"Do not forget to read the book Salateen-e-M'abar", said Miyan.
Some things about Islam have spread faster than the spread of Islam itself. Like the fantasy that Islam has spread by the force of sword-a fantasy adored by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The irony is that it took a westerner, Thomas W Arnold, to dispel this spell. The continuing irony is that some people still harbour the same mindset about this in spite of the fact that the book Preaching of Islam by Arnold is more than a hundred years old. But this post is not about that. Similar work was done in Aligarh later also, not only in the university but also in the societies associated with Aligarh Movement. Like the Muslim Education Society. Salateen-e-M'abar is a book that is product of that kind of activity. They give enormous insight into initial phase of Islam and Muslims in India.