The mosque is believed to have been established in 629 AD by Malik Bin Dinar, a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal.
Malik Bin Deenar
Malik bin Deenar or Malik Ibn Dinar was a Tabi‘in. He is famous for being the first to bring Islam to India.
[edit] Mosque
[edit] See also
- Islam
- Cheraman Perumal
- Muhammad
- Malik Dinar Mosque
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- Malik Dinar Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasargode district of Keralasouth India. Over the years, Kasargod acquired the considerable importance as a centre of Islam on the west coast. It is the site of one of the mosques believed to have been founded by Malik Ibn Dinar. The mosque, Juma Masjid, which is one of the best kept and most attractive in the district, is located at Thalangara. It contains the grave of Malik Ibn Mohammed, one of the descendants of Malik Ibn Dinar and the place is sacred to Muslims. Another notable mosque, in Kasaragod is the Theruvath Mosque which is in the centre of the town. An important local celebration takes place every year in commemoration of the arrival of Malik Ibn Dinar. The Uroos attract pilgrims from all over India. state,
Lots of people from different parts of India come here for mental relief. 
Cheraman Perumal Mosque is said to have been established in 629 AD, during Prophet Muhammad's lifetime by his disciple, Malik-Ibn-Dinar. It is the the second oldest Mosque in the world to offer Jumu'ah prayers (for the last 1,380 years). The first mosque ever built in the world is in Saudi-Arabia; the Quba Mosque (Quba' Masjid or Masjid al-Quba) just outside Medina and so is considered to be the oldest.
UniquenessI reached here around 17:00 hours and you can just see the sun setting behind the mosque in this photograph. ie this Mosque faces east and is probably the only Mosque in Kerala that face east unlike other mosques which usually face west. Another peculiarity is that the mosque has an ancient oil lamp which always burns and 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 allow entry for people of other religions. Another unique feature is that 'Vidyarambham' a traditional Hindu ritual initiation ritual marking the start of a child's learning is held here every year
Architecture and Traditions
The mosque is built in the traditional Kerala architectural style, similar to Hindu temples. Similar to Hindu tradition, the mosque uses brass oil lamps. The Rosewood-pulpit, from where the priest recites the prayers, is covered with carvings similar to the ones seen in Hindu architecture. A block of white marble in the mosque is believed to have been brought from Mecca.
The Mosque had many renovations and reconstructions (11th and 18th centuries and recently in 1974,1994 and 2001). The ground floor of the shrine is left untouched and is still preserved. The front portion of the first floor has been replaced with minarets, while the posterior side of the first floor is still intact(see below)
Legend
The popular legend is that a Chera king, Cheramanperumal of Kodungallor left for Mecca, embraced Islam, and accepted the name Thajudeen. He married the sister of then King of Jeddah. On his return trip, accompanied by many Islamic religious leaders, led by Malik-ibn-Dinar, he fell sick and passed away. But he had given letters for the team to proceed to Kodungallur. The visitors came to Kerala and handed over the letter from Cheraman Perumal to the reigning king, who gave all the facilities and support to establish their faith in the land. The king also helped to build the first Mosque at Kodungallur, by converting Arathali temple into a Juma-Masjid. However, 'Kerala Vyasan Kunjukuttan Thampuran' is of the opinion that an old Buddha temple was handed over to the Muslims to establish a mosque here.
The 'Perumpadapu Grandavari' says the last Thavazhi of Perumpadapu Swaroopam came into existence on the Kaliyuga day shodashangamsurajyam. Cheraman Perumal divided the land in half, 17 amsha north of Neeleshwaram & 17 amsha south, totaling 34 amsha, and gave his powers to nephews and sons. Thirty-four rajyas between Kanyakumari (Cape Comerin, now in Tamilnadu state) and Gokarna (now in Karnataka state) were given to the 'Thampuran' who was the daughter of the last niece of Cheraman Perumal.
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AWAITING VVIP VISIT: The Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur near Thrissur.
Is Gujarat’s Barwada Mosque Facing Qibla Aawal The Oldest Masjid On Earth?
Seemingly, Islam came to India much before than it is believed to have moved in with traders who sailed to coastal belts. The first mosque is presumed to have been built in India well before the Prophet migrated to Madina, the new evidence suggests.
A Masjid in Gujarat is much older than the one in Kerala that hitherto was termed to be the oldest mosque in the Indian subcontinent. Interestingly, the Gujarat mosque faces the first Qibla, Jerusalem and could be the only surviving mosque on earth.
It is called Barwada Masjid. In Gujarati, Barwada means non-locals or foreigners. The 15 x 40 ft mosque is located in the ancient port town of Ghogha. Part of Bhavnagar district, Ghogha is situated on the mid-western bank of the Gulf of Khambhat, a commercial port for centuries till Bhavnagar took its place early nineteenth century.
It is believed to have been built in the first 13 years of Islam when the Muslims prayed towards the Baitul Muqadas in Jerusalem. The Qibla shifted towards the Kaaba in Mecca in 623 AD.
So far, the Cheraman Juma mosque in Kodungallur Kerala was being seen as the oldest mosque in India that is believed to have been built around 629 AB. Basically, a Buddhist temple that was gifted to Arab traders for worship by Chera Raja Ram Warma Kulshekhar, it was rebuilt later. In 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Saudi Arabia, he took a gold plated replica of this mosque as a gift to his hosts. However, he did not know that the much older mosque is in his home state and possibly might be the only mosque of its type that exists on earth.
The mosque managed by the Barwada Jamaat is in dilapidated condition. It has been in disuse forever as nobody thought of reconstructing it after the Qibla shift. Reports suggest that if and when there is a donor, the locals try to repair it. Recently, it has got roofing on a part that was facing the sky.
This mosque has the oldest Arabic inscriptions on its Mehraab.
Historian, Prof Mehbooba Desai who has been credited for getting this historic monument into the limelight has written that the mosque seemingly was constructed by the Arab traders before the Qibla was directed towards Mecca after February 11, 624.
“It is so small that approximately 25 persons at a time can pray Namaz and this mosque is having one main gate and near the main gate, there are two graves (tombs),” Desai has written. “Stone ceiling just survived on ten to twelve pillars, and above the Kiblah that is exactly above the Mihrab, there is one dome. Inside the mosque, on both sides of Mihrab, there is beautiful carving.”
Till the early nineteenth century, Gujarat was the gateway to the Middle East. This is Mecca Gate at Khambhat and the pilgrims to Haj would use this for sea travel.
Till the early nineteenth century, Gujarat was the gateway to the Middle East. This is Mecca Gate at Khambhat and the pilgrims to Haj would use this for sea travel.
On the arch of Mihrab, Bismillah ar Rahman Nirhim is written.
“This mosque is of Allah, nobody else deserves to be worshipped” is written on the arch of the Kiblah beside a Quranic reference suggesting that for those building mosques, Allah is building a home in Jannat.
But there is a running controversy between Islamic scholars over the claim. One group insists that this mosque does not face Kabaa or the Baitul Muqadas. It is somewhere in between and is called a “between mosque”. The other one is the Hajaj Mosque in Wasit in Iraq. “The Qibla of this Ghogha mosque does not point toward Mecca nor toward Jerusalem but in between the Mecca and ancient city Petra,” goes the argument. “The Qibla line (perpendicular to Qibla wall) measures 8.5 Degree from Mecca, 9.0 Degree from Petra and 11.25 from Jerusalem.”
Another argument is that the earliest mosques lacked mihrabs and instead the whole qibla wall was used to indicate the direction of Mecca. As per the history of Islamic sculpture, the beginning of making Mihrab started somewhere in the seventh century. Before that in place of Mihrab, a wall or any symbolic stone was kept for praying Namaz. The first concave mihrab appears to have been inserted into the Masjid-e-Nabvi at Medina during some restorations carried out during the Umayyad caliphate, by around 706.
While the controversy continues, nobody is disputing the historic nature of the monument in disuse.
OLDEST MOSQUE ON EARTH:
IS GUJARAT’S BARWADA MOSQUE FACING QIBLA AWWAL?
Seemingly, Islam came to India much before than it is believed to have moved in with traders who sailed to coastal belts. The first mosque is presumed to have been built in India well before the Prophet migrated to Madina, the new evidence suggests.
Barwada Mosque
A Masjid in Gujarat is much older than the one in Kerala that hitherto was termed to be the oldest mosque in the Indian subcontinent. Interestingly, the Gujarat mosque faces the first Qibla, Jerusalem and could be the only surviving mosque on earth.
It is called Barwada Masjid. In Gujarati, Barwada means non-locals or foreigners. The 15 x 40 ft mosque is located in the ancient port town of Ghogha. Part of Bhavnagar district, Ghogha is situated on the mid-western bank of the Gulf of Khambhat, a commercial port for centuries till Bhavnagar took its place early nineteenth century.
It is believed to have been built in the first 13 years of Islam when the Muslims prayed towards the Baitul Muqadas in Jerusalem. The Qibla shifted towards the Kaaba in Mecca in 623 AD.
At the Barwada mosque in Ghogha, the qibla, indicated by the position of the mehrab (a semi-circular niche in the wall facing which prayers are offered), is towards Jerusalem, an angle nearly 20 degrees north of the qibla towards Mecca. This reflects the fact that this stone structure must have been erected much before the Prophet’s declaration that the direction to the Kaaba be treated as the qibla. The historical mosques in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have their qibla towards the Kaaba.
Compass readings taken at the site put the heading of the mehrab from the entrance at about 295°NW . The heading to wards the Kaaba, as at a newer mosque in the same neighbourhood is about 275°NW
A teacher of history, Professor Mehboob Desai has been arguing about the Barwada mosque’s antiquity ever since he stumbled upon it. “Looking at the flow of information among Arab traders, there is no chance that a Muslim would build a mosque facing Jerusalem after the Prophet had declared the Kaaba as the qibla,” he told Times of India. “This is the oldest mosque in India, because I have not heard of any other mosque with its mehrab pointing towards Jerusalem.”
So far, the Cheraman Juma mosque in Kodungallur Kerala was being seen as the oldest mosque in India that is believed to have been built around 629 AB. Basically, a Buddhist temple that was gifted to Arab traders for worship by Chera Raja Ram Warma Kulshekhar, it was rebuilt later. In 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Saudi Arabia, he took a gold plated replica of this mosque as a gift to his hosts. However, he did not know that the much older mosque is in his home state and possibly might be the only mosque of its type that exists on earth.
.webp)
The Cheramaan Perumal Juma Mosque is a mosque in Methala, Kodungallur, Thrissur in the Indian state of Kerala. A legend claims that it was built in 629 CE, which makes it the oldest convert mosque in the Indian subcontinent which is still in use.
Barwada Mosque
The mosque managed by the Barwada Jamaat is in dilapidated condition. It has been in disuse forever as nobody thought of reconstructing it after the Qibla shift. Reports suggest that if and when there is a donor, the locals try to repair it. Recently, it has got roofing on a part that was facing the sky.
This mosque has the oldest Arabic inscriptions on its Mehraab.
Historian, Prof Mehbooba Desai who has been credited for getting this historic monument into the limelight has written that the mosque seemingly was constructed by the Arab traders before the Qibla was directed towards Mecca after February 11, 624.
“It is so small that approximately 25 persons at a time can pray Namaz and this mosque is having one main gate and near the main gate, there are two graves (tombs),” Desai has written. “Stone ceiling just survived on ten to twelve pillars, and above the Kiblah that is exactly above the Mihrab, there is one dome. Inside the mosque, on both sides of Mihrab, there is beautiful carving.”
On the arch of Mihrab, Bismillah ar Rahman Nirhim is written.
Till the early nineteenth century, Gujarat was the gateway to the Middle East. This is Mecca Gate at Khambhat and the pilgrims to Haj would use this for sea travel.
“This mosque is of Allah, nobody else deserves to be worshipped” is written on the arch of the Kiblah beside a Quranic reference suggesting that for those building mosques, Allah is building a home in Jannat.
Built by Arab traders on the then bustling port of Ghogha, this stone structure may have been abandoned by devotees after the qibla was changed. With more than half of its roof gone, the pillars are in need of support, and a board on the mosque’s doors asks visitors not to pray there because its mehrab doesn’t point towards the Kaaba. It also warns people not to damage the structure because of its heritage value.
Aslam Siddiqbhai, who lives in the neighbourhood, said that repairs are made on the mosque as and when locals find a donor.
Another argument is that the earliest mosques lacked mihrabs and instead the whole qibla wall was used to indicate the direction of Mecca. As per the history of Islamic sculpture, the beginning of making Mihrab started somewhere in the seventh century. Before that in place of Mihrab, a wall or any symbolic stone was kept for praying Namaz. The first concave mihrab appears to have been inserted into the Masjid-e-Nabvi at Medina during some restorations carried out during the Umayyad caliphate, by around 706.
While the controversy continues, nobody is disputing the historic nature of the monument in disuse.
Recently, in a highly dilapidated state. Unfortunately, the mosque is neither protected by the ASI nor State Archaeology Department. To prevent it from further deterioration, the local committee with no knowledge of conservation is now restoring the entire structure.
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