On a Friday Evening after praying Juma Prayer, inspired by friday speech of the islamic scholar, i decided to travel to the very first muslim religious masjid built in india,because his speech on the day was about the history of Indian Muslims. When i started my motor cycle wearing the gear and, i felt very religious mood and spirituality of islamic power to drive me. it had given me more power and determination. I grabbed my some books about Cheraman Masjid and islamic Propogation in kerala and muslim history and put them in bag for reading during my journey.
After spending around 5 hours around the masjid, i moved to another destination of kerala which caught my attention.
Mostly , if my journey starts from my home, i stop my riding in Varkala Beach where there is Mango Guest House located. The host, Mr Sanu Rasheed is, like very nice brother of mine who treats me always best with his motivational advice about life and journey. His girl Friend Venessa always smiling at me, calls me her little brother.
I stayed one night with them resting in the beautiful restaurant and cool place along with Mr Ali who is an amazing cook also. He prepared fish curry for us on the night....The time anyone spends with Ali and Sanu is always unforgettable and full of fun, because they both are such amazing guys with helping mind of sweet hearts and fun. Not only for spending time in the amazing climate of Varkala, but also for getting time around these two amazing friends of mine, i usually stick at Varkala in the shelter of Mango Guest House when i go to Varkala.
Next day morning, Saying good bye to every one, i set forth my journey to Alleppey.
When i travel always across Kerala, i mostly choose the sea side for driving , thus i can enjoy the beautiful wind and scene from ocean side views and i can anytime rest at any good beach restaurant or guest house.
I spent my time relaxing in the beautiful place by stopping my motor cycle there and enjoy beautiful scenes, then i start my journey again to the destination, Cheraman Masjid. While resting in Cochin, i for another night, i read some books and found many valuable information about Cheraman Masjid where i am travelling to pray my islamic prayer at the historical masjid.
Eventually i entered to Kondungalloor where Cheraman Masjid is located.
It is considered that the masjid was built in 7th era, when Islam Era started up in Arabia. The old picture of Cheraman Masjid resembles to Indian Temple. Cheraman Masjid was only one Masjid all over world , where the nilavilakk, the traditional lamp of Temples is lightened up. This is not part of Hindu Religious Belief but for torching light to around to keep up the traditional style of Old Masjid. Even though islam prohibits the imitation to any other religious beliefs, Here In Cheraman Masjid, Nilavilakku is lightened as part of Tradition in Kerala.
Eventhough there are many hindu rituals in the masjid, bringing about, The masjid is always considered and respected as the very first muslim mosque in India. Even last year, on the day of Vijaya Dasami, Children are sat for writing by following the hindu religious practice. The oil used for Nilavilak is given to all people irrespective of religions to take blessings following the temple system in kerala.
Like in many hindu temples, the masjid has also got a pond behind, with full of different fishes. And the lamp here burns always and considered to be old more than thousand years.
Inside the mosque , we can see this lamp burning and i have prayed Asar Prayer here. When i came out to museam, i have seen a lot of old photo graphs of the masjid , Those were glimpses of the old style in Cheraman Masjid to the modern look at present.
The model f Old Cheraman Masjid resembles the typical Temples in Kerala. When i as taking a look around, i happened to see sondooq, a box which carried Mayyith, Dead Body of Muslims to graveyard.I don't know when my time is coming for being one of the guest for such a box carrying my body to graveyard also. the memory turned me off to my past.
I had no permission to take pictures in Museam But a care taker showed me some interesting stone structures which the staff told me as old drainage system. There were many old locks and many interesting things which showed me about the history of cheraman Masjid. I wondered that i am walking through the corner of a masjid that is considered to be built in 629 AD. When i checked back for the real history of the masjid, there were different opinions that i heard from the staff. he said me a story that When Prophet Muhammed Peace be upon him, spitted moon in Makkah, Cheraman Peruman the king of kerala happened to see the scene from kerala. Cheraman Peruman happened to hear from an Arabic traveler about Islam, All of sudden, he started his journey to Madeena for meeting prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him and for performing Hajj. He said me that Onam Festival is the celebration by kerala people to celebrate the day of journey by their lovely King Cheraman Peruman. The people believed that their king may come back to their country on the same day for meeting them. But Cheraman Perumal died in Salalah of Saltanate Oman. But peope continued to celebrate the day of 10 days waiting and expecting their king back in the home land. He referred me the history Book named Malabar Manual written by Willion Logan. The story seemed to be very interesting to me.
When i checked other books, i happened to see many different opinions about the history of Cheraman Masjid. I did not get a clear picture about the history of cheraman Masjid.
There are different opinions about Cheraman Perumal or The owner of Cheraman Masjid too. But they have seen eye to eye to each other in an opinion that a Chera King had a connection to Malik Bin Deenar, Arab islamic Traveller. So he had traveled to Mekkah for performing Pilgrimage too. When we come to see the islamic community in Kodungalloor Area, it is sure that there might have got a strong islamic propagation to build up such vast number of muslims located in the area. But there is still a belief that Malik Bin Dinar was a disciple of Cheraman Perumal, Thus when the kind demised in Salalah, Malik Bin Dinar came with a team to Kerala for propagating islam and firstly he built a cheramal Masjid in kodungalloor and then 15 other masjids in other areas of kerala. This is what most of kerala muslims believe about the history of Cheraman Masjid.
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