Thajuddin

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Thajuddin
Cheraman Perumal
King Chera Perumal
Burial
Salalah
17°00′44″N54°07′38″E / 17.012217°N 54.127201°E / 17.012217; 54.127201
House Chera
Dynasty Chera dynasty [ citation needed ]



According to legend, the tomb of Tajuddin is in Salalah, Oman. Tomb of Cheraman Perumal (r).JPG
According to legend, the tomb of Tajuddin is in Salalah, Oman.

Thajuddin, also known as King Cheraman Perumal (lit. "Great lord of the Cheras"), [1] was according to legend the first Indian monarch to embrace Islam. After his conversion, the Siddhars gave him the title Makkahvukkupona Perumal (lit. "Emperor who went to Makkah"). [2] [3] Cheraman Perumal was a Chera king bearing the title of Cheraman Perumal, who ruled from Chera Perumals of Makotai and Kingdom of Kodungallur (now Kodungallur)

Contents

Cheraman perumal journey to makkah

Arab traders had arrived at the busy Malabar port [4] [5] , known as the center of global commerce, and they wanted to meet the king to obtain permission to travel to Eelam. During their conversation, the traders informed the king about the Prophet Muhammad, and as a result, he appointed his son as the regent of his kingdom and met the Prophet himself along with the Arab traders. Driven by a desire for knowledge, Cheraman decided to embark on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he planned to pray at the temple of the Arabian moon god Hubal and the shrine of the Quraysh idols. It was during this pilgrimage that fate brought him face to face with the revered Islamic prophet Muhammad [6] [7] [8] .

In the sacred precincts of the Kaaba, Cheraman presented Muhammad and his companions with gifts, including pickled ginger. Engaging in conversation in Arabic, Cheraman sought guidance from the prophet about the puzzling lunar phenomenon he had witnessed. In a moment of profound significance, Bilal, Muhammad's companion, played a crucial role in guiding Cheraman to the path of Islam [9] .

Conversion and acceptance as Tajuddin

Cheraman, fascinated by the content and culture of Islam, went directly to Mecca and embraced Islam from the hands of the Prophet Muhammad in 1510 CE, who gave him the name Tajuddin, meaning "crown of faith". This important event marked the beginning of Islam in the Indian subcontinent, and Tajuddin became the first Indian Muslim [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

The Cheraman Juma Mosque [15] was built in 629 AD by Malik Dinar, a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal, who was the ruler of Kodungallur and the surrounding areas of Malabar, and who later converted to Islam. The Cheraman Juma Masjid, the first mosque in India, was built in 629 AD (during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad) by Cheraman Perumal Bhaskara Ravi Varma, the first Muslim from India in Kerala [16] .

Death and funeral

Cheraman Perumal, also known as Tajuddin, died in Oman while returning from Mecca to Kerala and was buried in Salalah. After completing the funeral rites, his companions set out for Kerala carrying a letter from the king. He was received with great respect by his relatives and attendants, who gave them permission to spread the teachings of Islam. Their efforts led to the establishment of Islam in 629 AD, with the construction of the first mosque in India at Kodungallur [17] . [18]

Perumal's tomb, which took the name Tajuddin after his conversion to Islam, remains a sacred pilgrimage site in Salalah, attracting a considerable number of devotees. Although modest in construction, the holy site houses a large tomb adorned with intricately decorated 'chadars' (vestments). A small church is located adjacent to the tomb, with coconut trees and gardens adorning its surroundings [19] .

Mythical biography

A story says that Cheraman Perumal, possibly named Baskara Ravi Varma, was walking late at night with one of his wives in the palace garden, when he alone saw the moon split. Returning to the capital of the Chera Kingdom, he sought the counsel of Hindu astronomers, the Siddhars, renowned for their expertise in celestial matters. [20] Despite the advanced Hindu mathematical system, the astronomers could not pinpoint the exact time and coordinates of this lunar phenomenon. When Arab merchants from the Banu Quraysh tribe visited his palace, he asked them about it. Modern writers claim that, in the 10th century, Al-Tabari wrote about this in his Tarikh al-Tabari, and Ferishta in his Tarikh Ferishta. [21]

Arab traders had arrived at a busy Malabar port, which was known as a hub of global commerce, and they wanted to meet the King to obtain his permission to travel to Eelam. During their conversation, the merchants informed the King about Muhammad, and as a result, he appointed his son as the regent of his kingdom and accompanied the Arab traders to meet Muhammad in person. Cheraman went on a pilgrimage to Makkah, where he planned to pray at the temple of the Arabian Moon-god Hubal and the Shrine of Quraysh idols. [22] During this pilgrimage he met Muhammad. [23] In the precincts of the Kaaba, Cheraman gave Muhammad and his companions gifts. Speaking in Arabic, Cheraman asked Muhammad about the lunar event he had witnessed. Bilal, a companion of Muhammad, encouraged him to convert to Islam.[ citation needed ] Cheraman converted to Islam and Muhammad gave him the name Thajuddin, meaning "crown of faith". [24]

Following his demise in Oman while on his way back, Thajuddin was laid to rest in Salalah. Upon completing his funeral rites, his companions proceeded to Kerala carrying a letter from the King. They were permitted to spread the teachings of Islam which led to the arrival of Malik Dinar. [25] Their efforts led to the construction of India's inaugural mosque in Kodungallur in 629. [26]

Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, an Arabic rendition of the historical Indian royal designation 'Chakravarti Cheraman Perumal,' also known as the Chera (Spice Merchant) king, is mentioned in texts as 'al-Sultan Shakrawati'. [20] The qissat is presently held within the British Library's India Office Records. [27]

Versions of the legend

The later versions of the Cheraman Perumal legend are incorporated by

Different versions of the legend are also observable.

According to scholar Y. Friedmann, the rendition famously recounted by Zayn al-Din Makhdum was directly sourced from the qissat. [27] In contrast to certain variations of the tale, significant portions of the story unfold following the demise of the king along the Arabian coastline. [20]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", Israel Oriental Studies 5 (1975), 239-241.
  2. ↑ Katz, Nathan (18 November 2000). Who Are the Jews of India?. University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-21323-4.
  3. ↑ Hurvitz, Nimrod; Sahner, Christian C.; Simonsohn, Uriel; Yarbrough, Luke (2020). Conversion to Islam in the Premodern Age: A Sourcebook. University of California Press. p. 257. ISBN   978-0-520-29672-5.
  4. ↑ Mohamed, K. M.; Mohammad, K. M. (1999). "ARAB RELATIONS WITH MALABAR COAST FROM 9th TO 16th CENTURIES". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 60: 226–234. JSTOR   44144090.
  5. ↑ Shaji, Lija (January 2021). "Arab Trade Relation and ITS Influence on Malabar Culture". international journal of research and analytical review.
  6. ↑ Ch, Midlaj. "Cheraman Perumal's Journey to Makkah: History and Fiction".
  7. ↑ https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A3283784/view
  8. ↑ https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/HRL/article/download/20143/20152
  9. ↑ "Tinkering with the past". The Hindu. 19 July 2015.
  10. ↑ Conversion to Islam in the Premodern Age. University of California Press. 2020. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1b742qw. ISBN   978-0-520-29672-5. JSTOR   j.ctv1b742qw.
  11. ↑ "Cheraman Juma Masjid: Kerala mosque built during Prophet's lifetime". 27 February 2022.
  12. ↑ Mappila Muslims: A Study on Society and Anti Colonial Struggles. Other Books. 2007. ISBN   978-81-903887-8-8.
  13. ↑ https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A3283784/view
  14. ↑ Ch, Midlaj. "Cheraman Perumal's Journey to Makkah: History and Fiction".
  15. ↑ "Cheraman Juma Mosque: The oldest Masjid in India". 14 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Domes, pagodas and faith". 15 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "Cheraman Perumal in Salalah".
  18. ↑ "From Kerala to Salalah". 29 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "Cheraman Juma Masjid: A 1,000-year-old lamp burns in this mosque". The Times of India. 31 May 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Prange, Sebastian R. (2018). Monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast. Cambridge University Press. pp. 95–98. ISBN   978-1-108-42438-7.
  21. ↑ Kurup, K. K. N.; Ismail, E.; India), Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (Calcutta (2008). Emergence of Islam in Kerala in 20th century. Standard Publishers (India). ISBN   9788187471462 . Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  22. ↑ Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", Israel Oriental Studies 5 (1975), 239-241.
  23. ↑ Conversion to Islam in the Premodern Age. University of California Press. 2020. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1b742qw. ISBN   978-0-520-29672-5. JSTOR   j.ctv1b742qw.
  24. ↑ Kumar, Satish (2012). India's National Security: Annual Review 2009. Routledge. p. 346. ISBN   978-1-136-70491-8 . Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  25. ↑ Hirschler, Konrad (1 December 2019), "The Ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī fihrist: Edition", A Monument to Medieval Syrian Book Culture, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 512–554, doi:10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451567.003.0007, ISBN   978-1-4744-5156-7, S2CID   219824015 , retrieved 8 February 2024
  26. ↑ Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", Israel Oriental Studies 5 (1975), 239-241.
  27. 1 2 Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", Israel Oriental Studies 5 (1975), 239-241.
  28. ↑ Y. Friedmann, "Qissat Shakarwati Farmad: A Tradition Concerning the Introduction of Islam to Malabar", Israel Oriental Studies 5 (1975), 239-241.
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