The Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (informally abbreviated as the Samastha), 1926, was the principal

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

Shafi'i The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by ...

scholarly body in northern

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. Most of the ordinary Sunnis of Kerala, adhering to Shafi'i Law, largely followed the Ulama. A forty-member 'mushawara' was the high command body of the Sunni council. The council administered thousands of

Shafi'ite The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by ...

mosques, madrasas (institutions where children receive basic

Islamic education Islamic education may refer to: *Islamic studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theolo ...

) and Arabic Colleges (the equivalent of north Indian

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

s). The council was organised in the aftermath of the 1921 Mappila Uprising as a response to the growing

Salafi Movement The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...

in Kerala. Prominent community leaders Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar and Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal first convened to form an Ulama at Valiya Jum'ah Masjid,

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...

in 1925. Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama was formally constituted at

Town Hall in June, 1926 (registered in November, 1934). The council, in the presence of Abdurrahiman Bafaqy Thangal, introduced the "madrasa system", as an alternative to the existing system for children's

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

ic education, in September 1949. Religious education and the mahals were organised in 1951 and 1976 respectively. Jamia Nooriya Arabia and the Markaz, premier

institutes of higher religious learning in Kerala, were established in 1965 and 1978 respectively. Darul Huda was founded at

Chemmad Chemmad, the biggest commercial hub and administrative headquarters of Tirurangadi Taluk, is a fast-growing town in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. Location The town is located east of the Parappanangadi Railway station. The Tirurangadi Po ...

in 1986. The body witnessed an organisational division during the late 1980s, resulting in the presence two separate

scholarly bodies in northern Kerala (the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama and the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama affliated to

All India Sunni Jem-iyyathul Ulama All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, or All India Muslim Scholars Association, is one of the principal Sunni-Shafi'i scholarly bodies in northern Kerala. The council administers Shafi'ite mosques, institutes of higher religious learning (the equiv ...

History

Early years

Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, a council of principal

scholars of

Malabar District Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (19 ...

, was organised in 1926 as a response to the growing

in Kerala. A nascent form of the Ulama was formed at Valiya Jum'ah Masjid,

in 1925. This was organised by Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar and Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal with K. P. Muhammad Miran Musliyar as the President and Parol Husain Maulavi as the Secretary. The Ulama was formally constituted on 26 June 1926 at Town Hall,

Wings (prior to 1989)

* Scholarly body — Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama * Education Board — Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidhyabhyasa Board * Mahallu Federation — Sunni Mahallu Federation * Youth wing — Sunni Yuvajana Samgham (S. Y. S.) * Students wing — Samastha Kerala Sunni Students' Federation (S.K.S.S.F) * Mouthpiece — "Al-Bayan"

Timeline

*1925 — A nascent form of the Ulama inaugurated at Valiya Jum'ah Masjid,

. *26 June 1926 — Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama constituted at

Town Hall in the presence of Sayyid Cherukunjikkoya Thangal. *7 February 1927 — First conference of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama at Tanur in the presence of Liyauddeen Hazrath (Nalir Bakhiyath). *December 1929 — Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama published its first periodical ''Al-Bayan'' (edited by K. V. Muhammad Musliyar). *1932 June — Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar appointed as the President of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (succeeding Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal). *14 Nov 1934 — Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama officially registered by law at

District Registrar Office. *September 1949 — The Samastha mushawara introduced the madrasa system (in the presence of Sayyid Abdurrahiman Bafaqy Thangal). *17 September 1951 — Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidhyabhyasa Board (S. K. I. M. V. B) established. *26 April 1954 — S. K. J. U. formed a youth wing named "Sunni Yuvajana Samgham" (S. Y. S.). *1965 —

Jamia Nooriyya Arabiyya Jami'a Nooriyya is an Arabic College, or an educational institute of higher religious learning, the equivalent of north Indian madrasa, located at Pattikkad, near Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district, Kerala. Established in 1963 by Samastha ...

established at Pattikkad (near

Perinthalmanna Perinthalmanna is a major town and municipality in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It serves as the headquarters of the Perinthalmanna taluk, and a block and a Revenue Division by the same name. It was formerly the headquarters of Valluvana ...

). *1973 — Formation of Sunni Students' Federation *1976 — Sunni Mahallu Federation established. *1978 —

Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (Born as ''A. P. Aboobacker'' at ''Kanthapuram'' on 22 March 1931) is the Grand Mufti of India and also the Social Worker. He is also the Chancellor of the Jamia M ...

forms Jamia Markazu Saqafathi Sunniyya at Karanthur, near

. *1986 — Establishment of Darul Huda Academy in

. *1989 — Organisational division.

Councils

The two current

councils in northern Kerala are named after the initials of leading scholars of each wing ( E. K. Aboobacker Musliyar and A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar). Both of them were the leading scholars of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, until they were divided in 1989. * Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama was led E. K. Aboobacker Musliyar (1914–1996) and is currently headed by Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal. * Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama affliated to

is led by A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar (born 1939)

Educational activities

Madrasa in Kerala refers to an extracurricular institution where children receive basic

ic and

Arabic language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

education. The council managed thousands of

madrasas with millions of enrolled students (the Salafi movement-oriented organisations also manage madrasas in Kerala). Thousands of teachers were also registered with these madrasas. The organisation also run a chain of Arabic Colleges in Kerala (equivalent of north Indian

s).

Publications

Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama started publishing a

Malayalam language Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

monthly called "Al-Bayan" in 1929. The magazine was printed in Arabi-Malayalam script. It later ceased publication and started again in October, 1950 in Malayalam script. The council also published short-lived magazines such as "Sunni Times" or "Sunni Voice" (from 1964) and "Muslim" (from 1987, in both Malayalam script and Arabi-Malayalam scripts).

References

External links

Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (E. K. Group)

Samastha Kerala Sunni Vidyabhyasa Board (A. P. Group)
Sunni Islam in India Islam in Kerala Samastha {{DEFAULTSORT:Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (1926-1989)