There are different traditions about the background of Arain community. One thing that everyone agrees upon is that they are Arabs and came to India in 712 AD. (92 AH) with Mohammad ibn Qasim. History unanimously accepted and proved this theory after much research.
Background
Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, a key governor of the Umayyad Caliphate, ordered Mohammad ibn Qasim to attack India. During this time, the Muslim empire was growing quickly, and as they conquered new lands, they spread Islamic teachings and gained many converts through their good behavior and preaching. The Muslim army included not just soldiers but also various workers and professionals, since they stayed in the conquered areas for a long time. While the soldiers focused on conquering, the scholars and mystics worked to share and spread Islam.
First Research on the History of Arains
In 1919, Mohammad Akbar Ali Sufi from Jalandhar was the first Arain scholar to publish research about his community in his book Saleem al-Tawarikh, where he presented the al-Raee theory.
Al-Raee Theory
Mohammad Akbar Ali introduced the al-Raee theory about the Arains. He explained it in his book Saleem al-Tawarikh. According to the theory, the Arains are Arabs who came to Sindh with Mohammad ibn al-Qasim. One ancestor, Shaikh Saleem al-Raee, left Madina due to Yazid’s cruelty. He moved to the Euphrates River in Iraq and became a shepherd, which is why he was called ‘al-Raee.’ The word ‘Raee’ means custodian, as shown in a Hadith that says everyone is a custodian and will be responsible for their duties. Many prophets and saints were also shepherds, including the Holy Prophet, who tended herds when he was with Halima al-Sa’diyah.
Objection about the Al-Raee Theory
Some people questioned the al-Raee theory.
Objection
One doubt was that Prophet Mohammad is from the ninth generation of Lu’ay, while Saleem al-Raee is from the sixth. How can the ninth generation come before the sixth?
Answer
The answer is that sometimes people marry and have kids young, so generations can grow faster.