India and west Asia have a long history of land and sea trade between them. Commercial relations between India and Mesopotamia began as early as 3000 BCE and and between India and Egypt, through the intermediary ports of Yemen, from 1000 BCE.This is obtained from an early accountof Budhist collection,Baveru Jataka.
In 255 BCE th Indian Mauryan emperor Ashoka (r.273-232 BCE), sent Budhist monks as ambassadors to establish relations with Antiocus II Theos of Syria and west Asia , Ptolemy II Philadelphos of Egypt , Magas of Cyrene , Anigone Gonatas of Macedonia, and Alexander of Corinth. The Syrian writer , Zenob Glak, wrote of an Indian community , on the upper Euphrates riverin modern day Turkey. With the decline of Babylonian and Egyptian civilisations in the middle of the first millennium CE and the simultaneous curtailing of Byzantine sipping in the Red Sea, much of the trade between India and the west Asia.Many Indians settled in Bahrain and and at Ubla, near modern day Basrah at the head of the Parsian Gulf. The prophet's wife , Aisha , was once treated by a jat physician.Thus, muhammad was undeniably familiar with Indian culture.
As further evidence, the mid-20th century scholar , Hamid Abdul Qadir, in his Budha the Great:His life and Philosophy , said that Kifl is the Arabic rendition of Kapilavastu mentioned in Quran.
There is much evidence in History to show that Arabs and Muslims interacted with India and indians from the very
early days of Islam , if not before the arrival of islam in Arabia.Many sanskrit books were translated in arabic as early as the 8th century.
early days of Islam , if not before the arrival of islam in Arabia.Many sanskrit books were translated in arabic as early as the 8th century.