Ponnani Juma Masjid or Ponnani Valiya Jumath Palli located at Ponnani in Malappuram district is a mosque that deserves historical importance in Muslim mosques in Kerala. The Juma Masjid played an important role in the intellectual field of Ponnani, once referred to as the 'Little Mecca' of Malabar. At that time, the mosque was also the headquarters of those seeking knowledge in Ponnani. [1] [2] [3] [4]
William Logan has recorded in the second part of his Malabar Manual that the Ponnani Grand Juma Masjid was built by Sheikh Zainuddin in 1510 (Hijra 925) A.D. [5] There are those who believe that the construction may have taken place in that year as the Year 1519 is the equivalent of Hijra 925. Sheikh Zainuddin Ibn Ali Ibn Ahamed Maabari , also known as the great Zainuddin Makhdoom, the builder of the mosque, died in July 1522 and it is believed that the construction of the mosque was completed before that. The interior of the Ponnani Grand Juma Masjid is 90 feet long and 60 feet wide. [5]
After the construction of the mosque, Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom himself started teaching in the Masjid. This is believed to be the beginning of the 'Pallidars' system in Malabar. [5]
There was a tradition to sit around the oil lamp installed inside the mosque, study religion and get the Musliar status from Makhdoom. For this, students used to come from all over Malabar. The way you sit around the oil lamp and get the Musliar status is called 'Sitting before wick lamp'. [6]
The Logan Malabar Manual records that in 1887, about 400 people came from the other lands and studied at the Ponnani Grand Masjid. Among those who were close to the mosque were Kunjayan Muslyar, a native of North Malabar who lived 200 years ago, and author of 'Noolmuhammad' and 'Kappapat', Umer Khazi, the poet and brave man who fought against British rule. Mamburam Thangal was a visitor to the mosque.
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Tirurangadi is a municipal town in Malappuram district of the Indian state Kerala. It is a historic town famed for its active participation in the freedom struggle, especially those dating back to the 1920s. It serves as a local taluk and is located, 30 km south of Calicut and 140 km north of Ernakulam.
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Ponnani is a municipality in Ponnani Taluk, Malappuram District, in the state of Kerala, India. It serves as the administrative center of the Taluk and Block Panchayat of the same name. It is situated at the estuary of Bharatappuzha, on its southern bank, and is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and a series of brackish lagoons in the south.
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Islam arrived in Kerala, the Malayalam-speaking region in the south-western tip of India, through Middle Eastern merchants. The Indian coast has an ancient relation with West Asia and the Middle East, even during the pre-Islamic period.
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Tuhfat al-Mujahidin fi ba‘d Akhbar al-Burtughaliyin is a historical work by Zainuddin Makhdoom II on the struggle between the Mappila Muslims of Malabar and South Canara and Portuguese colonial forces in the 16th century. It is the first historical work of Kerala to be authored by a keralite. The book describes the resistance put up by the navy of Kunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonize the Malabar coast. Along with chronological events of the era, the book also provides an analysis of the events, as well as the lifestyle, customs and family structure of the people of the time.
Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom bin Sheikh Al Qazi Ali, was an Islamic scholar and grandfather of Zainuddin Makhdoom II, the famous author of Fat'h Ul Mueen and Thuhfathul Mujahidin. He is the builder of Ponnani Juma Masjid.
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Āli Musliyār was the leader of Malabar Rebellion, and a freedom fighter. Musliyār was the Imam of Tirurangadi Masjid from 1907 until his eventual execution at Coimbatore Prison for the allegation against him for calling to fight against British rule. He was an active orator of the Khilafat Movement in Malabar region.
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Sheikh Ahmad Zainuddin Makhdoom bin Sheikh Muhammad Al Gazzali, grandson of Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom I, was the writer, orator, historian, jurisprudent and spiritual leader and widely known as Zainuddin Makhdoom Second or Zaniudeen Makhdoom Al Sageer whose family originated from Yemen. He inherited the legacy of his grandfather and was installed as the Chief Qadi (judge) in the locality of Ponnani, Kerala, India, as well as appointed as the Chief Müderris in the historic Ponnani Dars at Ponnani Jum'ah Masjid, that built by Zainuddin Makhdoom I.
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South Malabar refers to a geographical area of the southwestern coast of India covering some parts of the present-day Kerala state. South Malabar covers the regions included in present-day Kozhikode taluk of Kozhikode district, the whole area of Malappuram district, Chavakkad taluk of Thrissur district, and Palakkad district, excluding parts of Chittur taluk. The Fort Kochi region of Kochi city also historically belongs to South Malabar. The term South Malabar refers to the region of the erstwhile Malabar District south to the river Korapuzha, and bears a high cultural similarity to both the Cochin and the North Malabar regions.
