Cheraman Juma Mosque: First Masjid in India
While Hindu extremists are destroying mosques and churches. Muslims in Southern India are busy restoring the oldest mosque which goes back to 1,400 years. Muslim News Report by Saleha Faruque and Atif Shafique. Script: There is a mosque in India that was built while Prophet Muhammad was still alive. God’s peace and blessings be upon the prophet. This oldest mosque in India is about to be reopened. Cheraman Juma mosque was built in 629 CE. That is three years before prophet left this world. It is the oldest mosque in India, situated in Kerala. Kerala at that time was an independent kingdom. Kerala was an international trade center connected with Arabia. Arabs used to call it Male later Malabar. The story of this mosque is connected with Its Hindu King Cheraman Perumal Rama. The king learned Islam from the Muslim traders. He became Muslim and went to meet the Prophet. Here is Imam Adam Kelwick next to his gravesite in Oman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEPnjADJr18 While returning from his trip back to India he passed away in Salala, Oman. May Allah be pleased with him. This is his grave. The rest of the party continued their journey back to Kerala with his letters. It is said among them was Malik bin Deenar. May Allah be pleased with him. He built this mosque with the help of other Muslims. It was the first mosque of Kerala and one of the oldest mosques in the world. The mosque has recently gone through renovation and expansion. And is now ready to reopen. The upper portion of the masjid will be open for tourists. The underground hall will be used exclusively for prayer. The mosque can accommodate 5000 people in the prayer hall. Besides the old structure, an Islamic heritage museum is also on site. May Allah accept the efforts of all who for 1,400 years have kept this masjid going. Ameen.
