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India is home to the world’s second oldest mosque

The Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur in Kerala in India is probably the oldest mosque in the subcontinent. The mosque, which was built in 629 AD, features a design influenced by Hindu architecture. A lamp that is believed to be around 1000 years old burns constantly within the mosque. It also boasts of a special white marble believed to be brought from Mecca. Another salient feature is that it may be the only mosque in India that faces the east while all other mosques face west towards Mecca. A special report by Maheep &Hafeezur Rahman

The Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur, Trissur district of in the Southern State of Kerala in India is probably the oldest mosque in the subcontinent. Purportedly built in 629 AD, meaning in the Prophet’s lifetime, it is an inalienable part of Kerala’s rich cultural history that epitomizes the free traffic of cultures in ancient India.

Cheraman Juma Masjid is located along a calm semi-rural road, with no visible clue about its great antiquity. At first glance, it may even seem unusual, since it does not look like a conventional mosque with domes and minarets. It looks no more than a tharavad (a traditional house found throughout Kerala), with tiled roof and ornate wooden doors. Only inside, however, you find a qibla pointing towards Mecca, and prayer mats, like many other mosques. Hanging lamps, which are part of a traditional Kerala house and classic temple architecture, form yet another unique feature.

Kodungallur was a bustling trade hub for the world on account of its location near the ancient port of Muziris. Dating back to even 400BC it was a vibrant emporium of trade with East and West. It was a settlement of traders, standing as the gateway to India for varied cultures and races, thus emerging as a cradle of several civilizations. The Chera kingdom used to carry out trade with the Middle East and Europe since Harappan times, trading everything from spices to precious stones.

Structure of the old mosque (Picture Credits: Wikipedia)

Indian black pepper was found stuffed in the 3,000-year-old mummy of Ramses II, the famous Egyptian Pharaoh. The palaces of Nebuchadenazzar (7th century BC) and the Sumerian Ziggurat Temple of Ur in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) from the 6th century BCE reportedly used teakwood from South India. Arab sailors held close trade links with the Chera kings. It did not take long therefore to spread the news in Malabar about Prophet Mohammed in Mecca and Islam.

The local oral tradition claims that CheramanPerumal Rama Varma Kulashekhara, the Chera king of Kerala with Kodungallur as its capital saw in a dream the splitting of the new moon into two halves at the horizon, which is an event described in the Holy Qur’an (54:1-5). Stunned by what he had seen, the king sought answers from the court’s astrologers but failed to get a convincing reply.

Around the same time, an entourage of Arabs led by Shaikh Sahiruddhin Al Madani visited his capital and sought permission to anchor in the port. When the King shared his dream with the merchants, they informed him that it was actually a miracle performed by the Prophet. This event finds mention in several books dealing with the early history of Kerala, such as William Logan’s Malabar Manual and K Balakrishna Pillai’s History of Kerala.

The King was so moved by the interpretation of Shaikh Al Madani that he decided to meet the Prophet and embrace Islam. He arranged for the division of his kingdom into three parts and handed it over to his sons and nephews. When the Arab visitors, who had meanwhile proceeded to Ceylon for trade, returned, the King sailed with them to meet the holy Prophet. The King later converted to Islam in front of the Prophet and performed Hajj as well.

He was on his way back, with a team, to propagate Islam in Kerala, but unfortunately fell sick during the journey and passed away. Cheraman was buried in Zafar (now Salalah) in Oman. Nonetheless, he left a letter for his sons to receive the team of missionaries and offer them all the necessary help. His letter was eventually delivered to his relatives, the ruling chieftains of Malabar, through his

friends Malik bin Dinar and Malik bin Habib who visited Kodungallur along with their companions. The local rulers gave them permission to build a mosque at Kodungallur.

Researcher Anjali Mohan, who is working on a book called, ‘Cheraman Juma Masjid: Caritraom, Sanskaram’ (Cheraman Juma Masjid: History and Culture), observed that despite occasional disputes about the veracity of the story of conversion, there had not been any version to dispute this account. This shrine now stands as a testimony to the peaceful entry of Islam into the subcontinent. It is also a symbol of the harmonious co-existence of religions for centuries and the flourishing commerce between Arab countries and India.

The mosque was built and designed in a Hindu Architectural style. There is a lamp in the mosque which always burns that is believed to be about 1000 years old. Devotees, which include people from all religions, bring oil for the lamp as an offering. The mosque authorities allow followers of other religions to enter and offer prayers. People of all religions visit the mosque and many non-Muslims perform Vidhyarambham (initiation ceremony to the world of letters) of their children here.The festivals of Ramadan and Eid are observed with great pomp. At the same time, the Hindu festival of Vijaya Dashami too is reportedly celebrated in this mosque. The mosque also boasts of a special white marble believed to be brought from Mecca. Another salient feature is that it may be the only mosque in India that faces the east while all other mosques face west towards Mecca.

It has seen several renovations and reconstructions over its long history. It is believed that major renovations were done in the 11th, 14th and 15th centuries. The recent renovations were carried out in 1974, 1984, 1994, 2001 and 2020. The most notable one was probably in 1504 when the Portuguese admiral Lopo Soares de Albergaria razed it to the ground. In 1984, some extensions were added, which made the building look like a modern mosque. Concrete structures — mainly corridor and hall — were built to organize prayers at the mosque. Those extensions almost totally concealed the old structure. However, renovation work which started in 2020 has since removed those unwarranted accretions.

Replica of Cheraman Juma Masjid gifted by Prime Minister Modi to the Saudi King during his 2016 visit.

The Muziris Heritage Project (MHP) took up the task of renovating the Cheraman Juma Masjid in an effort to bring back the heritage structure. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan inaugurated the renovation work on November 10, 2019.

Before the renovation, the mosque had lost some of the unique classic flavor, after  structural additions including domes and minarets were made in the 1970s and 1990s. The MHP was commissioned for the restoration of the ancient heritage in original form. The additional concrete structures were demolished, and the heritage architecture was restored using teak wood. Clay tiles have been used to restore traditional Kerala-style roofing. Since the renovated mosque removed the existing space for prayers, the management decided to build an underground prayer hall. The underground facility is large enough to accommodate up to 2000 worshippers without interfering with the structure’s architectural integrity.

Latest pictures of Cheraman Juma Masjid, Kodungalloor undergoing renovation works (Pictures by Asian Lite)

The Kerala government adopted the Muziris Heritage Project as part of the State’s attempt to preserve its ancient culture. Under this scheme, Benny Kuriakose and Associates took up renovating the Cheraman Juma Masjid. The older part of the mosque including the Sanctum Sanctorum is left untouched and is still preserved.

The unique architecture and rich history of the mosque make it a must-visit destination for anyone interested in Islamic architecture and heritage or Indian history. The mosque’s continued existence is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Kerala and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

(This article is written by Dr Maheep, an Expert in International Relations with specialisation in Arab & Islam and Dr Hafeezur Rahman, a renowned scholar of Islamic Cultural Heritage and Founder President of Sufi Peace Foundation, New Delhi)

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Huge explosion rocks Kabul mosque

20 feared dead including top Islamic cleric named Amir Mohammad Kabuli, reports Asian Lite News

An explosion at a mosque in the north of the Afghan capital of Kabul killed 20 people and injured 40 more, media reports said.

The blast reportedly took place in a mosque in the Khair Khana area during evening prayers.

“As a result of an explosion in a mosque north of Kabul, 20 people were killed and another 40 were injured,” an Afghan security source told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

The Taliban claim they have full control of Afghanistan but the Islamic State continues carrying out attacks on civilians and police across the country.

The Taliban has not issued any statement on casualties, according to the Afghan news agency. No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

Among the dead is a top Islamic cleric named Amir Mohammad Kabuli.

Two weeks ago, two deadly blasts in Kabul took the lives of 10 people, injuring 40 others. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks.

This blast comes on the heels of one year of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Rights groups said the Taliban have broken multiple pledges to respect human rights and women’s rights.

After capturing Kabul in August last year, the Islamic authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses.

The New York-based rights group in its report said Taliban human rights abuses have brought widespread condemnation and imperilled international efforts to address the country’s dire humanitarian situation.

Meanwhile, the Taliban on Wednesday condemned the explosion. The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a tweet that the perpetrators of “crimes” will soon be arrested and punished, Tolo News reported.

‘Situation tragedy for alliance’

The situation in Afghanistan a year after the Taliban came to power became a tragedy not only for the Afghan people but also for all NATO countries which tried to create a stable and democratic country, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

“What we have seen in the last year is actually a huge setback and the tragedy for Afghanistan, but also for all those Allies and partners who worked so hard to create a more peaceful and democratic Afghanistan,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference.

The Western countries managed to cope with terrorism in Afghanistan, but did not fulfill the much more ambitious task of building a free and democratic state, Stoltenberg added.

An interim Afghan government led by the Taliban came to power last fall after the withdrawal of US troops from the country and the collapse of the US-backed government.

The Taliban takeover triggered economic disarray and food shortages that have pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Afghans have fled the country fearful of the Taliban, widespread violation of human rights, and the deprivation of women and girls of their freedoms. (ANI/Sputnik)

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Arab News News World

Israeli police storm al-Aqsa mosque compound amid tensions

Israeli police stormed the flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Sunday, with at least 10 people injured during the ensuing clashes…reports AsianLite News

Early on Sunday, Israeli police forces dispersed Palestinians from the large plaza outside the mosque, while dozens remained inside and chanted “God is great”, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the police.

The police said they entered the compound to clear rocks and other barriers stockpiled by Palestinians overnight on the sidewalk used by Jews to visit the site. The police are “committed to facilitating freedom of worship for Jews and Muslims,” the statement read.

Shortly later, Palestinians reported clashes outside the mosque, in which at least ten people were injured by Israeli security forces, according to a statement issued by the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Israeli police said the clashes began after Palestinians inside the mosque tossed fireworks at the plaza.

Furthermore on Sunday in East Jerusalem, Palestinians hurled stones at buses en route to the Old City, where the al-Aqsa mosque compound is located. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency health service said in a statement that at least five Jews were lightly injured, including a 14-year-old boy and the bus driver.

Two Palestinian suspects were arrested for hurling the stones, the police said.

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The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is a flashpoint site holy to both Muslims and Jews. It is located in East Jerusalem, a territory captured by Israel along with the rest of the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel annexed it shortly later in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with the Israeli police at the compound.

Escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians over the past three weeks — including four deadly attacks in Israel, some of them carried out by Palestinian citizens of Israel — raised fears of a slide back into a broader conflict.

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CITY OF THOUSAND MINARETS

photo shows the Mosque of Abu al-Dhahab in Cairo, Egypt. Celebrations to mark Cairo’s designation as the “Capital of Culture in the Islamic World” in 2022 will boost cultural tourism in the Egyptian capital, which is known as “the city of a thousand minarets” for its historic mosques and landmarks, an Egyptian official has said.

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News UAE News World

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque houses world’s largest hand-knotted carpet

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s main prayer hall housed the world’s largest carpet, a unique masterpiece with dazzling beauty and design. The carpet was hand-knotted by a group of the world’s most skilled artists and weavers…reports Asian Lite News

The wool and cotton carpet was hand-crafted by around 1,200 artisans. It is 5,400 square metres, with 40 knots per 6.5 centimetres and 2.5 billion knots for the entire carpet, weighing 35 tons after completion.

Despite its enormous size, the carpet was designed as a single piece, which qualified it for the Guinness Book of Records in 2017 as the largest carpet in the world. Its knotting took approximately 12 months.

With unique harmony and integration of aesthetic elements, the carpet covers the floor of the main prayer hall and magnifies its splendour. The hand-woven carpet has an astonishing design, looking like a reflection of the above chandelier. Its background features a variety of 25 natural colours from traditional herbs, including local madar roots, pomegranate peels, leaf veins, and others.

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The carpet is predominately green, bringing a sense of calm and comfort to the place. To maintain the beauty of the design, a shaving technique was used to define the rows of worshipers on the carpet.

The carpet weaving took place in three large workshops on a built-up area of 5,000 square metres. The carpet’s high-quality materials, colours, and creative design make it one of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s finest elements. It is carefully supervised by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, with its maintenance work taking more than 12 days according to thoughtful plans by specialized teams. (WAM)

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Another Uyghur mosque disappeared at Xinjiang

Chinese authorities built a wall around Jiaman mosque at Qira in Xinjiang province. They broke all its four minarets and the central dome and installed Chinese national flag, thus removing all impressions that it was a mosque. Beijing faces accusation of destroying mosques and Islamic culture in Xinjiang… a special report by Kaliph Anaz

There have been allegations against China of demolishing mosques in Xinjiang province as a part of suppression of religious rights of minority Uyghur Muslims. One such is Jiaman mosque that was located in Xinjiang’s city of Qira. Chinese authorities built a wall around the mosque, broke all its four minarets and the central dome and installed Chinese national flag, thus removing all impressions that it was a mosque.   There are hundreds of such cases. While the government denied the charges of forcibly tearing down mosques, satellite images taken a few years ago showed Muslim religious sites disappearing fast.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping

Since 2017, Communist Party-led Beijing government demolished or damaged about 16,000 mosques in Xinjiang, which account for 65 percent of the total number, revealed a report by Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). The institute used satellite imagery to study destruction of mosques visited by minority Uyghur Muslim population.   It found estimated 8,500 mosques were demolished outright. Moreover, 30 percent of Islamic sacred sites such as shrines, cemeteries and pilgrimage routes too were torn down while 28 percent of them were damaged or altered.

ASPI located 533 mosques and carried out analysis using satellite imagery. Of those mosques, 170 were destroyed (31.9 percent), 175 were damaged (32.8 percent) and 188 remained undamaged (35.3 percent). “The Chinese Government’s destruction of cultural heritage aims to erase, replace and rewrite what it means to be Uyghur and to live in the XUAR (Xinjiang). The state is intentionally recasting its Turkic and Muslim minorities in the image of the Han centre for the purposes of control, domination and profit,” the ASPI said in its report.  It questioned silence maintained by global bodies– such as UNESCO which are assigned with preservation of heritage structures — for being silent on cultural and religious destruction in Xinjiang. China however rejected the claims in the ASPI report and justified its acts as “restructuring mosques for safety of Muslims”.

Domination or interference in affairs of ethnic minority cultures and communities has surged since Xi Jinping took over reigns of China in 2013. On the similar lines of education camps in Xinjiang, Beijing government started a mass labour programme in Tibet region, which saw authorities forcing Tibetans to handover their lands to the government.  Also, attempts were made to replace Mongolian language with Mandarin in Inner Mongolia to assimilate ethnic minorities into Chinese Han culture.   A Muslim man named Huang Shike was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for creating a group on social media app WeChat to hold discussion about Islam. According to Chinese judicial document, the group “disturbed normal religious activity” and violated laws regarding use of internet to discuss religion.  

Now, China is again accused of targeting imams or Muslim religious leaders in Xinjiang. As many as 630 imams and other Islamic leaders in the province were detained since 2014 in the crackdowns to assimilate Uyghur culture with the China’s national ideology.   These leaders were found to be charged with propagating extremism””, “inciting separatism”, “gathering crowd to disturb social order” among others. And 304 of them were sent to prison, finds the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Uyghur

Mosques in Xinjiang have been fitted with surveillance cameras as Beijing government goes into hyperpolicing to keep a watch and target people perceived as threats. Investigations by rights group showed Chinese authorities have set a goal of reducing footfall in the mosques, and decreasing attendance is seen as success.   Darren Byler, a researcher at the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado, said “The system is set up in a way that’s producing hyperpolicing where any strange or any kind of aberrant behavior is reported.” And ethnic minorities like Uyghurs and Kazaks are very susceptible to this kind of hyperpolicing as they monitored on a micro level- – both by human policing and by the application of the technology, Byler added.

Bill Drexel, who researched Chinese state surveillance, said China has installed surveillance tech in Xinjiang especially in Kashgar city to support more comprehensive urban surveillance, vast economic exploitation, and bring changes in Uyghur culture which pleases Beijing.  “The power of surveillance technology to work against minorities is considerable. Total surveillance-control of a minority has already been achieved, with sobering efficacy,” Drexel added.

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