Islam in Kerala
Islam arrived in Kerala, the Malayalam-speaking region in the south-western tip of India, through Middle Eastern merchants. The Indian coast has an ancient relation with West Asia and the Middle East, even during the pre-Islamic period.
A rebuilt structure of the old Cheraman Juma Mosque, Kodungallur | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 9 million (26.56%) in 2011 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tulu Nadu, Kodagu, Nilgiris, States of Persian Gulf, Malaysia, Singapore | |
| Religions | |
| Islam | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam, Arabi Malayalam |
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Kerala Muslims or Malayali Muslims from north Kerala are generally referred to as Mappilas. Mappilas are but one among the many communities that forms the Muslim population of Kerala. According to some scholars, the Mappilas are the oldest settled Muslim community in South Asia. As per some studies, the term "Mappila" denotes not a single community but a variety of Malayali Muslims from Kerala (former Malabar District) of different origins. Native Muslims of Kerala were known as Mouros da Terra, or Mouros Malabares in medieval period. Settled foreign Muslims of Kerala were known as Mouros da Arabia/Mouros de Meca. Unlike the common misconception, the caste system does exist among the Muslims of Kerala.
Muslims in Kerala share a common language (Malayalam) with the rest of the non-Muslim population and have a culture commonly regarded as the Malayali culture. Islam is the second largest practised religion in Kerala (26.56%) next to Hinduism. The calculated Muslim population (Indian Census, 2011) in Kerala state is 8,873,472. Most of the Muslims in Kerala follow Sunni Islam of Shāfiʿī School of thought, while a large minority follow modern movements (such as Salafism) that developed within Sunni Islam.