Historical Examples of Hindu-Muslim Unity and Harmony

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 11 October 2025 Abstract: India has always been a land of peace, tolerance, and shared culture where Hindus and Muslims have lived together for centuries. From the time of Arab traders and the rule of King Cheraman Perumal to Emperor Akbar’s policy of Sulh-i-Kul, history shows countless examples of mutual respect and unity. Sufi saints and Hindu sages further strengthened these ties through their teachings of love and humanity. Even today, people of different faiths visit shrines, share festivals, and pray for one another. Despite modern challenges and political divisions, India’s true identity lies in its Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb — the spirit of coexistence that promotes harmony, compassion, and social peace among all communities. Main Points: 1. Cultural Diversity: India’s strength lies in its rich mix of religions, languages, and traditions. 2. Historical Unity: Hindu and Muslim relations have been peaceful since ancient times. 3. Akbar’s Sulh-i-Kul: Promoted equality and respect for all faiths. 4. Sufi Influence: Saints encouraged love, tolerance, and human values across communities. 5. Modern Relevance: Reviving these traditions can restore peace and unity in India today. ------ India is a land known for its rich cultural diversity and variety of beliefs and ideas. All the philosophies and schools of thought that exist in India today have grown and flourished on this very soil. It would not be wrong to say that since ancient times, India has had the honour of being home to great spiritual figures — saints, sages, preachers, and founders of religions — who introduced India to the world as a land of deep spirituality. Indeed, this country stands out for its uniqueness in terms of race and colour, climate, geography, and culture. When it comes to ideas, beliefs, and religions, no other region in the world can compare with India. Both non-Semitic and Semitic religions have grown and developed here side by side. Today, the greatness of India lies in the fact that all religions, cultures, and languages are still alive and thriving. Their followers take pride in saying that they are Indians, and it is because of this land that they can freely follow their culture, traditions, and religious practices. When we study India’s history and civilisation, it becomes clear that from ancient times there have been many examples of Hindu-Muslim unity and harmony. Unfortunately, the image of India that is sometimes shown today — where injustice towards Muslims, doubts about their patriotism, and threats to leave the country are common — is far from the true picture of India. Such inhuman actions damage the real image of our nation. Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to rise above selfish interests and work for the protection of India’s ancient heritage of unity and tolerance. What is happening today in the name of religious freedom and faith is completely wrong, especially when it comes to the treatment of Muslims. We must think about this seriously. Even today, in many parts of India, we can see heart-warming examples of unity and shared belief. For example, at many mosques, Hindus still bring their children to the mosque doors and wait for the imam or worshippers to pray for their children’s health and well-being. Despite belonging to another faith, they believe that a Muslim imam’s prayer can cure their child’s illness. These are not stories of the distant past — such examples can still be seen daily in towns, villages, and cities across India. Sheikh Ikram, in his famous book Aab-e-Kausar, wrote: > “Hindus respect shrines and eagerly accept the blessed items from mosques.” Even today, many Hindus visit Sufi shrines to seek blessings and make wishes. Visiting these holy places or asking an imam to pray for someone’s health is a beautiful expression of mutual respect and love. It is this kind of shared faith and tradition that strengthens India’s Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb — the culture of harmony and coexistence. Such customs and traditions can only be found in India. This clearly shows that the people of India have a secular and tolerant nature. They prefer to live together in peace. In many streets and villages, people of different religions live side by side without conflict or complaint. Sadly, it is political powers that, for the sake of their own interests and desire for control, have sown the seeds of division, hatred, and discrimination in Indian society since ancient times. Therefore, it is the duty of the people to understand these political motives and to protect and revive India’s composite culture through practical unity and brotherhood. Even in ancient times, India’s Hindu kings played an important role in promoting kindness and tolerance. Sheikh Zainuddin, in his book Tuhfat-ul-Mujahideen (written during the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s era), describes a great example of this: > “In the third century of Hijri, a group of Muslim saints was travelling to Sri Lanka to visit the footprints of Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Due to strong winds, their ship reached the coast of Malabar, at a city called Kadankaloor. The local ruler, Cheraman Samuri, warmly welcomed them, asked about their religion, and was so deeply impressed by their teachings that when they returned from Sri Lanka, he handed his kingdom over to his ministers and went with them to Arabia. He died there, but before his death, he advised his ministers to treat Arab merchants kindly and with love. His successors followed this advice, and soon many Arab traders began to live and trade in Malabar.” This shows that the Hindu rulers of ancient India not only treated Muslims kindly and fairly but also provided them with opportunities to live peacefully and spread Islamic culture and trade. These facts prove that in ancient India, despite differences in beliefs, customs, and cultures, both communities lived together in harmony and mutual respect. Today, we must revive those shining traditions of the past and create social structures that strengthen human relationships across communities. When social changes start to show negative effects, it becomes clear that respect for humanity and protection of human rights are being lost. Crimes and hatred then take the place of compassion and understanding, damaging the human spirit of society. The modern picture of India, in many ways, has weakened the influence of those rich cultural and social traditions that once made India’s composite civilisation — known in history as the Indo-Islamic culture — so glorious. Finally, the history of the Indian subcontinent offers many shining examples of Hindu-Muslim unity and peaceful coexistence. India has always been a land where people of different religions, languages, and cultures have lived together for centuries. Even after the arrival of Islam, both Hindus and Muslims contributed to building a shared culture based on mutual respect, tolerance, and humanity. In the early period, Arab traders who came to South India impressed local rulers and people with their honesty, good manners, and justice. The famous Tuhfat-ul-Mujahideen records how the ruler of Malabar, Cheraman Perumal, treated these Muslim visitors with kindness and respect. His behaviour is considered one of the earliest examples of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood in India. During the Mughal period, especially under Emperor Akbar, Hindu-Muslim harmony reached new heights. Akbar’s policy of Sulh-i-Kul (peace with all) encouraged understanding and respect between followers of different religions. His court included Muslim scholars, Hindu priests, Jain leaders, Christian missionaries, and Sikh gurus — all treated equally. This created a unique cultural blend later known as the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, or composite Indian culture. Unity and friendship were not limited to the royal courts. In everyday life, Hindus and Muslims participated together in village fairs, festivals, and social customs. People celebrated Holi, Diwali, Eid, and Muharram together. Sufi saints and Hindu saints played a major role in strengthening this unity. Shrines of Sufi saints like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya were open to all, regardless of religion. These traditions of mutual love and respect continue even today. At a time when the world faces division and hatred, India’s history reminds us that peace, harmony, and cooperation among communities are the true paths to national unity and lasting social progress. --- Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an author and a New Age Islam Regular Columnist. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/historical-hindu-muslim-unity-harmony/d/137191 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism