Vakkom Moulavi

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Not to be confused with Vakkom Abdul Khader.

Vakkom Mohammed Abdul Khader Moulavi
Born
Mohammed Abdul Khader

(1873-12-28)28 December 1873
Swadeshabhimani, Scholar and Reformer.[2]
TitleFather of Muslim Community Reform in Kerala
MovementIslahi (Reformist Salafism)
Salafiyya[3][4]
SpouseAamina Umma
Children10
Parents
  • Muhammad Kunju
  • Aash Beevi
This article is part of a series on
Reformation in Kerala
Narayana Guru, the most prominent face of the movement
Background
Notable people
Others

Vakkom Mohammed Abdul Khader Moulavi ((1873-12-28)28 December 1873 – (1932-10-31)31 October 1932), popularly known as Vakkom Moulavi

Islamic renaissance in Kerala.[9]

Early life and family

Moulavi was born in 1873 in

Chirayinkil Taluk, Thiruvananthapuram in Travancore. He was born into a prominent Muslim Poonthran family was originally migrate from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Its members have played a significant role in the history of Travancore since 19th century. The Poonthran genealogy starts with a prominent landlord Thoppil Thampi, who came from the south-western part of Travancore and settled in Vettoor, Varkala. Vakkom Moulavi's maternal ancestors were from Hyderabad and Anjengo. His maternal grandfather Fateh Khan was a high ranking police officer in Travancore. Fateh Khan's family was originally from Hyderabad.[10]

His father, a prominent merchant, engaged a number of scholars from distant places, including an itinerant Arab savant, to teach him every subject he wished to learn. Moulavi made such rapid progress, that some of his teachers soon found that their stock of knowledge was exhausted and at least one of them admitted that had learnt from his student more than he could teach him. In a short time, Moulavi had learnt many languages including Arabic, Persian, Tamil, Urdu, Sanskrit and English. his ancestral background likewise contributed to his learning and growth in several ways. Muhammad Kannu argues that this family heritage helped Vakkom Moulavi to master the Tamil and Urdu languages.

In early 1900s, Moulavi was married to Haleema, daughter of Aliyar Kunju Poonthran Vilakom and Pathumma Kayalpuram. Moulavi - Haleema couple had one son Abdul Salam. Haleema died soon after the birth of their first child. A year later, Moulavi married Aamina Ummal. The couple had ten children, includes Abdul Hai, Abdul Vahab, Abdul Khader Jr. Abdul Haque, Obaidullah, Ameena, Yahiya, Sakeena, Mohammed Eeza and Mohammed Iqbal. His sons, Abdul Salam, Abdul Vahab and Mohammed Eeza were writers and scholars of Islamic studies, and Abdul Khader Jr was a writer, literary critic and journalist. One of his nephews,

P.Habeeb Mohamed
, was the first Muslim judge of the Travancore High Court of Kerala. His disciples included K.M Seethi Sahib, the former Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly and a social reformer among kerala Muslims.

Journalism and Swadeshabhimani

See also: Swadeshabhimani (newspaper)

Maulavi started the

Thirunelveli.[7][11][12]

After the confiscation of the press, Moulavi concentrated more on social and cultural activities, becoming a social leader, also writing several books. Daussabah and Islam Matha Sidantha Samgraham are original works, while Imam Ghazali's Keemiya-e- Saadat, Ahlu Sunnathuwal Jammath, Islamic Sandesam, Surat-ul fathiha are translations.

Social Reformation

Vakkom Moulavi defined religious

bid‘a (innovations) and shirk and re-establishing pristine Islamic teachings.[13]

Explaining his vision of

Islamic Renaissance, Moulavi wrote in his treatise “Islam Mata Navikaranam” (Islamic Religious Renewal):

"Preach sermons, publish articles in newspapers and journals, distribute pamphlets, publish books, and as far as religious education at madrasas is concerned, depend only on the Qur’an and hadith, for its comprehension use only those books and interpretations written by free-thinking great souls (mahatmas), who are not biased towards any particular madhhab....Propagate among the people the teachings of the Qur’an, the words and actions of the Rasul, the practices of the predecessors (Salaf), and true principles related to Tawhid. Point out their beliefs and practices that contradict it and instruct them to reject it. Direct them to accept Kitab and Sunnah as the sole criterion for beliefs and practices."[14]

Moulavi is considered one of the greatest reformers in the

Arabi-Malayalam script, Muslim and Deepika used Malayalam in script also.[15][20][21]

Vakkom Moulavi believed that the

Bid'ah (innovations) and practices of shirk (polytheism). He initiated a reform movement that aimed at purging Muslim culture from all the subsequent innovations, ritual accretions of shirk and revive Islam back to its pristine form. The reforms were based on Qur'an and Hadith, and Moulavi insisted that true Islamic beliefs and practices were in harmony with reason and science. Another reason of Muslim decline was the emergence of deviant doctrinal interpretations, that invented new opinions by misinterpreting the Scriptures. These deviations disfigured Islamic principles to such an extent that it obscured most people from recognizing Islam in its original form. Thus, Islamic religion was stripped of its vigor and vitality which weakened the Muslim mind, intelligence, and consciousness; hindering them from achieving worldly success. Moulavi believed that with the spread of deviant doctrines, the Muslim Ummah had been divided into numerous heretical sects and sub-sects. Like Sayyid Rashīd Ridā, Moulavi asserted that the decline of Muslims was the Divine punishment for their disagreement and disunity upon the truth.[22]

As a result of the continuous campaigning of Moulavi throughout the State, the Maharaja's Government introduced the teaching of Arabic in all state schools where there were Muslim pupils, and offered them fee concessions and scholarships. Girls were totally exempted from payment of fees. Moulavi wrote text books for children to learn Arabic, and a manual for training Arabic instructors for primary schools. At the instance of Moulavi Abdul Qadir the State Government soon instituted qualifying examinations for Arabic teachers of which he was made the chief examiner.[23]

There were many other dubious practices in the Muslim community of the time, such as the dowry system, extravagant expenditure on weddings, celebration of annual "urs" and Moharrum with bizarre unIslamic features bordering on idolatrous rituals. Moulavi launched his campaign against such practices with the help of his disciples, and with the co-operation of other learned men who shared his views and ideals.

Wahhabi".[citation needed
]

He also tried to create unity among Muslims, starting the All Travancore Muslim Mahajanasabha[27] and Chirayinkil Taluk Muslim Samajam, and worked as the chairman of the Muslim Board of the Government of Travancore. His activities were further instrumental in the establishment of "Muslim Aikya Sangham",[28] a united Muslim forum in Eriyad, Kodungalloor for all the Muslims of the Travancore, Cochin and Malabar regions,with K M Moulavi, K M Seethi Sahib, Manappat Kunju Mohammed Haji and helped guide the Lajnathul Mohammadiyya Association of Alappuzha, Dharma Bhoshini Sabha of Kollam amongst others.[citation needed] In 1931, he founded the Islamia Publishing House, with his eldest son Abdul Salam supervising the translation into Malayalam and publication of Allama Shibli's biography of Omar Farooq in two volumes under the title Al Farooq.

Death

'Abd al-Qadir Moulavi died on October 31, 1932 CE /1351 A.H. His funeral rites were conducted by his disciples strictly according to the

'Abdul Aziz bin Al-Saud.."[29]

See also

Further reading

  • Muhammedkannu, Haji M. (1981). Vakkom Moulavi. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
  • Vakkom Moulaviyude Thiranjedutha Krithikal [Selected Works of Vakkom Moulavi]. Vakkom Moulavi Publications. 1979.
  • Kurzman, Charles, ed. (2002). Modernist Islam, 1840-1940: A Sourcebook. Oxford University Press.
  • Muhammed, Jamal (2013). Swadeshabhimani Vakkom Moulavi. Kozhikode: Islamic Publishing House.
  • Sreekumar, P. (2013). "Book Note About a Biography by Dr. T. Jamal Muhammed". Academia. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021.

See Also (social reformers of Kerala)

References

  1. ^ Iqbal, Sabin (9 August 2019). "Vakkom Moulavi: My Grandfather, the Rebel". Open Magazine.
  2. ^ Template:Cite book Muslim Deepika
  3. ^ "Vakkom Moulaviyude 'al-Islam' Lakkangalude Samaharam Shradhayakarshikkunnu" [Collection of 'al-Islam' by Vakkom Moulavi Draws Attention]. Milli Report. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019.
  4. ^ Tanvir, Mustafa (2 June 2017). "Vakkom Moulavi". Chandrika.
  5. ^ Koya, S. M. Mohamed (1983). Mappilas of Malabar: Studies in Social and Cultural History. Kozhikode: Sandhya Publications. p. 80.
  6. ^
    JSTOR 23345936
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-81-264-1222-8
    .
  8. ^ "Vakkom Mohammed Abdul Khader Moulavi". Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen - K. N. M. Official Portal. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020.
  9. ^ "CHAPTER III. Religious Groups and their Theological Differences". Religiondocbox.com.
  10. ISBN 978-1-137-37884-2
    .
  11. ^ Koshy, M. J. (1972). Constitutionalism in Travancore and Cochin. Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Historical Society. pp. 18–19.
  12. ^ Nayar, K. Balachandran (1974). In Quest of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram: Accent Publications. pp. 65 and 160.
  13. ISBN 978-1-137-38313-6
    .
  14. ISBN 978-1-137-38313-6
    .
  15. ^ a b "Vakkom Moulavi". Proceedings of the 19th South India History Congress. 19: 239 and 345. 2000.
  16. ^ Muhammedali, T. (2010). "Islamic Reform and Modernity in Kerala: Reflections from a Local Movement in Malabar". Journal of the Institute for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities. 5 – via Research Gate. Due to the vital contributions of Vakkom Moulavi he is considered as the father of Muslim Renaissance in Kerala.
  17. ^ "Towards Modern Kerala". School Textbook, Standard X (PDF). Government of Kerala. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2008.
  18. ^ Samad, M. Abdul (1998). Islam in Kerala: Groups and Movements in the 20th Century. Laurel Publications. p. 67.
  19. ^ Bahauddin, K. M . (1992). Kerala Muslims: The Long Struggle. Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society (Modern Book Centre).
  20. ^ "Vakkom Moulavi". Journal of Kerala Studies. 17. University of Kerala: 134. 1990.
  21. ^ Malayalam Literary Survey. Kerala Sahitya Academy. 1984. p. 50.
  22. ISBN 978-1-137-38313-6
    .
  23. ^ Mohammed, U. Educational Empowerment of Kerala Muslims: A Socio-Historical Perspective. Kozhikode: Other Books. pp. 36 and 56–58.
  24. ^ Menon, A. Sreedhara (1979). Social and Cultural History of Kerala. Sterling. p. 210.
  25. ^ Ayyar, K. V. Krishna (1966). A Short History of Kerala. Pai.
  26. ^ Sen, Siba Pada (1979). Social and Religious Reform Movements in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Kolkata: Institute of Historical Studies. p. 389.
  27. ISBN 9788126110391
    .
  28. ^ Sharma, Narinder, ed. (1981). "Muslim Resurgence in Kerala". Proceedings of the South India History Congress. II: 183.
  29. ^ a b Rida, Muhammad Rashid (December 1932). "Wafayatul A'ayan - al-Shaykh Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir al-Malabari" [Notable Deaths - Shaykh Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir of Malabar]. Al-Manar. 32: 793–797 – via archive.org.
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