Motilal Nehru and other Congress leaders urged Muslims to accept joint electorates with reserved seats, arguing that separate electorates were a hindrance to national unity and progress.

The League passed a resolution demanding immediate amendments to the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act 1919) to ensure effective representation for Muslims in various legislatures.

Contrary to the Nehru Report, the Simon Commission recommended that separate electorates for Muslims and other minorities should be maintained until the communal tensions in India had subsided.

The Simon Commission recommended the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency, which was a long-standing demand of the Muslims. However, it made this conditional on Sindh being able to show it was financially self-sufficient.

Quaid-e-Azam considered Quit India to be aimed at weakening Muslims politically.

Out of the 72 delegates who attended the first session of the Congress in Bombay in 1885, only two were Muslims. This low participation reflected the initial hesitation of the Muslim community toward the movement.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was skeptical of the Congress's objectives for Muslims. He advised them to 'wait for two years and see' how the organization functioned before deciding whether to join, ultimately fearing it would lead to Hindu domination.

He insisted Muslims were a distinct nation deserving political rights.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 16th-century saint from Bengal, preached universal love and the chanting of the Holy Name (Kirtan). His movement was inclusive, attracting followers from various backgrounds, including Muslims like Haridas Thakur, who became a prominent disciple.

In medieval Islamic states, non-Muslim subjects (known as dhimmis) were required to pay a protection tax called Jizya. In return for this payment, the state provided them protection and exempted them from military service, allowing them to practice their own religion within certain legal frameworks.