Muziris- the gateway to the first mosque in India

The story of how the curiosity of a South Indian Ruler and the Famous lost port of Muzaris led India to have its First Muslim Mosque.

 Restored Masjid; Image source: Wikipedia Commons

The fabled seaport traded in everything from spices to precious stones with the Greeks, Romans, and the rest of the globe during the ancient world's greatest trading centre in the East. Muziris, the gateway to India for a diverse range of civilizations and races, including Buddhists, Arabs, Chinese, Jews, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch, and even the British, has witnessed the birth of civilisations, conflicts, and history.

Historians and archaeologists searched for the lost harbour but were unsuccessful. Pattanam, a tiny town in Kerala, was flooded after heavy rains. The rains excavated and disclosed vestiges of a legacy to mankind. The government has authorised Muziris, a heritage project to reveal all the secrets that this port beholds. For now, let us look into how this seaport became a gateway for the first Muslim Mosque in India.

There are accounts of the mosque being destroyed by the Portuguese and then rebuilt following the great flood of 1341. The current mosque is light blue, with a coral tile roof, two minarets, and a large courtyard.

Muzaris existed until the 14th century till the great floods in the Periyar river demolished it. Let us get back to Cheraman Juma Masjid. Located in the district of Thrissur in Kerala and was built by Malik Ibn Dinar in 629 AD.

According to legends Cheraman Perumal, Ravi Varma was on a walk on the palace grounds when he saw a vision of the moon splitting into two halves. The king did not know what this vision meant and ordered his ministers to provide a conclusion for what it could have been. The ministers failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. A few sailors passed by the port of Muziris to present-day Sri Lanka. The sailors informed the king that the vision was a miracle performed by the Islamic prophet Muhammad as recorded in one chapter - Qamar(The Moon)of the Quran.

“The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]. And if they see a miracle, they turn away and say, “Passing magic.”

Intrigued by the information, he decided to travel to Mecca to meet Nabi Muhammed. He sailed to Arabia and met Nabi where he embraced Is Islam. He also adopted a new name, Tajuddin or Thajuddin. On his journey back, the king fell ill and found it difficult to continue. He spent his last days in Oman but not without sending a group, who was headed by Persian scholar Malik Ibn Dinar with letters to his ministers. The letter instructed the ministers to provide all that is required in building a Mosque and to follow Islam. Hence the first mosque was constructed in India at Kodungallur.

Various Interpretations of the incident have been said.

“Unlike other versions which lack solid evidence, the saga of Perumal’s conversion to Islam is untenable because his meeting with prophet has been mentioned in the Hadith,”-Faizal E. B, the current administrator of Cheraman Juma Masjid. The Hadith he refers to is by Imam Bukhari and Abu Saeed Al-Khudri and it reads -

“A king from India presented the Messenger of Allah with a bottle of pickle that had ginger in it. The Prophet distributed it among his companions. I also received a piece to eat.”

The initial mosque had all features of Chera (Kerala) architecture but was later renovated to its present form. No signs of minarets, domes, muqarnas vaulting, or any other visual symbols of traditional Islamic architecture. Instead, it was constructed as a two-story structure with a sloping tiled roof made of baked clay in a rich red colour a common style among all religious sites at that time.

With its ancient brass oil lamp, which is thought to be over a thousand years old, the Cheraman mosque retains another piece of history. Oil lamps, which are popular in temples, were not commonly found in mosques. The oil was supplied by the Kodungallur royal family's palace, which had remained independent under the king. Devotees are now donating to keep the lamp burning.

Restored Masjid; Image source: Wikipedia Commons

 Restored Masjid; Image source: Wikipedia Commons