Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama

Not to be confused with Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (AP Sunnis).

Sunni Islamic organisation in India

Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Ulama

Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama flag

Formation| 1926; 98 years ago (1926)
Founder| Sayyid Abdul Rahman ba-Alavi Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal
Type| Sunni-Shafi'i scholarly council
Headquarters| Samasthalayam, Chelari, Malappuram, Kerala, India

Region served

* India
* Gulf Cooperation Council

General Secretary

| Sheikh ul Jamia K. Ali Kutty Musliyar

President

| Sayyid ul Ulama Sayed Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal
Subsidiaries|

* Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidyabhyasa Board
* Sunni Yuvajana Sangham
* Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Mudariseen
* Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation
* Samastha Kerala Sunni Bala Vedi
* Sunni Mahallu Federation
* Samastha Kerala Jam’eyyat ul-Mu’allimeen Central Council

Website| samastha.info
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Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama also known as Samastha and EK Samastha [1][2] is a Sunni-Shafi'i Muslim scholarly body in Kerala.[3][4][5] The council administers Shafi'ite mosques, institutes of higher religious learning (the equivalent of north Indian madrasas) and madrasas (institutions where children receive basic Islamic education) in India.[3] The Samasta Kerala Jamiyatul Ulama (All Kerala Ulama Organisation), popularly known as Samastha, is the Sunni scholarly organization with the highest support among Kerala Muslims. The formation of the Samasta was a response of these traditional ulama to the conditions of the post-1921 era, in which Kerala Muslim society in general witnessed a radical shift from the ladder of individual leadership to the ladder of organizations.

## Samastha History

[edit]

Kerala Muslims of the fundamentalist and puritanical views of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (1703-1792), Salafism of Rashid Rida (1865-1935), Islamic modernism of Muhammad Abduh (1819-1905)[6], pan-Islamism of Jamaluddin Afghani (1939-1897), and the Tahreek e-Mujahideen in North India. The new ideologists first came out through the Kerala Muslim Aikya Sangham (group for unity among Kerala Muslims)[7], which was founded at Kodungallur of Cochin State in 1922 by leaders like K. M. Seethi Sahib, K. M. Maulavi, and EK Moulavi[8]. It tried to bring the scattered and unorganised reformist activists together. Later, they formed an Ulama organisation, Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, at a two-day conference of Aikya Sangham held at Aluva in 1924[9], where a large number of scholars were invited. It is a fact that the outstanding members of the traditional Ulama did not openly reject the Kerala Jam’eyyat ul-Ulama at first. However, gradually, the platform of the organisation started to be utilised to attack the traditional Islam that was followed unopposed for centuries and which was nurtured under the guidance of eminent scholars headed by Zainuddin Makhdoom I. They declared a host of Islamic cultural traditions as Shirk and Bid'ah and alleged the centuries-old scholarly and intellectual tradition of Kerala Muslims with deviations and alterations.

### Samastha History 1924-2000s

[edit]

The Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama felt the need to organise to defend and protect Kerala’s Islamic tradition and to wage a revivalist movement against the new interpretations. Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar[10], who had already started counter campaigns against the ‘Wahhabi ideology’, along with some other scholars, met Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal, who was a Sufi Sheikh, a renowned religious scholar, and a prominent figure of the Sayyed family, to discuss the need for an organisational movement to defend the true spirit of the religion. Tangal suggested convening a meeting of the eminent scholars to discuss the suitable solution. In 1925[11], some major ulama and other society leaders gathered at Calicut Valiya Juma Masjid and formed an ulama organisation after prolonged and serious discussions. KP Muhammad Meeran Musliyar and Parol Hussain Moulawi[12] were named the President and Secretary of the organisation, respectively. The newly formed Ulama organisation convened within a year many popular conferences, mainly at places where the new ideologists had received big attraction, and directed the masses to be aware of the leaders and followers of the ‘Bida’i sects’. They also travelled throughout the state to convey the message of the ulama organisation to maximum religious scholars who were living in the mosques or religious centres serving the Islamic knowledge. A year later, on June 26, 1926, a bigger convention was called at Calicut Town Hall, where eminent scholars from across the state participated, under the chairmanship of Sayyid Shihabuddhin Cherukunchikkoya Tangal. The convention reorganised the previously formed temporary organisation and adopted a full-fledged organisational set-up in the name of Samastha Kerala Jam’eyyat ul-Ulama. The convention nominated Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal as Samastha’s first president, while Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar, Muhammed Abdul Bari Musliyar, KM Abdul Qadir Musliyar, and KP Muhammad Meeran Musliyar became vice presidents, and PV Muhammad Musliyar and PK Muhammad Musliyar became secretaries in the first committee.

## Mushawara Council

[edit]

A forty-member 'mushawara' is the high command body of the Sunni council.[13][14] As of 2020, the president was Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal.[15][16]

## Structure

[edit]

* President — Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal[17]
* General Secretary — K. Ali Kutty Musliyar
* Treasurer — P. P. Umer Musliyar

## Presidents

[edit]

Varakkal Mullokoya Thangal, Founding president of Samastha

* Varakkal Mullokoya Thangal (1926–1932)
* Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar (1932–1945)
* Abdul Bari Musliyar (1945–1965)
* KK Sadakkathulla Musliyar (1965–1967)
* Kanniyath Ahmed Musliyar (1967–1993)
* K.K. Aboobacker Hazrath (1993–1995)
* Sayyid Abdurahman Imbichikoya Thangal Al-Aydarusi Al-Azhari (1995–2004)
* Kalambadi Mohammed Musliar (2004–2012)
* C Koya Kutty Musliyar (2012–2016)
* Kumaramputhur A. P. Muhammed Musliyar (2016–2017)
* Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal (2017–Present)

## Subsidiaries

[edit]

* Mahallu federation — Samastha Kerala Sunni Mahallu Federation (S. M. F.) [1]
* Educational board — Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidhyabhyasa Board (S. K. I. M. V. B.) [2]
* Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Muallimeen [3]
* Youth wing — Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (S. Y. S.) [4]
* Student wing — Samastha Kerala Sunni Students' Federation (S. K. S. S. F) [5]
* Children's wing — Samastha Kerala Sunni Balavedhi (S. K. S. B. V.) [6]
* Daily News (Newspaper) — Suprabhaatham [7]

## 100th Anniversary

[edit]

Main article: 100th Anniversary of Samastha Kerala

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the Samastha's 100th anniversary declaration conference at Bengaluru Palace grounds 28 January 2024[18]Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama inaugurated the centenary celebrations in Bengaluru.

## Affiliated organisations and Institutions

[edit]

Organisations that are inspired by the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama's ideology refer to themselves as members of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham and Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation, Coordination of Islamic Colleges

Jami'a Nooriyya Arabic College

### Institutions

[edit]

* Jami'a Nooriyya Arabic College
* Alathurpadi Dars
* Shamsul Ulama Islamic Academy
* Darul Huda Islamic University
* Bafakhy Yatheemkhana
* Tirurangadi Muslim Orphanage

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sunni factions bury their differences". The Hindu. 12 February 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
2. ^ "Kanthapuram Samastha kicks off centenary celebrations". The Hindu. 31 December 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
3. ^ a b Osella, Filippo; Osella, Caroline (2008). "Islamism and Social Reform in Kerala, South India" (PDF). Modern Asian Studies. 42 (2–3): 317–346. doi:10.1017/S0026749X07003198. S2CID 143932405. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 March 2024 - via SOAS Research Online.
4. ^ Santhosh, R.; Visakh, M. S. (2020). "Muslim League in Kerala: Exploring the Question of 'Being Secular'". Economic and Political Weekly. 55 (7): 7–8.
5. ^ Kooria, Mahmood (2018). "An Ethno-History of Islamic Legal Texts". Oxford Journal of Law and Religion. 7 (2): 313–338. doi:10.1093/ojlr/rwy034. ISSN 2047-0770.
6. ^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260250314_Muhammad_Abduh's_contributions_to_modernity#:~:text=His contribution to Islamic modernism,and Islamic ideals and tradition.
7. ^ https://www.academia.edu/6684725/Kerala_muslim_aikya_Sanghom
8. ^ https://archive.org/details/thuhfathulthalibeen1940ekmoulavi
9. ^ https://www.academia.edu/6684725/Kerala_muslim_aikya_Sanghom
10. ^ https://en.islamonweb.net/an-exploration-of-abdul-bari-musliyar-al-malaibaris-magnum-opus-kithabu-kitab-siḥaḥ-al-shaikhain
11. ^ https://www.academia.edu/2334442/Samastha_Kerala_Jam_iathul_Ulama_Defining_Islamic_discourses_in_Kerala_through_Ulama_activism
12. ^ https://www.islamkavadam.com/prasthanam/pandithar/parol-hussain-moulavi
13. ^ Naha, Abdul Latheef (18 January 2018). "Sunni Factions to Bury the Hatchet". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
14. ^ Alingal, Shafeeq (7 January 2018). "Kerala: League of Factions". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020.
15. ^ Naha, Abdul Latheef (3 January 2018). "No action against Panakkad scions". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020.
16. ^ "Aradhanalayangal Thurakkanam: Samastha". Media One. 3 June 2020.
17. ^ "Resolution against Communism not with my consent: Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal". Mathrubhumi English. 3 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024.
18. ^ https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2024/Jan/29/siddaramaiah-praises-educational-activities-of-samastha

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Islam in Kerala

Languages|

* Malayalam (Mappila dialect)
* Arabic

| Scripts|

* Arabic script
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|

Literature|

| Religious literature|

* Mala-Mawlid
* Majlis Al-Noor
* Khissa Pattukal
* Mappila Pattu

|

Religious Poets|

* Moyinkutty Vaidyar

Poets|

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Communities|

* Mappilas
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Major figures|

| General|

* Malik Dinar
* Zainuddin Makhdoom I
* Mampuram Thangal
* Varakkal Mullokoya Thangal
* Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar
* Kanniyath Ahmed Musliyar
* Sayyid Abdurahman Imbichikoya Thangal Al-Aydarusi Al-Azhari
* Athippatta Usthad
* Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal
* K. Ali Kutty Musliyar
* AP Aboobacker Musliyar

|

Sayyid (Thangal)|

* Pukkoya Tangal
* Panakkad Shihab Thangal
* Umerali Shihab Thangal
* Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal
* Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal
* Sayed Abbas Ali Shihab Thangal
* Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal

Major denominations|

| Sunnī|

* Samastha Kerala
* Islam in Kerala
* Shafi‘i

|

Salafists|

* Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen

Traditionalist (Sunnī Islam)|

* EK Sunni (E. K. Aboobacker Musliyar)
* AP Sunni (AP Aboobacker Musliyar)

Influential bodies|

| Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (EK faction)|

* Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation

|

Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (AP faction)|

* Sunni Students' Federation

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* Chandrika Daily
* Suprabhaatham Daily
* Siraj Daily

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