(Redirected from Malik ibn Dinar)'Malik bin Deenar' or 'Malik Ibn Dinar' was a
Tabi‘in. He is famous for being the first to bring
Islam to
India.
It is believed (needs citation) that in 644 AD
[1] Malik bin Deenar and 12 of his trade associates landed in
Kerala, a state at the southern tip of
India and continued the trade between
India and
Arabia. Their way of trading however was distinctly different from that of earlier
Arab traders and the populace was wooed to
Islam.
The King of the time,
Cheraman Perumal, came to know of the surprising trade practices of these
Arabs and had them brought to his palace. On enquiry, Malik Bin Deenar and his comrades related the reason for their honest trade practices to be their recent conversion to
Islam.
The king asked them to explain
Islam. They discussed the tenets of
Islam and talked about
Muhammad. The king then wanted to know if there was any proof that Muhammad was a prophet. The traders said Muhammad had performed
supernatural deeds, including the
Shaqq Al Qamar or the splitting of the moon into two.
The King then summoned his
Hindu Astrologers who consulted their
almanacs and reported a similar phenomenon recorded by them. The King forthwith abdicated his throne and left with Malik Bin Deenar for
Arabia where it is chronicled that he met the Prophet Muhammad and performed the famous
Last Hajj with him. On his journey back, he was drowned in a tempest which destroyed his ship and his body came ashore at
Salalah,
Oman where his grave is a famous landmark today.
Mosque
A mosque was built at
Kodungalloor by Malik Ibn Deenar around
612 AD (although this period antedates the time when he is supposed to have first arrived in Kerala!). The mosque was provided by the
Hindu population living in that place. A mosque at
Madayi in
Kannur District called the ''Malik Ibn Deenar Mosque'' is also believed to have been built by Malik Ibn Deenar. In addition to these two mosques, some other palaces were also granted by the local raja as places of worship for the Muslims. This explains the temple style of architecture for some of the earliest mosques in Kerala.
See also
★
Islam
★
Cheraman Perumal
★
Muhammad
★
Malik Dinar Mosque