# Madayi Mosque

The Madayi Mosque (Malayalam: മാടായി പള്ളി), also known as the Matayi Palli, and as the Pazhayangadi Mosque or as the Malik ibn Dinar Mosque, Madayi, is a Shāfiʿī Sunni mosque, located at Pazhayangadi, in the Kannur district, in the northern part of the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest mosques in Kerala, with local legends dating the mosque from AH 518 (1124/1125 CE).

## History

The mosque is believed to have been established by Malik ibn Dinar and contains a block of white marble said to have been brought from Mecca by ibn Dinar. The mosque is one of the several mosques around Pazhayangadi/Payangadi; and is situated on the banks of Kuppam River, which joins Valapattanam River at its estuary.
Local legends, both Islamic and Hindu, recount the arrival of Malik ibn Dinar and his company, bearing royal letters from the Cheraman Perumal, the last king of the Chera Perumal Kingdom. The Cheraman Perumal embraced Islam and sent these letters to various native chiefs, seeking their assistance in missionary activities and the establishment of mosques. According to Shaikh Zain ud-Din Makhdum, the first qadi of the new mosque was Malik ibn 'Abdu Rahman.

## Legend

According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 CE at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of Muhammad (c. 570 to 632 CE). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the mosques at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in the town of Kasaragod. The Arabic inscription, on a copper slab within the Madayi Mosque, records its foundation year as 1124 CE. The 16th century Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen also records the history of Madayi.
The mosque contained a marker/plaque listing the year as AH 518 (1124/1125) as the date of its construction. As a part of renovation, the old structure was pulled down in 2006, and a new structure in the Indo-Saracenic style was built on the old foundations. The marker was preserved and incorporated into the floor of the new building, but the original date is no longer legible. William Logan also attested to the presence of the plaque.

### Inscription

The inscription, translated from Arabic into English, reads:
    "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The mosques of God shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in God and the Last Day, establish regular prayers, and pay zakat, and fear none except God. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance. Dated on the 5[18]th year on Friday of Rabiul Akhir."
At the rear of the mosque an old wall was retained that incorporated the original mark of the qibla, while beside it stands the first mimbar, a simple and visibly ancient raised stone platform. The second mimbar, also old, has been retained in the new mosque. It has four carved wooden posts holding up a flat canopy that is covered with painted flowers on its interior.
The graves of two saints who were reportedly companions of Malik ibn Dinar were consigned to a rear room. There were some big offerings for the Madayi Mosque from the sailors and travellers without the consideration of their religion.