Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen

The social, cultural, educational, and religious activities of Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen enhanced the Islamic renaissance, and enabled the state's Muslims to create their own characteristics and peculiarities that distinguished them from other Muslim communities in India by achieving high rates of literacy and a prestigious status in Kerala society. The Mujahid movement continues the Islamic reform traditions of the scholars Taqi al-Din ibn Taymiyya (1263-1328 C.E/661-728 A.H), Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624 C.E/ 971-1034 A.H), Shah Waliullah ad-Dehlawi (1703-1762 C.E/ 1114-1176 A.H), Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792 C.E/ 1115-1207 A.H) and Muhammad Rashid Rida (1865-1935 C.E/ 1281 A.H-1353 A.H).

The theological reformation initiated by Vakkom Abdul Qadir Moulavi and his disciples was a conservative reform movement directly influenced by the Arab Salafiyya scholarly circles and trends popular in Syria, Egypt, etc. Although the Mujahids often visited the scholars of Saudi Arabia, the movement differed from both the militant Puritanism of the Arabian Wahhabi reformation as well as the "Neo-Mu'tazilism" of the culture-oriented North Indian Muslim modernists like Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan. Instead, it was closer in spirit to the Arab Salafiyya movement, advancing a Keralite adaptation of reformist doctrines that focused on awakening Pan-Islamic consciousness; which became a major reason for its popularity.

History

The consensus among historians is that Islam arrived in Kerala through Arab traders either during the time of Muhammed himself (AD 609 - AD 632) or in the following few decades. Kerala has an ancient relation with the Middle East even during the Pre-Islamic period. Muslim merchants (Malik, son of Dinar) settled in Kerala by the 8th century AD and introduced Islam. For a long time they kept the Islamic beliefs based on the message of Quran and the teachings of Muhammed. Later the Muslim community divided into different groups because of religious and political reasons. By the 16th century AD, with the arrival of colonization led by the Portuguese and the colonial modernity they gradually declined to a culturally, economically, and educationally deprived condition.

Kerala Muslim Aikhya Sangam

The history of Kerala Mappila renaissance began in the 19th century AD with Sayyid Sanaulla Makti Thangal. He encouraged Muslims to settle their differences by returning to the message of the Quran and the teachings of Muhammed. Sayyid Sanaulla Makti Thangal died in 1912, but he inspired scholars such as Sheikh Hamadani Thangal, K.M. Moulavi and Vakkom Moulavi. Apart from Sayyīd Sānāullah, the works of other scholars such as Chalilakath Kunjahamed Hajji (d. 1920), Shaikh Muhammad Hamādāni Thăngâl (d. 1922) provided the impetus for theological reformation amongst the Mappila Muslim Ulema. They formed the first Muslim movement in Kerala, known as the Kerala Muslim Aikhya Sangam, in Kodungallur in 1922, founded by the freedom fighter and Islamic scholar Vakkom 'Abdul Qadir Moulavi (d. 1873 - 1932 C.E). Beginning his career as an orthodox Maulavi, 'Abdul Qadir would become most influential social, theological and educational reformer of the Mujahids.

With the help of a Malabari Mappila, Vakkom Moulavi was introduced to the popular Pan-Islamic journal Al-Manar, published by the influential Salafi scholar Mùhāmmád Ráshīd Rîdâ (1865 - 1935 C.E) from Cairo. Vakkom Moulavi would be its ardent reader, and through Al-Manar, Moulavi became familiar with a wide range of contemporary Islamic reform movements and would be influenced by the doctrines of the 14th century Sunni theologian Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328 C.E / 728 A.H). Impressed by these reformers' staunch commitment to Tawhid, Moulavi began vigorously campaigning against shirk and bidʿah (innovations); and proclaimed the centrality of upholding Tawhid. Advocating the teachings of Rashid Rida and Ibn Taymiyya, Vakkom Moulavi attacked Madhab partisanship, condemned Taqlid, calling upon Muslims to shun un-Islamic customs by directly returning to Qur'an and Hadith; and establish Islamic Unity. Modelled after Al-Manar, Moulavi would publish numerous journals and magazines with the purpose of spreading Islamic message, in a way that would directly reach the common masses, through three languages Malayalam, Arabic and Arabi-Malayalam. Proclaiming the reformers' gratitude to Rashid Rida, Vakkom Moulavi wrote:

"It is through Rashid Rida's Al-Manar that Kerala Muslims were awakened"

Vakkom Moulavi's teachings would be popularised across Malabar by his disciples like Khatib Muhammad Moulavi (1886 - 1964 C.E). Like his teacher, K.M Moulavi was a regular reader of Al-Manar journal and a well-read expert of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Islamic theology. K.M Moulavi was a fierce opponent of the British administration and played a major role in the Mappila rebellion of 1921, which sought to topple British colonial rule in Malabar. After the uprising was put down, K.M Moulavi fled to Kodungalur, a Muslim region free from British influences. From Kondungalur, Moulavi became known as a reputed scholar and advocated reformist campaigns calling for the eradication of shirk and bidʿah. He was also a founding leader of Kerala Muslim Aikya Sangham in 1921. K.M Moulavi played an important role in the proliferation of various Islamic publications like Al-Irshad, Al-Islah, Al-Murshid, etc and was a regular contributor in Rashid Rida's Al-Manar. At popular request, the British authorities would withdraw all Mappila Rebellion charges in 1932 and the Moulavi would return home. In 1932, K.M Moulavi held a meeting of major Moulavis from all parts of Kerala and announced the establishment of "Kerala Jam'iyyat al-Ulema". Thereafter, Moulavi would become the most influential Islamic scholar of the Mappila Muslims of Malabar. His fatwas were widely requested all across Kerala due to his immense knowledge of Qur'an and Hadith; as well as his juristic mastery of Shafi'i and Hanafi madh'habs (legal schools). By force of his charismatic personality and widely accepted scholarly credentials, Moulavi was able to overcome newly developed opposition to the Islahi movement.

The movement encouraged Muslims to settle their differences by returning to the message of the Quran and the teachings of Muhammed. This message attracted educated people, and the group slowly gained the confidence of the Muslims of Kerala. The efforts of Aikhya Sangam promoted the formation of several formal and informal associations in other areas of Kerala. The Muslim Nishpaksha Sangam and Islam Dharma Sangam were important among them. The common goal of all these organizations was to promote the unity of Muslims based on the message of Quran and the teachings of Muhammed. The annual meetings of Kerala Muslim Aikhya Sangam gained attention by the participation of international Islamic scholars such as Marmaduke Pickthall.

Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama

Many Muslim scholars in different areas of Kerala attracted by the message of "Kerala Muslim Aikhya Sangam" but they could not interact due to the lack of a common forum. Therefore, the leaders of "Kerala Muslim Aikhya Sangam" decided to create a forum of Muslim scholars for discussing religious matters. It resulted in the formation of the First Forum of Muslim Scholars Of Kerala at the Annual General Meeting of Kerala Muslim Aikhya Sangam in 1924 at Aluva. This scholars' forum is referred to as "Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama Ahlussunna wal Jamaath", also known as Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (KJU). It acted as the advisory body of the Aikhya Sangam until the latter dissolved in 1934, but is still an active body in providing religious leadership to Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen.

Formation of Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen

The KJU decided to propagate the Islamic ideologies with the participation of people of all intellectual levels under its guidance. So, on 12 April 1947, in a working committee meeting of KJU, they decided to form a public organization. Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen officially formed on 20 April 1950 in a meeting held at the office off "Al Manar" Magazine at Calicut. The organization registered in 1957 under the Society Act.