Salaamathuge Alikan (Rannamaari Story)

Before the Maldives embraced Islam, they were idol worshippers. The folklore of how the Maldives embraced Islam has a place in history when the story was written by Ibn Battuta who visited the Maldives in early 1343 AD.

The story says that on the 14th night of every lunar month, "Rannamari" appears in Male’. To escape the sea demon, the king ordered a beautiful young pious girl to be dressed up and taken to the temple on the seashore. The girl is taken to the temple at sunset on the night of the demon’s appearance and left there alone. In the morning the people would find the girl dishonored and dead.

Once there was a Muslim scholar from Morocco named Abu al-Barakaath Yusuf al-Barbari who was on a visit to Male’. He was staying with a poor family on the island. One day when he arrived home, he found the family distraught and deeply distressed. He inquired as to the reason why they were crying and was told the story of the evil spirit, that the lot has fallen on their daughter and that she must be taken to the temple for the sacrifice that night.

Abu al-Barakat comforted the family and said that their daughter need not go. It was he who went to the temple that evening, clad as a girl. The next morning when the islanders went to the temple, to their amazement they found the pious traveler from Morocco sitting there and reciting the holy Quran.

The people took Abu al-Barakat to their king who was told of the extraordinary happenings of the night before. The king was astonished, and the Moroccan proposed him to embrace the true faith of Islam.

The king asked him to wait for one more month. The king said he would convert to Islam if the demon did not appear next month. However, it’s said that the king converted to Islam even before that.