Which was the first mosque in India; is it Quwatuul Islam Mosque in Delhi or Cheraman Jama Masjid in Kodungallor-Kerala?

Barrow boy

In 1193, Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak, the first Muslim Sultan of Delhi began building Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid, the first mosque in India. http://www.judypat.com/india/islam.htm At the foot of the Qutab Minar stands the first mosque to be built in India, the Might of Islam Mosque. Qutab-ud-din began construction of the mosque in 1193, but it has number of additions and extensions during the years. http://www.touroperatorindia.com/indian-forts-monuments.html The commercial contacts between Kerala and Arabia led to the advent of Islam into Kerala. As early as 643 AD, Malik Ibn Dinar, a disciple of the Prophet Mohammed to preach Islam and first mosque in Kerala, in fact the first in India was built around that time. http://www.ernakulam.com/html/ek000rl.htm The first mosque in India. Situated in Methala, Kodungalloor, hardly 20 kilometer from the Irinjalakuda railway station. http://www.kerala-hub.com/pilgrimage/ It appears that despite the claims for the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in Delhi, the Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala is considerably older, although whether it was continuously in use is open to question. It would make sense that the Kerala mosque is older, as Islam was spread in the early centuries through navigating the oceans and Kerala is a coastal area of India on the Arabian Sea. Dec 22 02, 8:32 PM

t_simon

Believed to be the first mosque in India, Cheraman Juma Masjid where the Juma prayers were started is situated in Methala Village of Kodungalloor taluk in the state of Kerala. Built around 629 AD, the mosque is unique in its appearance as it is based on a mixture of Arab and traditional Kerala art and architecture. The Oral tradition is that the Arab world had trade contacts with Kerala coast from very early times. Interaction with the Arabs brought Cheraman Perumal (the last Chera king to rule Cheranad (ancient Kerala)) closer to Islam. Later the king partitioned his kingdom among several chieftains for smooth governance, went to Mecca and converted to Islam and accepted the name Thajuddin. He married the sister of King of Jeddah and settled down there. As the tradition goes, Cheramanperumal, when he was convinced of his imminent death, wrote letters to his relatives in Kerala seeking their help to propagate the tenets of Islam in Kerala. After his death, when Malik Bin Dinar (a disciple of Prophet Mohammed and a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal) came to Kerala, he brought the letters written by Perumal. The rulers of Kerala honoured the letter and permitted Malik Bin Dinar and his fellow Arab Muslim traders to establish mosques at different places in Kerala. This mosque at Kodungallur was the first to be established and Malik Bin Dinar himself became the first Ghazi of the mosque. Later Malik Bin Dinar appointed his son Habib Bin Malik as the next Ghazi, travelled all around Kerala establishing mosques in different parts of the state. http://www.webindia123.com/tourism/pilgrim/cheraman.htm [Added reference link - McG] Jul 02 07, 11:33 AM