REVELATION OF TWO INSCRIPTIONS NEAR SOMANTH MANDIR
A FLOURISHING MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN HEALTHY EXISTENCE

In 1938 Sayyid Muhammed Masum Bakkari wrote a Tarikh Sind, published in Poona. It gives us incredible information. A bilingual inscription found in the vicinity of Somnath in Gujarat, which had a Sanskrit version preserved in the temple of Harsaya in Verawal., The inscription refers to a Muslim community living in Somnath, and it is dated 662 AH or 1263 AD. (date copied from published source only)

The Sanskirit version has a reference to Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), as ‘THE TEACHER OF THE SAILORS who live near the Holy Temple of VISWARATHA’. Such references indicate presence of Muslim communities living in many parts in India and communicating with local people “in understandable and acceptable terms”.

In this respect we also have the Mosque of Abdul Qasim bin Al Iraji, with an Arabic inscription dated 685 AH, 1286 AD.

There is a possibility that the teacher of sailors is not reference to the Prophet (PBUH) but to a local leader Muhammed son of Muhammed bin Qasim, who certainly could be referred as the teacher of sailors in this context. More research obviously required on this one too.