The Tale of India and South Asia’s First Mosque

In the seventh century, among the ancestors of the Chera Kings, there was a king who became the catalyst for the traditional oath taken by the pre-independence Travancore Princedom of Kerala—"I will keep this sword until the uncle who has gone to Makkah returns." This oath taken in the swearing ceremony kept alive the legend of Makkattupoya Perumal, revoking the stories of the Perumal uncle who went to Mecca and of the first Muslim settlers on the Malabar coast who were granted to build the first masjid of the subcontinent.

Cheraman Juma Masjid Source: Wikipedia

In the seventh century, among the ancestors of the Chera Kings, there was a king who became the catalyst for the traditional oath taken by the pre-independence Travancore Princedom of Kerala—"I will keep this sword until the uncle who has gone to Makkah returns." This oath taken in the swearing ceremony kept alive the legend of Makkattupoya Perumal, revoking the stories of the Perumal uncle who went to Mecca and of the first Muslim settlers on the Malabar coast who were granted to build the first masjid of the subcontinent.

The story of the Cheraman Juma Masjid of Kerala is intertwined with the legend of Cheraman Perumal, a set of oral narratives and literary compositions passed down from generation to generation. One of the stories the legend entails is that of Cheraman Perumal Rama Varma Kulashekhara, **the king of the Chera dynasty at Kodungallur near the ancient port of Musiris, the trading hub of the subcontinent since the times of Indus Valley civilisation.

One night, Perumal Rama Varma was strolling in the palace gardens with his wife when he witnessed the moon splitting into two. Baffled by the sight, he gathered his court astrologers to ask whether they had predicted any such event as they would about the eclipses or if they could give any explanation about the event. In some versions, it is said that the king had a dream of the splitting of the moon and so wondered if it could be a premonition or consequence of some event, but even his best astrologers could not give any convincing answer.

While the king was restless about the unexplained phenomenon and its possibilities, a group of Arab traders headed by Shaikh Sahiruddhin bin Baqiyuddhin Al Madani arrived to seek his permission to anchor their ships at the port before they proceeded to Ceylon. Owing to the long-standing and harmonious trading relations with the Arabs on the Malabar coast, Perumal Rama Varma as usual, extended his hospitality for their short stay. While discussing the vision witnessed by the king, Shaikh Sahiruddhin revealed that it was a miraculous event caused by the Prophet (PBUH) at Mecca spreading the message of Islam. The Arab trader informed that just like the king of Kerala, the miracle was witnessed by many within the Arab nations and beyond, in various parts of the world. When the king heard about the Prophet, he ardently desired to meet the great person who catalysed the celestial event.

This incident is recorded in many historical texts like William Logan’s Malabar Manual, History of Kerala: An Introduction by Balakrishna Pillai, M. Hamidullah’s Muhammed Rasulullah, and Tuhfat Al Mujahidin fi ba‘d Akhbar Al Burtughaliyin by Shaikh Ahmad Zainuddin Makhdoom.

When the Arab traders stopped by again after their business in Ceylon, Perumal Rama Varma joined them on their return journey to their motherland. It is said that the king offered a bottle of ginger pickle to the Prophet (PBUH), recorded in many Hadiths of the Sahabas who witnessed it. After hearing the preachings, the king from the Malabar coast was so impressed that he accepted Islam in the presence of Muhammad (PBUH). He stayed back to learn the teachings for several years and later performed Haj before embarking on his return journey with one of the Sahabas, Malik Ibn Dinar, as per the request of the Prophet. Unfortunately, the king fell severely ill during the voyage and passed away soon. But before that, he drafted and sealed letters instructing his son and his administrators to fulfil his last wish by allowing the Sahaba and his group to preach the teachings of Islam and settle in their dynasty. Perumal Rama Varma was buried at Dhufar, where they were anchored at the time, which is present-day Salalah in Oman.

The legend intertwined the miracle of Islam with the traditions of the Travancore Dynasty and catalysed a new faith on the Malabar coast, only to create a unique harmony of spiritual exchange survives in the masjid. It is a tribute to Makkattupoya Perumal who invoked the cultural well-being of his kingdom despite a change in spiritual faith and his succumbing to death. The masjid also marks the reverence of ancestors by continuing the traditions laid down centuries ago by the Cheraman Perumal of the seventh century. The Legend of Cheraman Perumal will forever be nurtured and carried on through every inch of the walls of the Cheraman Juma Masjid.

The Cheraman Juma Masjid is not just a site of prayer for the Muslims of the region, but is visited and revered even today by non-Muslims, keeping alive the centuries-old traditions that were initiated or instructed by the Cheraman Perumal. One of the traditions that nurture the tensile threads of cultural harmony of the Muziris civilisation is the Vidyarambham ceremony—the Hindu ritual of initiating the gain of knowledge, vidya, in a child. The ritual is conducted by a learned priest, and in this region, the imam of the Cheraman Juma Masjid has been conducting this ritual for centuries. The imam traces the first alphabet drawn on a patch of sand and draws it on the tongue of the child, which marks the invocation of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge in Hinduism.

The site granted for the masjid was a defunct Buddhist shrine with the sanctum sanctorum, which is retained as original along with the wooden ceiling and steps even today. The masjid is unique in many aspects. Initially, owing to its earlier Buddhist construction, it faced the east, even though masjids are usually constructed facing the Kaaba, which falls on the West side. The traditional pond of the earlier shrine and the typical hanging Kerala-style lamp, which according to the legend, has burned continuously for a thousand years, are still preserved and functional. In 1000 CE, the masjid was restructured so that it faced the Kaaba as per Islamic doctrine but was destroyed when the Portuguese invaded and captured the area. The masjid was reconstructed when the Malabar coast was reclaimed by the Indian rulers. Since then, the structure has been renovated many times, and during the 1960s and '70s, the old structure was extended with concrete walls, domes and minarets while keeping the old prayer hall intact. Recently, the Muziris Heritage Project funded by the government took up the mantle to restore the oldest masjid in its original form to preserve and revoke the cultural heritage within its sanctity despite all the structural changes.

There have been contentions about the authenticity of this legend, but the historian M.G.S. Narayanan points out,

“There is no reason to reject the tradition that the last Chera king embraced Islam and went to Mecca since it finds its place not only in Muslim chronicles but also in Hindu Brahmanical chronicles like the Keralolpatti, which need not be expected to concoct such a tale which in no way enhances the prestige of the Brahmins or Hindu population.”

Malik Ibn Dinar finally reached the Malabar coast with a small group in 629 CE, almost five years after the death of the late Perumal. He handed over the letters to the ruler of the time and received quite a positive response and hospitality from the Chera court for bringing the news of their departed king. The ruling king allotted the Sahaba and his team lands and also permitted them to preach their teachings fulfilling the last wishes of their late king. This is how the legend goes as to how the first Muslims of India arrived, settled, and then built the first masjid on the lands of the subcontinent. Once the masjid was established, Malik Ibn Dinar handed over the site to his relative Habib Ibn Dinar and began his preachings traversing across the lands of Kerala and establishing many such masjids. Later, he returned to his motherland while Habib and his wife Khumairiat Beevi lived and died on this Malabar coast.

The tomb of Perumal Rama Varma at Dhufar, Salalah in Oman. Source: The Siasat Daily

The Kerala-style hanging lamp in the renovated masjid and the retained original pond. Source: Benny Kuriakos & Associates

The plaque above and the tombs below of Habib Ibn Dinar and his wife. Source: The Siasat Daily

Oldest picture of the masjid and the renovated version. Source: Benny Kuriakos & Associates