The first riot took place over the blurred depiction of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and his appearance in a public print by a Parsi newspaper, Chitra Gyan Darpan, in October 1851.

The article, published by Parsi newspaper Chitra Gyan Darpan, was posted on the wall of the Jama Masjid in Bombay.

[4] One month later, a meeting was held on 24 November 1851 between members of both communities where Cursetji clarified that it was not the intention to hurt Muslim feelings by depicting their prophet.

To demonstrate goodwill and friendship and to show that the two communities can peacefully coexist, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy and the Kazi of Bombay rode together, sharing the same carriage through Muslim and Parsi neighbourhoods.

[3] On 15 June 1873, Rustomjee Hormusjee Jalbhoy published a book in Gujarati that contained biographies of eminent personalities, including Muhammad.

The tension was already building up when an article from The Memorial quoted: "a mob of Seedees and Arabs armed with sticks and stones invaded Abdool Rehman Street"Sir Frank Henry Souter, the Commissioner of Police at that time, knew about the tensions, but failed to escalate police presence.