Cheraman Juma Masjid - History

History

Kerala Vyasan Kunhikuttan Thampuran is of the opinion that an old Buddha temple was gifted to the Muslims to establish a mosque. Since ancient times, trade relations between Arabia and the Indian subcontinent were active. Even before Islam had been established in Arabia, Arab traders visited the Malabar region, which was a major link between the ports of South and Southeast Asia. With the advent of Islam, the Arab merchants became carriers of the new religion and they propagated it wherever they went. Numerous Indians living in the coastal areas of Kerala accepted the principles of the new religion and converted to Islam. The Brahmin King Cheraman Perumal was the first Indian that convert to Islam based on a popular historical event.

The event was that a group of The Islamic prophet Muhammad's Sahaba (companions) visited Kodungallur. The Chera ruler witnessed a miraculous happening — the sudden splitting of the moon, the celebrated miracle of Muhammad — and learned on inquiry that this was a symbol of the coming of a Messenger of God from Arabia. Soon after, Perumal traveled to Makkah, where he embraced Islam and accepted the name Thajudeen. On his way back to India he died at Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman. On his deathbed he is said to have authorised some of his Arab companions to go back to his kingdom to spread Islam. Accordingly, a group of Arabs led by Malik Bin Deenar and Malik bin Habib arrived in north Kerala and constructed a Masjid at Kodungalloor. As the construction of masjid was sponsored by the King Cheraman, it was named the Cheraman Juma Masjid.

The mosque has an ancient oil lamp which always burns and which is believed to be more than a thousand years old. People of all religions bring oil for the lamp as offering. This is one of the few mosques in Kerala which allows entry for people of other religions.