The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c12.s3.17

c12.s3.17

Another *tablighi*, Muhammad Abdul Shakur, was more vituperative against the prevalence of Hindu customs among the Muslims. He raved against the barbarous (wahshiana) dress of the Hindus like *dhoti*, *ghaghra* and *angia* and advocated wearing of *kurta*, *amama*, *kurti*, *pyjama* and *orhni* (or long Chadar). He attacked Hindu marriage customs practised by Muslims and warned women against participating in marriages with their faces uncovered. He insisted on women observing parda and was shocked to find that even after a thousand years of their conversion during the expeditions of Mahmud of Ghazni, Indian Muslims were living like Hindus. In the end he exhorted the senior Mewati Muslims thus: Oh Muslims, the older people of Mewat, I appeal to you in a friendly way, doing my *tablighi* duty, to give up all idolatrous and illegal (*mushrikana*) ways of the Hindus Islam has laid down rules for all social and cultural conduct follow them.³²