistan)

By 712AD (93AH), Islam had spread westwards from Makkathrough the Middle East, along
 the north coast of Africa, into Spain and even France. Eastwards, it had reached central Asia
Iran and Afghanistan. Arab traders were sailing to the coasts of India, Sri Lanka and even
 southeast Asia. Most of these ships sailed across the Persian Gulf and
 along the Makran coast.As they carried precious cargo, they were sometimes
attacked by pirates. Near the port of Daibul, not far from where Karachi now stands,
the pirates were especially fierce. In 71 DAD, they seized
an Arab ship that was carrying expensive gifts and slaves frcthe king of Sri Lanka to Caliph
Walid in Damascus.

Caliph Walid demanded that Raja Dahir of Sindh, should return the prisoners and treasures,
 but Dahir refused, saying he had no control over the pirates. The governor of the eastern Arab
empire then sent an army under the command of his 17-years
old nephew, Muhammad bin Qasim, to the region. Muhammad bin Qasim was a brave young man
 and a good leader. Led :' him, the army quickly captured Daibul and Raja Dahir was killed
in battle. The Arabs then marched inland along the Indus valley.



With the Surrender of Multan and Sehwan, Sindh and southern
Punjab now become Arab territory.

At first,the new territory was part of the Caliphate, but in 871AD it became two indepenjent
 Muslim states. Muhammad bin Qasim was recalled to Iraq, but Sindh continued as part of the
Arab Empire for the next 200 years,

Governors were appointed by the Arabs but actual administration was in the hands of the
local people, both Muslims and non-Muslims. Jizya (non-Muslim tax) and zakat (poor tax) were collected.
Qazis were appointed to resolve disputes between Muslims while non-Muslims referred their
problems to their own chiefs or priests.
Besides the construction of mosques, temples were also built and repaired.
The Arabs married among the Sindhis and settled down in Sindh, and the interaction
between the two races was a rich cultural blend, Arabic was the official language,
and Sindhi was the first eastern language for the translation of the Quran.

The rulers were good to the people of the country: they were allowed to worship as
they pleased, and most of the Hindu officials kept their jobs.
With the land now free from pirates, the number of Muslim traders increased rapidly.
As well as goods, they took back to Arabia and Persia, many new ideas, such as how
to navigate their ships by using the stars, and much knowledge about medicine.
They learned new things about mathematics, especially the use of 'zero' (0),
which later led to many important discoveries.


The Arabs learned a lot about astronomy

The Arabs allowed people to worship their own gods

There was a great increase in trade

The Beginning and Spread of Islam

Islam began at a time when conditions were favourable for it to spread. Apart from a few towns
 on the coast and some oases in the interior, Arabia was desert land. Its people were mainly nomads,
wandering with their flocks and herds. In the small settlements there were merchants and traders
with strings of camels to carry goods.

    To the east was the Persian  Empire. and to the west, the Byzantine Empire based in Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
    The Persians  were mainly Zoroastrians who believed in a good and wise god(Ahura Mazda) and an evil god (Ahriman)

The Byzantine Eastern Orthodox christians. who worshipped  one god. Jehovah. and his divine prophet.
Jesus Christ.. Both of these empires were growing weak through constant wars, and their religions became
 less and less strict.

In Arabia, the great majority of people worshipped a large number of different gods. The main centre of their worship was at Makka, where there had been a shrine, the Kaaba, from very early times. The Kaaba had been built by the prophet
    Ibrahim (AS) and his son Ismail (AS), as a  special place for Allah's worship, but later
it had become a pagan temple with hundreds of idols. Here, at specific times, people came from allover the country for special worship and to hold great poetry festivals.

These regular events became both a pilgrimage for the pagan Arabs and a trade fair for the merchants. Makka at that time was ruled by the Quraish, a powerful tribe. Among them, the Bani Hashim, the ancestors of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) held a considerably important position. It was in Makka that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was born in 570AD. In 610AD, with the divine revelation of the Quran, he proclaimed his prophethood. The religion grew and strengthened as the divine messages continued, and by 632AD, the last year of ~u.ranic revelation, Islam had spread across Arabia. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a living example of the values taught by Islam. He was, and continues to be, a role model, in all aspects of life, for all Muslims.
The Spread of Islam
Islam was taken to other areas beyond Arabia by the groups of early Muslims who migrated to escape persecution
at the hands of pagan leaders in Makka.   A large number had fled to Abyssinia during the Prophet's (PBUH) life. The first migration in Islamic history took place before the Hijra to Madina. A group of about eighty Muslims, led by the cousin :­the Prophet (PBUH), Jafar ibn Abu Talib, went to Abyssinia with a message of peace from the Prophet (PBUH)
. The ruler of Abyssinia was an honurable Christian, Negus, who gave refuge ­to the Muslims.
   Islam spread westwards, eastwards and north-eastwards with incredible speed, Often it was taken by merchants from Arabia.
Sometimes, it was also spread by armies,

The spread of Islam
The Arab armies were relatively small but moved very quickly on their horses and camels. They were tough desert men
who had learned to live off the land - finding food from the countryside through which they passed.
They did not need huge supply lines with strings of animals and carts carrying food and weapons, as most armies did.
They were not, however, used to sieges, as there were almost no walled towns in their own lands.
But they learned quickly from their enemies, especially the Byzantines, how to build and use huge wooden
machines ­catapults - for hurling great rocks.
They also learned how to build siege towers for climbing city walls, and battering rams for breaking down walls.
Mostly, they avoided heavily defended cities, and swept past them. Later, when the fortresses had been cut off without supplies, the Muslim armies returned to attack them in their now-weakened state, or more often, just to receive their surrender.