Cheraman Perumal Tajuddin

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Cheraman Perumal Tajuddin, previously Ravi Varma or Chakravarti Farmad (7th century) was said to be the first Hindu to convert to Islam and possibly only companion of the Prophet Muhammad from India. It is one of the well-known Legend of Cheraman Perumals.

The story of Thajuddin[edit]

According to the Cheraman Juma Mosque:[1][2][3] "Once, a Tamil king named Cheraman Perumal, possibly named Ravi Varma, was walking with one of his favored queens for a late-night stroll in the palace garden where he lived with her.[3] It was during this stroll that he witnessed the splitting of the moon. However, no one else in the palace or the rest of the Indian subcontinent saw this remarkable event. Shocked by the splitting of the full moon, which occurred many years before Muslims' migration to Medina, Cheraman hurried back to the capital of the Chera Kingdom. He wanted to consult his chain of Hindu astronomers, known as Siddhars, to determine the exact time of this lunar phenomenon. According to the Hindu mathematical system, the astronomers should have been able to forecast the lunar eclipse. Nevertheless, the precise astronomical date and time of this event remain uncertain. Therefore, when some Arab merchants from the Banu Quraysh tribe visited Cheraman's palace for unknown reasons, he took the opportunity to inquire about this incident that should have occurred in the Eastern sky. The Hindu astronomers should have been able to calculate the exact time and coordinates of this astronomical event. At their request, the King embarked on a pilgrimage to pray at the temple of the Arabian Moon-god Hubal and the Shrine of Quraysh idols in Mecca. During his visit to the Kaaba, Cheraman had the opportunity to meet the Islamic prophet Muhammad and gifted ginger pickles for the Messenger of Allah and his companions. He conversed with Muhammad in Arabic, and it was during this encounter that Bilal, a companion of Muhammad, guided Cheraman to convert to Islam. As a result, Muhammad bestowed upon him the name Tajuddin, Thajuddin, or Thiya-aj-Addan, which means "crown of faith" thus, becoming the first Indian Muslim".[1][2][4][5][6] The king then remained in the services of Muslims. Nearly 120 years later his letters arrived to his kingdom in Kerala. Then Malik Deenar(748 CE) was preaching Islam and Kerala Hindu kingdom slowly followed the teachings of Malik bin Deenar.[2][7][8] Al-Tabari of the 9th century in his Firdousul Hikma and Ferishta in his Tarikh Ferishta agree with this.[9][10]

This story is found in a Muslim account recorded by Sheikh Zeinuddin. The story has been retold countless times by the Portuguese, Dutch; the court chronicles of Calicut and Cochin begin with this narrative.[citation needed] According to the Legend of the Cheraman Perumal Mosque, the first Indian mosque was built in 508-68 AD at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who left from Dharmadom to Mecca and converted to Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632).[11][12][13][14] According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayani, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in Indian Subcontinent.[15]

The story goes that Cheraman Perumal arrived in Arabia with a gift of ginger pickles for Muhammad and his companions[16] and converted to Islam "at the feet of Prophet Muhammad".[17]

According to historian M.G.S. Narayanan, "there is no reason to reject the tradition that the last Chera king embraced Islam and went to Mecca, since it finds its place not only in Muslim chronicles, but also in Hindu brahmanical chronicles like the Keralolpatti, which need not be expected to concoct such a tale which in no way enhances the prestige of the Brahmins or Hindu population."[18][19][20]

But S. N. Sadasivan, in his book A Social History of India, argues that it was the king of Maldives, Kalimanja, who converted to Islam. Mali, which was known to seafarers then, might have been misunderstood as Malabar (Kerala) and this might have given rise to the tale of Tajuddeen in the Cochin Gazetteer.[7]

Cultural depictions[edit]

A malayam film was set to be made depicting the life of Cheraman Perumal Tajuddeen starring Malayam film actor Mammootty as Tajuddin.[21][22][23] India and Qatar was said to jointly co-produce the film.[21] In the opening of the 2019 Malayam film Mamangam, one narrator was portrayed describing the story of Cheraman perumal's conversion to Islam and journey to Mecca to a Brittish gentleman.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sadasivan, S. N. (2000). A Social History of India. APH Publishing. p. 306. ISBN 978-81-7648-170-0. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kumar, Satish (2012). India's National Security: Annual Review 2009. Routledge. p. 346. ISBN 978-1-136-70491-8. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Singh, Dr Y. P. (2016). Islam in India and Pakistan - A Religious History. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-85505-63-8. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. ↑ Ampotti, A. K. (2004). Glimpses of Islam in Kerala. Kerala Historical Society.
  5. ↑ Varghese, Theresa (2006). Stark World Kerala. Stark World Pub. ISBN 9788190250511.
  6. ↑ Kumar, Satish (27 February 2012). India's National Security: Annual Review 2009. Routledge. p. 346. ISBN 978-1-136-70491-8.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 S.N., Sadasivan (Jan 2000), "Caste Invades Kerala", A Social History of India, APH Publishing, p. 303,304,305, ISBN 817648170X
  8. ↑ Mohammed, U. (2007). Educational Empowerment of Kerala Muslims: A Socio-historical Perspective. Other Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-81-903887-3-3. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Samad, M. Abdul (1998). Islam in Kerala: Groups and Movements in the 20th Century. Laurel Publications. p. 2. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Goldstein (1999). The Jews of China. M. E. Sharpe. p. 123. ISBN 9780765601049.
  12. ↑ Edward Simpson; Kai Kresse (2008). Struggling with History: Islam and Cosmopolitanism in the Western Indian Ocean. Columbia University Press. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-231-70024-5. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  13. ↑ Uri M. Kupferschmidt (1987). The Supreme Muslim Council: Islam Under the British Mandate for Palestine. Brill. pp. 458–459. ISBN 978-90-04-07929-8. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  14. ↑ Husain Raṇṭattāṇi (2007). Mappila Muslims: A Study on Society and Anti Colonial Struggles. Other Books. pp. 179–. ISBN 978-81-903887-8-8. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  15. ↑ Prange, Sebastian R. Monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast. Cambridge University Press, 2018. 98.
  16. ↑ "The Kerala king who embraced Islam". Arab News. 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  17. ↑ "The Syncretic Treasure of India's Oldest Mosque | Madras Courier". Madras Courier. 2017-05-26. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  18. ↑ M. G. S., Narayanan (1996). Perumals of Kerala: Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cēra Perumals of Makotai (c. 800 A.D.-1124 A.D.). Kerala (India): Xavier Press. p. 65.
  19. ↑ Raṇṭattāṇi, Husain (2007). Mappila Muslims: A Study on Society and Anti Colonial Struggles. Other Books. ISBN 9788190388788.
  20. ↑ താൾ:Keralolpatti The origin of Malabar 1868.djvu/30 - വിക്കിഗ്രന്ഥശാല (in മലയാളം). [Wikisource]] Malayam. Retrieved 4 September 2023. കളവൂതും ചെയ്തു"ഇനി മേലിൽ ബൌദ്ധന്മാർ വന്നു വിവാദിക്കുമ്പോൾ, വാദിച്ചുകൊണ്ടാലും എന്നെ രാജാവു പറയാവു, പിന്നെ വേദാന്തിയോട് അവരെ ശിക്ഷിച്ചു കളയാവു എന്നെ"പിന്നെ വാണ പെരുമാളെക്കൊണ്ടു സമയം ചെയ്യിപ്പിച്ചു, മാർഗ്ഗം പുക്ക പെരുമാൾക്ക് വസ്തുവും തിരിച്ചു കൊടുത്തു, വേറേ ആക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. "ബൌദ്ധശാസ്ത്രം ഞാൻ അനുസരിക്കകൊണ്ടു എനിക്ക് മറ്റൊന്നിങ്കലും നിവൃത്തി ഇല്ല എന്നു കല്പിച്ചു, അപ്പെരുമാൾ ആസ്ഥാനത്തെ മറ്റൊരുത്തരെ വാഴിച്ചു, ഇങ്ങനെ നാലു സംവത്സരം നാടു പരിപാലിച്ചു, മക്കത്തിന്നു തന്നെ പോകയും ചെയ്തു. ബൌദ്ധന്മാർ ചേരമാൻ പെരുമാള മക്കത്തിന്നത്രെ പോയി, സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിന്നല്ല എന്നു പറയുന്നു. അതു ചേരമാൻ പെരുമാളല്ല; പള്ളിബാണപെരുമാളത്രെ; കേരളരാജാവു ചേരമാൻ പെരുമാൾ സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിന്നത്രെ പോയതു. ശേഷം നാലു പെരുമാക്കൾ വാഴ്ച കഴിഞ്ഞ് അഞ്ചാമത് വാണ പെരുമാൾ ചേരമാൻ പെരുമാൾ. (Kalavut also did "Now when the Buddhists come and argue, even if they argue, the king will tell me, then I will punish them with Vedanti and get rid of me." "I was told that I had no fulfillment in anything else because I obeyed the philosophy. Apperumal ruled over another person in the headquarters. He took care of the country for four years and went to Makkah himself. Buddhists say Cheraman Perumala went to Mecca and not to heaven. It is not Cheraman Perumal; Pallibanaperumalatre; Kerala king Cheraman Perumal went to heaven. After the reign of four Perumas, the fifth Vana Perumal Cheraman Perumal.)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Mammootty to star in film on Kerala ruler Cheraman Perumal". Bollywoodlife.com. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  22. ↑ "Mammootty to star in film on Kerala ruler Cheraman Perumal". Business Standard. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  23. ↑ "Mammootty as Cheraman Perumal?". The Times of India. 30 March 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  24. ↑ "Mamangam (2019) Movie Script | Subs like Script". subslikescript.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023. Dialogue (2min 55sec - 3 min 10 sec(: After Chereman Perumal embraced Islam and left for Mecca, Vellattiri had the rights of conducting Mamangam
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