Thajuddin

Thajuddin, formerly known as the Tamil king Cheraman Perumal (lit. "Great Lord of the Cheras"), played an important role in history as the first Indian king to convert to Islam. After his conversion to Islam, the Siddhars gave him the title Mecca Vukupuna Perumal (lit. "the emperor who went to Mecca"). ^{[1] [2]} The story of his transformation is full of interesting events, with a pivotal moment revolving around the mysterious splitting of the moon. ^{[3] [4]}

The mysterious moon split incident

Muhammad refers to the splitting of the moon. An anonymous 16th-century watercolor from the Valnameh , a Persian book of prophecy. Muhammad is the veiled person on the right.

As the story goes, Cheraman Perumal, possibly named Bhaskara Ravi Varma, was taking a late-night stroll with one of his favorite queens in the palace garden. During this quiet walk, he alone witnessed the unusual splitting of the moon, an event that puzzled him. He hastened back to the capital of the Chera kingdom, and sought the advice of the Hindu astronomers, the Siddhars, who were famous for their expertise in celestial matters.

Despite the advanced Hindu mathematical system, astronomers were unable to determine the exact time and coordinates of this lunar phenomenon, which piqued Cheraman's curiosity. He seized an opportune moment when Arab merchants from the Banu Quraysh tribe visited his palace and inquired about the event that had taken place in the eastern sky. In the tenth century, Al-Tabari wrote about this in his History of al-Tabari, and Firishta discussed it in his History. Both are consistent with the information provided. ^{[5] [6]}

Journey to Mecca and meeting the Prophet Muhammad

On the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, that a king from India presented the Prophet Muhammad with a jar filled with ginger. The Prophet divided the ginger among his companions, and gave each one of them a piece. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri took a piece and ate it. This narration is found in “ Al-Mustadrak ala Al-Sahihain ” by Al-Hakim Al-Nishapuri .

Arab traders arrived at the busy port of Malabar, which was known as a center of world trade, and wanted to meet the king to obtain his permission to travel to Ilam. While they were talking, the merchants told the king about the Prophet Muhammad, and as a result, he appointed his son as guardian of his kingdom and accompanied the Arab merchants to meet the Prophet in person. Driven by a desire for knowledge, Sherman 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. During this pilgrimage, fate brought him face to face with the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. ^[7]

In the sanctuary of the Holy Kaaba, Shiraman offered gifts, including pickled ginger, to Muhammad and his companions. ^[8] Engaging in a conversation in Arabic, Sherman sought guidance from the Prophet regarding the puzzling lunar event he had witnessed. In a moment of profound significance, Bilal, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, played a pivotal role in guiding Sherman toward the path of Islam. ^[9]

References

1. Katz, Nathan (2000-11-18). Who Are the Jews of India?. University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-21323-4. Archived from the original on 2024-01-28.Katz, Nathan (18 Nov 2000). Who Are the Jews of India? (بالإنجليزية). University of California Press. ISBN:978-0-520-21323-4. Archived from the original on 2024-01-28. تصنيف:الاستشهاد بمصادر باللغة الإنجليزية (en)
2. ( Hurvitz et al. 2020 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFHurvitz_et_al.2020 (help)
3. "صحة حديث إهداء ملك الهند زنجبيلا للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم - الإسلام سؤال وجواب". islamqa.info (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
4. Prange 2018, p. 93–5. sfn error: no target: CITEREFPrange2018 (help)
5. Samad, M. Abdul (1998). Islam in Kerala: Groups and Movements in the 20th Century. Laurel Publications. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
6. 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. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
7. "Cheraman Juma Masjid: Advancing a Millenia-old Legacy of Islam and Community". People's History of South Asia. Archived from the original on 2024-01-29. Retrieved 2024-01-12. "Cheraman Juma Masjid: Advancing a Millenia-old Legacy of Islam and Community". People's History of South Asia (بالإنجليزية الأمريكية). Archived from the original on 2024-01-29. Retrieved 2024-01-12. تصنيف:الاستشهاد بمصادر باللغة الإنجليزية الأمريكية (en-us)
8. din, Mehraj ud (2022-12-27). "Is the Hadith of the Indian King Who Saw the Moon Split and Travelled to Madina to Accept Islam?". SeekersGuidance. Archived from the original on 2024-01-29. Retrieved 2024-01-12.din, Mehraj ud (27 Dec 2022). "Is the Hadith of the Indian King Who Saw the Moon Split and Travelled to Madina to Accept Islam?". SeekersGuidance (بالإنجليزية الأمريكية). Archived from the original on 2024-01-29. Retrieved 2024-01-12. تصنيف:الاستشهاد بمصادر باللغة الإنجليزية الأمريكية (en-us)
9. "The Kerala king who embraced Islam". Arab News. 2012-02-09. Archived from the original on 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2024-01-12.