The Life of Muhammad

Description

The sources bearing on 8h century Sind indicate the existence of several non-Islamic religions and sects of Brahmanism and Buddhism denoted by the Arabic compound barhimah-sumaniyah used by the classical Muslim writers but the word ‘Hindu’ in their writings had a geographic, linguistic or ethnic connotation. In the Chachnamah, for example Hinduvan means Indians in general and Hindavi stands for the Indian language.171 The first use of the Hindu in the religious sense is found in the Kitab ul Hind of Alberuni AD 1030who at one place distinguishes Hindus from Buddhists but at another holds the distinction to be between Brahmins (Buddhists) and Brahmins!! He states that ‘the (Hindus) totally differ from us in religion’