Islam and Peace
Islam in India
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as a monarch will bear out the words of the
Prophet: There is no doubt that God will help this
religion “even if it be through a sinner”.
In contrast, during the reign of the last Moghul
emperor,’ Mohiuddin Aurangzeb (who assumed
the title of Alamgir, the world conqueror), relations
between Muslim and non-Muslims once again
turned sour, for his policies antagonised all
communities and castes: Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs,
Hindus and even intelligent Muslims began to
dislike him and his policies. As a natural
consequence, society again became tension-ridden.
The process of dissemination of Quran’s teachings
which was well under way as a result of Akbar’s
policies was halted. Hindu-Muslim antagonism
thus put an end to the friction-free atmosphere
which is a must for the spread of Islam.
After Aurangzeb, the Moghul Empire went into a
decline. At that point, however, the situation was
saved by the appearance of Sufis on the scene. The
Sufis set about establishing khanqah (monasteries)
all over the country and revived the traditions of
earlier Sufi saints to spread the message of love,
