Islam in South Asia

A number of adherents of Islam have lived in South Asia since the beginning of Islamic history. About 30.6 percent of Muslims live in South Asia which is the largest population of Muslims in the world. There are 507 million Muslims or 31.4 percent of South Asia population which are mostly known as Desi Muslims. Islam first came to the western coast of India when Arab traders as early as the 7th century AD came to coastal Malabar and Konkan-Gujarat.Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala is thought to be the first mosque in India, built in 629 AD by Malik lbn Dinar. Following an expedition by the governor of Bahrain to Bharuch in the 7th century AD, immigrant Arab and Persian trading communities from South Arabia and the Persian Gulf began settling in coastal Gujarat.Dawoodi Bohra Ismailli Shia was established in Gujarat in the second half of the 11th century, when Fatimid Imam Mustansir sent missionaries to Gujarat in 467 AH/1073 AD. Islam arrived in North India in the 12th century via the Turkic invasions and has since become a part of India's religious and cultural heritage. Over the centuries, there has been significant integration of Hindu and Muslim cultures across India and Muslims have played a prominent role in India's economic rise and cultural influence.