What is the story of "Islam Day," which the Maldives commemorates every year?
The people of the Maldives commemorate the anniversary of the arrival of Islam to their country every year by holding religious and cultural ceremonies and programs – an occasion that this year coincided with the 900th anniversary of the arrival of Islam to the Maldives.
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The inhabitants of the Maldives islands commemorated the 900th anniversary of the arrival of Islam to their country – a national occasion known among the people of this archipelago as "Islam Day in the Maldives."
The Maldives holds this occasion every year by organizing lectures, religious lessons, and cultural programs – programs aimed at highlighting the Islamic history of this country and strengthening and deepening Islamic identity among different generations.
Historical narrative of the arrival of Islam to the Maldives
According to historical narratives common in the Maldives, the year 1153 AD is considered one of the most important junctures in the history of this country, when the kingdom of the Maldives peacefully converted from Buddhism to Islam.
According to this narrative, "Dovemi," the king of the Maldives, converted to Islam at the hands of the Muslim preacher and scholar "Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari," who had come from North Africa. Regarding the origin of Abu al-Barakat, Morocco or Somalia is sometimes also mentioned. After the king embraced Islam, his name was changed to "Sultan Muhammad ibn Abdullah," and the country has followed its Islamic path since then.
Construction of the Grand Mosque and the Islamic Civilization Center
Simultaneously with this occasion, "Mohamed Shaheem," the Minister of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives, announced that after decades of the people's waiting for the construction of a large grand mosque in the city of "Hulhumalé," the country is now witnessing the beginning of the construction of the "Sultan Muhammad ibn Abdullah Grand Mosque and Islamic Civilization Center."
According to him, the name of this complex was chosen in memory of the first king of the Maldives who embraced Islam in the year 548 AH (1153 AD) – an event that, according to the Minister of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives, had a profound impact on the transformation of this country and the beginning of a centuries-old spiritual and civilizational path.
He also emphasized that the beginning of the construction of this building coincides with the 900th anniversary of the arrival of Islam to the Maldives, an opportunity to honor the Islamic heritage of this country – a heritage considered one of the pillars of its identity.
Islamic heritage; from coral mosques to religious education
The Minister of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives said: "The people of this country embraced Islam in the month of Rabi' al-Thani in the year 548 AH (1153 AD), and this transformation is commemorated every year on the second of Rabi' al-Thani."
Over the past centuries, sultans, scholars, and different generations of the Maldives have preserved this heritage by building mosques, developing religious education, and paying attention to the qibla. This process began with old mosques built of coral stones and has continued to contemporary centers, including the Islamic University of the Maldives.
Quranic education and Islamic studies also remain part of this heritage and play a role in strengthening the culture and national unity of this country.
Islamic identity in the Maldives
Images and videos related to the official ceremony of the 900th anniversary of the arrival of Islam to the Maldives were also published on social networks. In this ceremony, presided over by Mohamed Muizzu, the President of the Maldives, this historical occasion was given attention.
In this report, the Maldives is also introduced as a country with a fully Muslim population, and emphasis is placed on the connection of the people of this country with mosques and the teaching of Islamic sciences. A number of Maldivian students also go to scientific centers such as the Islamic University of Medina and Al-Azhar in Egypt to continue their studies in Islamic sciences.
On social networks, the story of Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari has also been given attention as an inspiring example of the role of Muslims in spreading Islamic values and ethics, and the attention of countries to preserving their Islamic history and identity and turning historical occasions into national days and official holidays has been welcomed.
Maldives; an archipelago in the Indian Ocean
The Maldives is an Asian country consisting of a group of islands in the Indian Ocean. This region has historically been a place of settlement for migrants from India and Sri Lanka, and since the mid-tenth century AD, migrations from Arabs and Persians have also taken place to this region for the purpose of trade and obtaining pearls, spices, coconuts, and dried fish.
