The initial Arab incursions into India date back to around 636/7 CE, during the Rashidun Caliphate, starting with naval expeditions by Uthman ibn Abi al-As al-Thaqafi, the governor of Bahrain and Oman. These expeditions targeted the Sasanian coast and extended to the borders of India, with unauthorized raids on the Indian subcontinent's ports such as Thane and Bharuch, and later Debal, around 636 CE as per al-Baladhuri's accounts. These early endeavors aimed more at plunder and securing Arabian trade routes than at starting a full-scale conquest.

The kingdoms of the Indian subcontinent, including Kapisa-Gandhara, Zabulistan, and Sindh, became known as "The Frontier of Al Hind" to the Arabs. The first significant clash occurred in 643 CE, with Arab forces defeating the King of Zabulistan, and by 644 CE, Arab forces reached the Indus River, although Caliph Umar denied permission for further expansion.

The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE) resumed these expansion efforts. Notable campaigns into the Indian frontier during this period included attempts to besiege Kabul and advances into Pakistani Balochistan and Sindh. However, fierce resistance from local kingdoms, such as the Zunbils and the Kabul Shahi, blocked Arab access through key passes like the Khyber and Gomal, stalling substantial progress.

The Umayyads attempted more structured invasions, with Muhammad ibn Qasim's significant campaigns in Sindh around 711 CE, which saw the conquest of key regions and the establishment of Muslim rule. These conquests faced challenges, including local resistance and the Umayyad's own internal strife, limiting their expansion and control.

Following the Umayyads, the Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE onwards) saw Sindh gain brief independence before coming under various Muslim rules, reflecting the complex and fluctuating nature of Islamic control in the region. The Abbasids, and later the Saffarids and Samanids, continued to exert influence, leading to further Islamization and shaping the region's religious and political landscape into the later Muslim invasions by Turkic and Central Asian dynasties.

This tumultuous period marked by early raids, protracted military campaigns, and eventual establishment of Muslim rule, significantly impacted the Indian subcontinent's cultural and religious fabric, setting the stage for further Islamic expansion and influence in the region.