Prophet Muhammad's Cloak In India

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

If Afghanistan has the honor of possessing a cloak of the Holy Prophet, India also don’t lag behind. A few kilometers away from the city of Chennai, a mosque contains a  Jubba (Cloak)of the last messenger of Allah. Located on a hillock near the Pallavaram stone quarries, the mosque is popular among locals as Mosque of Jubba.  

The relic is kept in a sealed sandalwood casket and is packed with Neem leaves to preserve it from fungus that affect cotton. It is displayed to the devotees once a year on the Prophet’s Birthday on 1`2 Rabi Ul Awwal. The ceremony is known as the “Festival of the Jubba.” There is no authentic account as to how Jubba of Prophet reached Pallavaram. Only legends endorse the shirt or Jubba as that of the Holy Prophet.

It is believed that Jubba might have been brought by the companions who were sent by the Prophet to carry out missionary work for Islam in India. Most of such companions arrived in the coastal area of India. Malik Deenar was one such figure. Likewise, Hazrat Tameem also propagated Islam in South India. Hazrat Ukkhasha also did likewise after entering India from Sindh province. Anyone could have brought Jubba as it was a usual practice among the companions to seek ‘Tabbarukat’ (Relics) from the Prophet before embarking on their mission to various parts of the world to preach Islam. They used to collect his hairs, nails and water of ablution as Tabarruk.    

It is however recorded in history that when Muslim power declined in India, the relic was entrusted for sake custody to the Nawabs of Karnataka(formerly Carnatic).They in turn kept it in the mosque and since then it has been preserved in the mosque. During id Milad Un Nabi celebrations, it is taken out for display and thousands of devotees form a bee line to have a glimpse of it. They await its arrival for hours and become jubilant after Ziarat of the relic.

The Mosque of Jubba is important as it is the only place in South India housing a cloak of the Prophet. The other best known mosque housing Prophet’s cloak is in Kandahar City of Afghanistan where it was brought from Bukhara by the Amir of the country. Mosque of Jubba is significant also because the shrines of the companions like Hazrat Tameem Ansari and Hazrat Ukkhasha also don’t have such relics. It is also worth mentioning here that a shrine dedicated to Maula Ali is also located on a hillock near Chennai with a legendary history behind it.(References on request. Photo Courtesy Google Images)