[ At any rate this masjid is historic proof that Islam has been in India from 629 AD (4 Hijri) for 1376 years. ]
The story about the first masjid in India, in a place called Kodangallur in Kerala is that the king of that place, Raja Rama Kulasekhara accepted Islam at the hands of the Sahabi of RasoolAllah (sallallaahu alaihi vasallam), Malik Deenar (raliyallaahu anhou) (not the Tabayi of the same name but the Sahaabi) who came here in 4 Hijri. He gave him and his companions land to build a masjid which was built by local carpenters.
It resembles a Kerala temple in construction and has a brass lamp for lighting. Inside it has a minbar and mihraab. Just outside the main chamber are the graves of the son of Malik Deenar’s son and his wife. Malik Deenar (raliyallaahu anhou) himself left this place and went to Kasargod where his grave is.
It is said that Raja Rama Kulasekhara then left to go to meet RasoolAllah (sallallaahu alaihi vasallam) but died enroute (or maybe after he met Him – are there any hadith to this effect?) and is buried in Salala in Oman. Can someone in Oman verify this please…? Jazakallaahu khairan.
Regrettably the grave of Malik Deenar (raliyallaahu anhou) in Kasargod has been made into a dargah with all attendant charming practices. But the graves of his son and daughter in law in the masjid in Kodangallur seem to be free from most such practices. The only thing I saw was that they place some green colored cloth on the two graves which they then sell as tabarruk. But at least none of the abominations that we see in the dargahs of most Sufis are done here.
This masjid also had the dubious honor of a visit by the current President of India who predictably called it a symbol of secularism.
How a place of worship can be a symbol of godlessness is something which only a rocket scientist can understand, it seems..
At any rate this masjid is historic proof that Islam has been in India from 629 AD (4 Hijri) for 1376 years.
posted by: SHA NAWAS