Sample Religious Studies Essays On Hindu-Muslim Relations

Homework Question on Hindu-Muslim Relations

• Your essay must be fully referenced with footnotes and a full bibliography including publisher, date and year of publication. If you draw on tutorial readings, use full publication details.
• If you cite websites (keep this to a minimum) make sure they are academic websites (not Wikipedia etc) and include the full web address and date accessed.

1. Compare and contrast the different forms that Hindu-Muslim relations have taken in South Asian tradition and modernity.
2. Drawing upon specific thinkers and historical examples, consider the extent to which these different forms stem from, and draw upon, underlying differences between traditional Hindu and Muslim worldviews, and the extent to which these different forms are affected by the assumptions of modernity

Homework Answer on Hindu-Muslim Relations

Islam and Hinduism are the most influential and geographically spread religions globally, with Islam being the second-most practiced religion after Hinduism in India. Hindu-Islam relations in South Asia started with the introduction of Islamic religion in the Indian subcontinent in the early 7^th century. The historical relation patterns between Islam and Hindus in North and South regions of India are different.

The north is characterized by the history of conquest and domination while the South has been relatively peaceful. The relations have been negatively affected by the ideological differences that form a distinction between the two religious groups. On one end, Hinduism is a way of life characterized by social religious elements practiced by the Hindu people living in India as well as other regions that had been influenced by the religion in the ancient times.

It shares various terms with other forms of religion such as Buddhism. On the other hand, Islam is monotheistic, that is, worships Allah and considers him as the supreme deity. Muslims believe in Muhammad as the last Islamic prophet who delivered the Qur’an. Islam shares some of its religious practices and beliefs with other Abrahamic religions. The essay below compares and contrasts the different forms that Hindu-Muslim relations have taken in South Asian tradition and modernity and the extent to which these different forms stem from, and draw upon, underlying differences between traditional Hindu and Muslim worldviews.