Arabi Malayalam

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Dr Azeez Tharuvana

Arabi Malayalam

2018 www.sahapedia.org

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Arabi Malayalam Performing Arts, Literature and Languages in Module

Azeez Tharuvana Dr Azeez Tharuvana teaches Malayalam at Farook College, Kozhikode. He is the author of 'Ramayana Traditions of Wayanad'. Arabi Malayalam Arab Trade with Malabar Mappilas of Malabar Malabar Muslim Revolts From ancient times, the Malabar coast has had trade ties with the Arab world. Traders were dependent on favourable winds to travel across the Arabian Sea. This meant they had to stay on the shore for long stretches of time and build relations with the local people. The Mappilas were a community that evolved out of this interaction between the Arab trading community and the Malayalis. In due course, the Mappilas emerged as a community with a unique culture and language. Their language was written in the Arabic script and had a vocabulary made up of Arabic and Malayalam words. Arabi Malayalam literature was a lively world with magazines, verses and even novels coming out till the late 20th century. This module carries articles, an interview and a bibliography on Arabi Malayalam. The interview focuses on the genre of Mappilapattu (Mappila songs) that portray a wide range of emotions—love, faith, sorrow, protest. A female singer provides a flavour of Mappila songs.

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Unless otherwise specified, all content is made available under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence, though additional terms may apply. Sahapedia® is a registered trademark of Sahapedia, a non-profit organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. For any queries, comments, or feedback, please contact Sahapedia at [email protected] © Sahapedia 2018

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Arabi Malayalam Literature and Languages in Overview

Dr Azeez Tharuvana Dr Azeez Tharuvana works as Assistant professor, Farook college, Kozhikode. Arabi Malayalam Malabar Coast Arabi Malayalam Script

The Arab world has had trade relations with Kerala since time immemorial. It was the rare collection of spices and jewels as well as of hill products and animals, that drew the Arab traders to Kerala. Historians almost unanimously agree that Arab trade ships, from distant ports of the Red Sea and the Persian Bay, have been coming to the Malabar Coast since the early centuries of the first millennium BCE to acquire products like pepper and cardamom (Panikar 1957:52).

Kerala has always traded with the Arabs, more than with other nations. For centuries, only the Arabs knew of the trade routes to the Malabar Coast. In fact, they were the ones to have introduced the products of the region to Europeans; this is evident in the fact that Europeans still use the Arab terms for Indian products. For instance, it was the Arabic phrase ‘TamarInd’ that later formed the English word ‘tamarind’. Similarly, the word ‘sandalwood’ was directly lifted from the Arabic ‘sandal’. Likewise, there are multitudes of Arabic words for these products which are in use even today.

Ports like Kodungallur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kollam were among the most important trading centres of ancient Kerala. It was through these ports that Arab traders exchanged commodities brought in from the inland towns of the region. The tradesmen insisted upon living in the Malabar region for as long as it took to acquire the commodities that they required. Subsequently, as these Arabs stayed in Kerala for long periods of time, they naturally formed kinships and alliances with the natives, and soon marriages between these foreign traders and native women became

customary. Such relationships were the basis for the cultural give and take that took place extensively in Kerala.

Islamic religion in Kerala

There are varying and conflicting opinions on the arrival of Islam in Kerala. Some believe that Islam had gained a presence in Kerala during the time of Prophet Muhammad himself (570–632 CE), and that the traders had spread their religion across the world since then. There is, nevertheless, tangible proof that Islam has been spreading in Kerala ever since the 7th century CE. In his work, the Tuhfat al-Mujahidin, Sheikh Zainuddin has intricately chronicled events such as the conversion of Cheraman Perumal to Islam, and the arrival at Kodungallur, with the Perumal’s letter, by a party consisting of Malik ibn Dinar, Sharaf ibn Malik, Malik ibn Habib, his wife Khumariya, their children and their followers. The king had greeted the group warmly, and allowed them to build a mosque in Kodungallur; it is now known to be the first-ever mosque to be constructed in India. Malik Dinar and his son-in-law Malik Habib soon headed north, and the others headed south, to spread the word of Islam; they established mosques in places like Barkur, Mangalapuram, Kasargod, Ezhimala, Shrikantapuram, Dharmadam, Pantalayani, Kollam and Chaliyam.

The Mappilas

The community that arose as a result of this Arab-Kerala friendship are known as the Mappilas; they have been in Kerala long before Islam had begun to spread in the state. Keralites who had a blood relation with foreigners were referred to as the Mappilas. 'Along with the Muslims, even the Christians and Jews in Kerala were referred to as Mappilas. The practice of using different terms for each religion, like Jonakamappila, Nasranimappila, and Joodamappila, is still familiar in Southern Kerala. It used to be common practice to refer to those who simply associated with

foreign traders as Mappilas. As northern Kerala barely had a Christian or Jewish population, the phrase subsequently evolved to mean Muslims exclusively (M. Gangadharan 2004:11).'

The Arab traders generally stayed for three or four months in Kerala while they oversaw their business, and it was common practice for them to have affiliations with the local women during this time. The Arabs being the chief source of trade between the two countries, such affiliations were encouraged by the kings and local rulers of the region. A heterogeneous community was, therefore, formed due to this Arab-Kerala relationship— the Mappilas.

It was these Mappilas who had first accepted Islam, influenced by the teachings of the Arabian Prophet. There are multitudes of opinions and stances on the origins of the word ‘Mappila’. Shamsullah Khadiri opines that it’s an amalgamation of the two words ‘ma’ and ‘pilla’, and that it translates to ‘mother’s child’; A.P. Ibrahim Kunju, on the other hand, has argued that it’s an abbreviation of ‘maha pilla’, which, he claims, was a term of respect that the locals used to address the foreign traders. Balakrishnan Vallikkunnu, meanwhile, theorised that it’s a corruption of the term ‘maflah’, meaning farmer, and that it was utilised when the Arabs began to engage in agricultural activities. The ‘maha pilla’ theory has, so far, achieved more widespread acceptance than the others, and is endorsed by personalities such as William Logan and K.P. Padmanabha Menon.

Again, the term ‘mappila’ translates to ‘son-in-law’, in both Malayalam and Tamil. The locals began referring to them as Mappilas in this sense, as the foreign traders began marrying the local women. Even today, Malabari Muslims refer to grooms as ‘putiyappila’, blending the words ‘puthiya’ (new) and ‘mappila’.

Mappila culture

As Islam began gaining a dynamic presence, the Mappilas began integrating the religion into the traditional culture of Kerala. Thus a major give and take has happened in the rituals and ceremonies between Hindus and Muslims. This is apparent in the functions connected with the ceremonies of Sufi dargahs, which were directly linked to the local trade and agricultural practices of those times. For example, in nerchas, or local festivals, the practice of chenda melam (chenda performance) and prasadam (offering to gods) distribution is evidently influenced by Hindu rituals. Even the style of dikir dua is similar to the bhajan-kirtan performances at Hindu temples. Social perspective of Hindu and Muslim festivals are also the same. Thus, these ritual practices have succeeded in maintaining unity while retaining diversity in the belief systems.

A similarity can also be observed in the costume and colours of many art forms like Kathakali. The costumes of female performers of Kathakali resemble that of a Muslim woman. It is important to note that Mappila characters are found in many rituals in Kerala. For example, we can cite some Muslim characters in Theyyaattam, the main ritualistic art form of North Kerala. Alitheyyam, Mukritheyyam, Babriyan Neythiyar, etc. are some of the major Mappila Theyyams. The costumes of Mappila Theyyams are the same as that of Malabar Mappilas. Azaan calling and Niskaram are also part of the ritualistic traditions of Mappila Theyyams. There is similarity between the art forms of Kerala, and the architecture of Kerala as well. Kolkali of Mappilas is a variation of Kolattam and Koladipattu prevalent among the Nair women of Kerala. While the mischief of Lord Krishna was the plot of Kolattam, Mappilas used songs praising Allah and other prophets while performing Kolkali. Again, Parichamuttu of Mappilas is a variation of Hindu Parichakali. Thus, it may be said that it is the culmination of this give and take in rituals, traditions and art forms that have created a mixed culture for the Mappilas.

Mappila language

Mappila Malayalam is the variant of Malayalam adapted by the Mappilas for the day-to-day business of life. In historical documents and official records, Malabar Muslims are mentioned as Mappila Malayalees and their spoken script as Mappila Malayalam.

In addition to Malayalam, Mappila Malayalam is rich in vocabulary and expressions, and also has influences of languages such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindustani, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. There are no hard and fast rules in the structure, grammar or choice of expressions in Mappila Malayalam. We can notice many expressions depicting the essential Muslim cultural identity of Kerala. It was not only a spoken script, but also a literary language. Several literary forms, both in spoken and written language, have originated in Mappila Malayalam.

Arabi Malayalam

Arabi Malayalam is the system of writing Malayalam language using the Arabic script. There are two main arguments on the origins of Arabi Malayalam; the first one claims that Arabi Malayalam was created by the Arabs themselves. One of the main reasons why the Arabs came to Kerala, apart from trade, of course, was to propagate their religion. However, both conducting their business and spreading Islam was impossible with the limited communication skills they had in Malayalam. A language, specifically for the purpose of introducing the locals to Islamic ideas and practices, thus became a necessity. The lack of a common language was causing a crisis. Another issue was the recitation of the Quran, for which the Arabic language was obligatory. Since many of the earliest Islamic rituals were conducted in the Arabic script, it soon became imperative that the Keralites be taught the script. Instead of the native script, the Arabs encouraged the use of the Arabic script to write the native language. This resulted in the tradition of using the Arabic script for a multitude of local languages. Arabi Tamil, Arabi Kannada, Arabi Bengali, Arabi Kashmiri, Arabi Turkistani, Arabi Barkuri (Badgali), Arabi Mali, Arabi Malaysia, Arabi Pashto, Hindustani, Farsi, Arabi Sindhi, Arabi Turki, Arabi Svisli (Svakhliya), Arabi Unthlus, Arabi Tashkent, etc. are examples of this

phenomenon.

To aid communication and propagation of religion, writing foreign languages in the Arabic script was common in those times. O. Abu and C.K. Karim both advocate the theory that Arabi Malayalam was created by the Arabs (Abu 1970:21).

'In the former half of the 1st century AH, Muslims had started writing the regional languages of the countries that they had reached, as part of migration or for religious propagation, in the Arabic script; hence, it is quite natural to believe that when they reached Malabar in 9th century AD, they started writing their language in the Arabic script' (Jaleel 1989:279).

The second theory of origin claims that the Arabs didn’t deliberately create Arabi Malayalam at all, and that natives who knew the Arabic script gradually developed it after beginning to use it in their day-to-day lives. The Mappilas initially learned the Arabic script for religious reasons. They may have first used this system to record the religious aspects of their spoken language. In the early days, there was a feeling that it’s inappropriate to write the Quran or any other sacred texts, scriptures and hymns in any other script, because it was believed that the Arabic script had been bestowed by God. Because of this, the Muslims of Kerala were forced to develop a new script, and it is clear that the Arabi Malayalam script was an outcome of this. Modelled on the Arabic alphabet, it was given extra letters to make sure that it served both languages with ease. Like the Arabic script, this too is written from right to left.

Since Arabi Malayalam was a medium of expression designed for the cultural beliefs and notions of Muslims, it naturally acquired a stronger hold of Arabic and Persian vocabulary, in that the script doesn’t possess grammatical rules or structure, it is different from Malayalam. The system of writing foreign languages in Arabic alphabet was prevalent in Kerala even before the Muslim population had substantially increased to sustain a

cultural identity of its own. Ever since AD 1206, since Qutb-ud-din Aibak had made Delhi his capital and had begun his rule, there had been Muslim rulers in India. Languages that use modified Arabic scripts, like Urdu and Persian, had become the Sultanate’s official languages. Although Kerala never came under the rule of the Sultan, the influence it had on North India subsequently began to sway Kerala as well. All the early works composed in Arabi Malayalam were all written in coastal areas like Thalasseri and Ponnani. Arabi Malayalam began attaining growth in the 18th and 19th centuries, when Islam began to spread into more inland areas.

We have, in front of us, the history of how Chera Tamizhu has evolved into an amalgamation of languages, Manipravalam, and modern Malayalam, due to the influence of brahminical hegemony. The language mix, which we call Urdu, is the result of Muslim power in North India. The historical background for the origin and growth of Mappila Malayalam is the cultural leadership of Cheraman Perumal, who went to Mecca after converting to Islam, the Arakkal Dynasty, and Alimarakkar, who are the guardian figures of Malabar, along with the short lived rule of Tipu Sultan. (M. N. Karasseri 1978:5)

Sooranadu Kunjanpilla, who has conducted an in-depth study of both the history of Kerala and the development of literature in the mother tongue, says on the subject:

It is heard that there are thousands of published and unpublished prose and poetry works in Arabi Malayalam. During my Kerala journey, I’ve had man of them read out to me. There are books of high standards on all sciences, and dictionaries. If the successors of Arakkal Ali Raja of Kannur subsequently ruled Kerala, the accepted alphabet of Malayalam would have been Arabi Malayalam. (Yuvakeralam 2.3)

Upgradation of the Arabi Malayalam script

If we are to analyse early Arabi Malayalam books such as Vellattimas Ala and Niskarappattu, we can see that the Arabi Malayalam script of the time only had 35 letters. It may have been the first ever script to have been adapted and designed for the use of Malayalam. It was much more

scientifically and popularly used, as compared to Vatteluttu and Koleluttu. Among the earliest reformers of the Arabi Malayalam script were Mamburam Sayyid Alavi Thangal, his son Sayyid Fadl Pookoya Thangal, their contemporaries and famous religious scholars like Valiyankode Umer Qazi and Avvakkoya Musliyar. In the first half of the 19th century, an Arabi Malayalam news magazine called Hidayathul Ikhvan was being published from Tirurangadi, whose owner was Mamburam Sayyid Abdulkoya Thangal. Thangal’s script upgradations were given a considerable boost by Master C. Syed Ali Kutty, who was among the most prominent reformers of the Kerala Muslims. He was a Mappila school inspector, and an accomplished scholar of Arabi Malayalam. Maulana Abdurahman Makhdum Thangal, Shujai Moythu Musliyar—author of Fathul Fattah (three volumes), complete abridged works of Faydul Hayat and Saphalamala epic (spiritual history)—and others played a major role in the upgradation of the Arabi Malayalam script. Sayyid Sanaulla Makti Thangal was another prominent figure here, and he wrote the Muallim ul Ikhvan. The upgradations quoted in this textbook were modelled on the Urdu script, due to which his work didn’t enjoy as much popularity as expected. Makti Thangal ran an Arabi Malayalam newspaper called Tuhfat Ul Akhyar Va Hidayathul Ashrar, which was published from Kochi for about a year; in this, he had employed the upgraded script he had quoted in the Muallim ul Ikhvan. Makthi Thangal’s friend Chennattuvalappil Haidero Subnu Abdurahiman, alias Adima Musliyar, wrote the Ikhrasul Inay Fi Sharhi Bidayathil, a work spanning more than 900 pages, and it was written in the likes of Makthi Thangal’s upgraded script.

It was Maulana Chalilakattu Kunjahmed Haji who upgraded the Arabi Malayalam script to suit modern Malayalam. He pointed out the shortcomings that prevailed in Makti Thangal’s version of the script. He wrote and printed the popularly accepted Arabi Malayalam alphabet, and in 1311 AH, created the first proper alphabet for the language. In 1912, Kunjahmed Haji himself wrote and published an upgraded version of the Arabi Malayalam alphabet, with indications to the mother tongue. Even during that time, from Alappuzha, Maulana Sulaiman Ubnu, Adam Musliyar and his disciple Vakkom Muhammad Abdul Khader had made efforts concerning the improvement of the Arabi Malayalam script. Nevertheless, it was Chalilakathu Kunjahmed Musliyar’s version of the script that the community eventually accepted and carried forward.

It was not just in script but also in sound that Arabi Malayalam had its distinctions. Only 15 Arabi Malayalam letters (a, ba, ta, ja, o, ra, sa, sha, ka, la, ma, na, ba, ha and ya) have equivalents in the Malayalam script; there are no unique sounds in Malayalam to pronounce the rest of the letters in the alphabet. For this reason, it’s incorrect to consider Arabi Malayalam as a variant form of the Malayalam script. Similarly, simply removing the Arabic vocabulary from the language won’t convert it into Malayalam. It’s impossible to deny that Arabi Malayalam is a language that was formed with importance given to the objective of improving communication between Malayalees and Arabs, and vice versa. Even before the Arabi Malayalam script had been formed, as a result of trade and other interactions, Arabic words had come into Malayalam, and vice versa. Arabi Malayalam is not a distinct, independent language from Malayalam. It’s only the script that is Arabic. When read, the sound and meaning is the same as Malayalam.

Arabi Malayalam writers

There were scores of Arabi Malayalam writers who gained prominence by their novelty and originality in their presentation and themes. Here, writers such as Khasi Muhammad, Kunjayin Musliyar, Mappila Aalim, Umar Labba, Manantekath Kunjikkoyathangal, Mundambra Unni Mammad, Chakkiri Moideen Kutty, M.A. Imbichi, Nallalam Biran, Naalakattu Kunji Moideen Kutty, Kunjiseetikkoya Thangal, P.T. Birankutty, Sujayi Moytu Musliyar, Icchamasthan, Mattungal Kunjikkoya, Chettuvay Pareekutty, C.A. Hassankutty, Pulikkottil Haider, Moyinkutty Vaidyar, K.N. Mammunji and Birankutty Musliyar deserve mention for their roles as creators of new writing techniques. Very few women writers have composed texts in Arabi Malayalam; some prominent names worthy of consideration are K. Aminakutty, P.K. Haleema, V. Ayeshakutty, and C.H. Kunjayesha. Among the more unique features of Arabi Malayalam are the clear and simple style of writing and a rural conversational vocabulary.

Arabi Malayalam literature

Considering the extremely limited usage of the language just three centuries earlier, it’s astonishing that by the 10th century AH, the popular usage of Arabi Malayalam had grown considerably compared to that of Malayalam. It was during this period that an explosion of literary creativity and imagination took place among the Muslims of Kerala, and this explosion created a vibrant intellectual society among them. New standards and values emerged in Kerala literature. The creative vision of the Mappila community reached its zenith in the 13th century AH. If one were to explore the motivating force of this vibrant creativity, one will reach events that have gone unrecorded in Kerala history and brings to light the history of Kerala Muslims in the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th century.

Considering Arabi Malayalam, a language that was formed with the aim of religious propagation, it’s natural that most texts composed in Arabi Malayalam revolve around themes of Islamic religion and history; nonreligious texts are comparatively fewer in number. Once could say that virtually all Arabi Malayalam works were written with the intention of religious teaching kept in mind. In the initial stages, poetry was more popular, while prose began developing further on. Its prose was written in a simple, conversational style, in a way that seemed as if the author was speaking directly to the readers. However, there are very few original writings in Arabi Malayalam prose. Most of them are translations or adaptations of Arabic texts, but no work is a word-to-word translation. Instead of prose, they call it translation. For example, the independent work by Padoor Poyakutty Thangal is titled Baithullyam Tharjama (Baithullyam Translation). Original texts were often presented as translations to get credibility of religion and belief.

Arabi Malayalam prose can be divided into creative prose and scientific prose. Scientific literature includes religion, history, medicine, linguistics, astrology, astronomy, sex, interpretation of dreams and tantric texts. The main section under scientific literature includes translation of the Quran,

Islamic laws, Islamic philosophy, texts on the science of action (Karma Shastra), etc. There are defined rituals and systems under Islamic worship practices, whose detailed accounts are given by Islamic texts on Karma Shastra. Islamic social laws are not discussed here. Instead, it’s all about the detailed explanations on the need for worship practices. Baithullyam, written by Padoor Koyakutty Thangal, is the most important text among this. Other texts that come under the same category are books written in Arabic, such as Humdathil Muzwallin, Riyalu Swalihin and Fathul Mu’in. Creative literature is comparatively less in Arabi Malayalam prose, but there are a few historical stories based on Islamic history, some translations of Persian and Arabic novels, and some small novels. Six years before Chandu Menon wrote Indulekha, Chahar Darvesh, the Persian novel written by Amir Khusrau in 1303 AH, was translated and published in Arabi Malayalam. There are about 50 novels, which are either translations or original, in Arabi Malayalam. Important among them are Umaraiyyar Kissa, Khamarussaman, Noor Jehan, Mantri Kumara Charitram, Amir Hamza (Five parts), Shamsussaman, Alfu Laila Laila (translation), Badarul Muneer Husnul Jamal (prose translation) and Kalsanobarod Enthu Cheythu. The novels like Khadeeja Kutty, by K.C. Komukkutty Maulvi, which was serialised in the Islam magazine Nisa ul Islam. Sainaba and Khider Nabiye Kanda Nafeesa by K.K. Muhammad Jamaluddin Maulvi Saheb and Subaida by Syedallavi Koya Thangal are on par with any modern novel.

A major share of Arabi Malayalam literature is poetry. They are unique in choice of words, theme and composition. There was a clear methodology involved. This poetic part can be classified as both scientific and creative. Scientific texts in poetry originated as a prerequisite for Islamic teachers, to introduce the dry prosaic texts to the general public. Most of these are religious texts, which include philosophy, belief systems and rituals. Some are history-based. Thus, Arabi Malayalam is rich in variety and mixed with many streams of thought and methodology.

Present state of Arabi Malayalam

Even after the Malayalam language has become more popular and Malayalam literature has a dominant presence, Arabi Malayalam continued as the literary language of Mappilas. But after the majority of the Muslim population advanced educationally, they started discussing the anomaly in continuing with the practice of writing Malayalam in the Arabic alphabet. Along with this, many Muslims have emerged who can write with finesse in Malayalam. There were also differences of opinion about the language style, and also about the selections of themes with Islamic foundation.

Some Islamic organisations started criticising the ideas and approaches in Maalappattu, and similar texts based on religious beliefs. They also criticised the ritualistic aspects of Nerchappattu. Such religious and educational reforms have led to a reduction in the practice of writing in Arabi Malayalam. Mappila writers have started writing in Malayalam. But the Sunni Muslims of Kerala still write and publish periodicals in Arabi Malayalam as part of their efforts to sustain this style of language. Some of the madrasa texts of Samastha Kerala Islamic Educational Board at Chelari in Malappuram, and part of the publication Al’mu’alleem are being published in Arabi Malayalam. Al’mu’alleem can be considered as the only publication in the modern times which publishes in Arabi Malayalam. Now the only link that the Muslims in Kerala have with Arabi Malayalam are the madrasa texts.

References

Abu O. 1970. Arabi Malayala Sahityacharitram. Kottayam: National Bookstall.

Gangadharan M. 2004. Mappila Padanangal. Kozhikode: Vachanam Books.

Jaleel K.A. 1989. Lipikalum Manavasamskaravum. Tiruvananthapuram: Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Institute.

Karasseri M.N. 1989. Works of Pulikkottil Hyder. Vandur: Mappila Kalasahityavedi.

Panikar K.M. 1957. Keralathinte Swathanthriyasamaram.

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Arabi Malayalam Literature and Languages in Bibliography

Arabi Malayalam Mappila Songs Mappilas of Malabar Muslim Reform Movements North Kerala

Studies in English Arnaldez, Roger. 2000. Averroes: A Rationalist in Islam. Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press.

Bonin, Therese. 2007. A Muslim Perspective on Philosophy & Religion: The Decisive of Averroes. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University.

Chand, Thara. 1922. Influence of Muslims in Indian Culture. Allahabad: The Indian Press Ltd.

Ibrahim Kunh, A.P. 1983. Mappila Muslims of Kerala. Tiruvananthapuram: Sandhya Publications.

Karassery, M.N., 1995. Kerala Muslims: A Historical Perspective, New Delhi: Ajanta Publishers.

Lakshmi L.R.S., 2012. Malabar Muslims- A Different Perspective, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press India Ltd.

Miller Ronald, E. 1976. Mappila Muslims of Kerala. Madras: Orient Longman.

Morgan, Micheal, H. 2008. Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists. Washington: National Geographic Society.

Muhammed Koya, S.M. 1983. Mappilas of Malabar. Calicut: Sandhya Publications.

Panikker T.K., Gopalan. 1900. Malabar and its Folk. Madras(Chennai): G.A. Natesan and Co.

Randathani, Hussain. 2007. Mappila Muslims: A Study on Society and anti-colonial Struggles. Calicut; Other Books.

Sadiq, Jahfar. 2016. ‘Interface between Language, Script and Religion: A Small Fleeting Look into Arabimalayalm of Malabar Region in Kerala, India’, Research Scholar 4.4:259–64. Online at http://www.researchscholar.co.in/downloads/39-jahfar-sadiq.pdf (viewed on August 1, 2017).

Watt, W. Montgomery. 1963. Muslim Intellectual: A Study of Al-Ghazali. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Press

Studies in Malayalam Hamsa, T.K. 2006. Mappilappattinte Maaduryam. Kozhikode: Olive Books

Mammadkoya, Parappil. 1994. Kozhikotte Muslimukalude Charitram. Kozhikode: Focus Publications.

Muhammadali, V.P. 2007. Mappilapattukal Noottandukaliloode. Trissur: Current Books.

Muhammadkunji, P.K. 1982. Muslimukalum Keralasamskaravum. Trissur: Kerala Sahitya Academy.

Vallikunnu, Balakrishnan and Ummar Tharamel. 2006. Mappilappattu Padavum Padanavum. Kottayam: D.C. Books.

Links 'A Lesser Known Strand of Indian Literature'

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Arabi Malayalam Literature and Languages in Image Gallery

Arabi Malayalam Script Images of scripts of verses and cover pages of magazines in Arabi Malayalam

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Arabi Malayalam: In Conversation with M.N. Karassery Literature and Languages in Interview

Arabi Malayalam Mappilas of Malabar Malabar Kozhikode Islam Mappila Songs Azeez Taruvana is in conversation with M.N. Karassery in Kozhikode, 2017.

Azeez Taruvana: After Muhyadheen Mala (first book to be published in Arabi Malayalam, written by Khali Muhammed) was published, thousands of books came out in Arabi Malayalam. What were the themes these books dealt with in the beginning?

M. N. Karassery: To say that more than a thousand books were published is probably an exaggeration. People remember Muhyadheen Mala beacause it is the text of Qadiriya Tariqat. If I remember correctly, printing in Arabi Malayalam began in 1860. A person called Theekkookil Kunhammed introduced the printing press at Thalassery in Kerala. Muhyadheen Mala was written sometime in 1607. Between 1607 and 1840, there might have been books written and published too. It is highly probable that many handwritten copies too might have been lost. Kunhayan Musliyar wrote Kappa pattu and Nool madhu about 150 years after Muhyadheen Mala came out. The major running theme in those first works is devotion. Mala pattu (pattu means songs in Malayalam) were mostly about the Prophet, disciples of the Prophet, the sheikhs of Tareeqat, or the martyrs. Most of it is available only in the oral tradition. A deviation from this theme happened with the arrival of Moyinkutty Vaidyar (18521892) on the literary scene.

A.T.: Were there works in Arabi Malayalam that could be broadly called secular or could be enjoyed by other communities as well?

M.N.K.: By secular work we mean the kind of work that deals with themes outside the ambit of any religion. For e.g., theme of love, nature, revenge, bereavement, etc. These are basic human emotions that have no

connect to any religion. Let us take the example of Badarul Jamal (Badarul Muneer Husunul Jamal written by Moyinkutty Vaidyar). It is secular because it deals with love, struggle, search, loss, etc. There is no religion in it. Almost all themes in the songs of Pulikkottil Hyder also are non-religious. For example, Kalappoottu pattu. There is no religion in it. Same is the case with Anchalkaranum Kollakkaranum, or Nari Nayattu. It means that in the case of such songs that deal with basic human feelings, writing or appreciating them has nothing to do with religious beliefs.

Sometimes devotional songs also will be appreciated by people who aren’t particularly religious. An example is Jnanappana (written by 16th century Poothanam). This can be enjoyed by people who aren’t Krishna or Vishnu devotees and across religions and communities.

For e.g. take these two lines: Fighting over positions of power Some people lead a shameful existence

Such worldly wisdom can be found in texts like Aydhatma Ramayana (Ezhuthachhan) and Narayaneeyam (Melpathoor Bhattathiripadi) which are basically Hindu devotional verses. But they are appreciated by nonHindus too because they are full of what the English call ‘wisdom’ and philosophical thoughts.

Such kind of wisdom can be found in Arabi Malayalam verses too. For eg. take Muhyadheen Mala. It is an Islamic devotional text. It is an ode to Sheikh Abdul Khader Jilani, the Sheikh of Qadiriyya Tareeqat. But there are many things in it that can be appreciated by everyone else. Let me elucidate it with a story from the verse.

When Sheik Jilani was a child, one day he got ready to go to the madrassa. His mother sews twelve gold coins to the inside of his dress. She then tells him never to lie. So the young Jilani sets out. When he reaches a forested area, he is stopped by robbers. They ask him, ‘What have you got with you?’ And he tells them the truth that he has twelve gold coins with him.

Mother advised never to lie And so he gave all the gold to the robbers.

Such ethical values, whether they are part of any devotional works or belong to a particular religion, can be imbibed and appreciated by everyone regardless of their beliefs. Like any other branch of literature, Mappila songs too offer such values.

Muhyuddin Mala is rich with beautiful imageries and poetic imaginations. For eg.

When he walked in the thick dark His finger burned bright like a torch.

When Muhyuddin Sheikh walked in the utter darkness, he turned his finger into a burning torch to see the way. His followers take this story as one of his divine miracles (Khiramatt). What a beautiful imagery! I would say that it can be interpreted as his attempt to throw light on the darkness of ignorance that enveloped the society. Also we can say, if you don’t burn up your life you won’t find that light that will show the way for you. There is also another story related to this. Once, when Sheikh Jilani was writing, lights went out and his finger lit up like a lamp and he continued to write. These are all poetic metaphors. I see the miracles mentioned in the mala songs of Arabi Malayalam as metaphors.

A.T.: What was the extent of the contribution by Arabi Malayalam magazines to the Muslim reform movements in 19th century Kerala?

M.N.: They did play a great part. The magazines in Arabi Malayalam like Al Islam, Al Muslim etc. published by the prominent reformer of the Muslim community Vaikom Muhammed Abdul Khader should be remembered here. These magazines gave much space to the reform movements, especially to those of the Muslim women. The Arabi Malayalam women’s magazine called Niza-ul-Islam (Woman in Islam) was published from Kozhikode in 1929. He first started it for Muslim women only, because they did not know how to read and write in Malayalam. His magazine dealt with many topics like women’s education, religious education, and also imparted knowledge of customs and rituals. In Islam, while there is an orthodox line called Khurafat, there is also a stream which resists this. For example, Vakkom Abdul Khader translated Kimiya-yi Sa’adat. In it he upgraded the script of Arabi Malayalam. Another reformer was Sanaullah Makthi Thangal. He was born in 1847 in Veliyamkott near Ponnani and died in 1912. He was 56 years old when the SNDP Yogam (the organization that worked for reforming the Ezhava community in Kerala) was formed in 1903. But outside the Muslim community the general public is unaware of his contributions to the social reform process. His first work was in Malayalam script called Katthara Kutthoram. But those outside the Muslim community have never really known about the reformative efforts he had made.

The contribution of Mappila songs genre in the reformative movement of Muslim community is exceptional. The songs like Duracharamala, Kathukuthumala etc, written in Arabi Malayalam, by Pulikkottil Hyder deal with superstitions and blind customs.

According to me, that fact Arabi Malayalam works in those times had major female characters is itself very remarkable. The beautiful verse by Moyinkutty Vaidyar—Badarul Muneer Husunul Jamal (1872)—has a

woman as its central character. She is a princess who is educated, learns music and dance, and elopes with her lover who is the son of a minister. This elopement is planned by the girl and not by the boy. So it is one of the first texts in which a woman comes as a central character. You should remember that this book was published in 1872. Vaidyar was questioned by the elders of the community at Kondotty Pazhaya Palli (mosque), because he used the theme of ‘love’ in his work.

In the introduction to the complete works of V.T. Bhattathiripad, K.C. Narayanan says that it was Bhattathiripad who taught the Namboodiri how to love. There was no romance in Malayalam literature before 20th century. It was forty years after Badarul Muneer Husnul Jamal came out that Kumaran Ashan’s Nalini, Athava, Oru Sneham (Nalini or Love) came out. Why did he add ‘or love’? We wouldn’t have understood it otherwise. Living and dying for love, that wasn’t an idea that was present in our culture; it was never a theme in our folk songs like Vadakkan pattu, Thekkan pattu, Thacholi pattu, etc. Instead, they all featured bravery, murder, revenge, and other themes along these same lines, but not love. It was just not an idea that we understood.

Ashan’s Nalini is his own work, while Moyinkutty Vaidyar’s verse is a translation of an Urdu poem. We must keep that in mind. However, to write about a person who lives and dies for love was an adventurous attempt back then. It was a sort of declaration of freedom.

A.T.: The Mappilas had played a very active role in our freedom struggle. How did those struggles reflect in the Arabi Malayalam literature including the Mappila songs?

M.N.K.: Well, for one, I don’t know how historically accurate it is to link Arabi Malayalam with the arrival of the Portuguese, because they arrived in the year 1488, while there is no exact year for the publication of Arabi Malayalam. Muhyudhin Mala was written in 1607—the beginning of the

17th century AD— however, if you look at the poem itself, we can tell that Mappila songs existed much earlier, because there is so much maturity in its language and style. It’s also possible that it was the first book that they thought was important enough to be written down, as the others might have been oral—like lullabies, for instance, or songs sung at marriages. Even back then, most songs that were written were about the living conditions of human beings. It was the same for Mappilas, as they were basically farmers and labourers.

The Mappilas defied imperialism. As proof you just need to consider the historical fact that from 1500 AD to 1600 AD, four Kunhali Marakkars had fought vehemently against the British. There was a man called Kunhi Marakkar. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him.

A.T.: Kunji Marakkar Shaheed?

M.N.K.: Yes, Kunji Marakkar Shaheed. He fought against the Portuguese. Kottupalli Mala deals with that story. Being about brave men and martyrs, Mala Pattukal or Mala songs were almost entirely anti-colonial and antiimperialist.

At the time when the Portuguese came to Malabar, the Muslims didn’t face any problems here. They were significant figures in mainstream society. The Zamorins respected them, and there was even a position called Shah Bandar Koya. Everyone remembers the Kunjali Marakkars as brave naval chiefs. They also engaged in trade. It was the Zamorin who nominated the Kozhikode Khazi.

In 1571, there was a rebellion against the Portuguese in Chaliyam, near Beypore, where the Muslim and Nair soldiers came together and demolished their fort. The fort was built by the Portuguese because they

earned the favour of the king of Vettathu Nadu. There was every possibility that the Portuguese, with the help of that fort, could have ended the Zamorin’s rule. This was what sparked the rebellion.

The Portuguese demolished a mosque. They believed that the presence of the Arab and Muslim community were making their trade difficult. They were interested in spreading both business and religion. Also, when the Arabs came here, they only wanted pepper and not the land, while the Portuguese wanted both. There was no politics before their arrival. It was the Portuguese that brought in politics here. In 1876 Badaru Padappattu was written. When Moyinkutty Vaidyar wrote Badaru Padappattu, the intention was not just to tell the history of Badaru. Even if you’re in the minority, if you don’t have money, even if you have nothing, you fight for your own ideals, and that is what the Badaru Padappattu represents. If I give you an example now, there’s a saying that goes like this:

Vahajiranda vaaku kettu Muntimoonda haideram.

During the Khilafat, people recited this and then headed out to the battle. There isn’t much to say about its history. It was written against the immigrants and local administrators who sided with the British.

A.T.: Weren’t there numerous texts that were confiscated and banned by the British?

M.N.K.: Yes. Among the works that the British had confiscated were the Malappuram Padappattu (Malappuram war songs). People were prohibited from writing, spreading, or singing the Malappuram Padappattu written by Moyinkutty Vaidyar. Most of Vaidyar’s works

were banned. It wasn’t T. Ubaid, or any of those scholars, who first wrote about Moyinkutty Vaidyar; rather, it was Fosset who was the Malabar Police Superintendent. He was studying Moyinkutty Vaidyar in 1900. In an article that appeared in Indian Antiquery, titled War Songs of Malabar, he had quoted some translated parts of Vaidyar’s works. In fact, he learned Arabi Malayalam in order to do the translation. The British always kept an eye on the voices that rose against them. There is no need to even doubt whether Vaidyar was anti-colonial. As they say in English, ‘It goes without saying’. There isn’t even a need to question it.

A.T.: How does Arabi Malayalam fare today?

M.N.: Arabi Malayalam, well, it is being taught in madrassas today, but in my opinion, there is no need for that at all. The reason why I think so, is that for these children—I’m speaking as someone who had learnt Arabi Malayalam in a madrassa—they find it difficult to distinguish between Arabic letters, the Malayalam letters and what is Arabi Malayalam. For instance, the children won’t able to grasp that the letter zha (ḻa), that is in Malayalam, but doesn’t exist in Arabic, because they have been writing the name Kozhikode in Arabi Malayalam. So, like I said, it’s difficult to distinguish between Arabi Malayalam, Arabic, and Malayalam. To give another example, telling a Muslim child that Malayalam words do not start with the consonant ña won’t make much sense, because they have been saying words Nabi and Nafeesa, and in English they’ve been saying the word Nib. This won’t happen in Malayalam. In Malayalam, it will be pronounced na; the consonant will be dental, and never palatal. There are many such examples. For instance, Malayalam does not have a fa sound; only pha exists. It only has words like Phalitam. But how can you explain this to a child, who has been writing names like Fatima in Malayalam, even if it literally transliterates to Phatima? Or the name Philip in English, to take another example. They still use this letter [to represent the sound fa]. Therefore, such confusions prevail.

See, I would generally not have as much of a problem with such confusions, as they can be corrected later on. The fact is that teaching this

language is pointless; it is a waste of time. You’re not writing letters in this language. You’re not writing diaries. You’re not using this language at all. Who reads these texts? Maybe a few people like me who have to. We can learn it separately too, like we could with Vattezhuttu and Kolezhuttu. Here, there’s thousands of madrassas, with tens of thousands of students, [they’re learning this all the while] they could have spent their time in learning Arabic or Malayalam. Actually it is not just me who says that learning Malayalam is necessary for studying Islam. Sanaullah Makthi Thangal said it first. He knew Arabic, Malayalam, English, and Farsi. He was a great scholar, a great modernizer. He said that if you’re a Malayali Muslim, the language you should be learning is Malayalam, and not Arabic. The consequence of all this, is that our children are not learning neither Malayalam nor Arabic in the proper way.

Arabi Malayalam texts should be preserved as printed copies, transliterated copies in Malayalam, and as audio and video files. I’ve devoted a great part of my life to the study and preservation of these texts. However, I believe—and I want to make it clear that this is just my opinion—that today’s children should not be forced to study this language. I have written an article on this, in fact. It’s not the first time I am saying this. It’s something I’ve always argued for. Even Basheer (Vaikom Muhammed Basheer) himself had termed this a 600-700 year-old-folly. Even Moyinkutty wrote in Malayalam. I’ll give you another example. We normally say that it was Ulloor S. Parameshwara Iyer (1877-1949) who first wrote the history of Kerala in verse‒Uma Keralam. However, what we don’t realize is the fact that Moyinkutty Vaidyar had written Malappuram Padappattu when Ulloor was just a 15-year old school-going boy. It is a poem on an uprising in the Malabar region. No one even remembers the Malappuram Padappattu today.

A.T.: It is not written in Malayalam, isn’t it?

M.N.K.: See, it is about Kerala history, isn’t it? The Malappuram Padappattu is about a [significant] event in Kerala history. Granted it was written in Arabi Malayalam; it has a lot of Arabic in it, it has a lot of

Malayalam, it has a lot of Sanskrit, all of that. However, [we have to consider the fact that] it is a poem. For instance, if the Badarul Muneer Husnul Jamal was written in the Malayalam script, the course of Kerala’s cultural history itself would’ve been entirely different. If the Muhyadheen Mala was written in Malayalam, what a big thing it would have been!

A.T.: Are there efforts at the government level, by the cultural institutions including the Moyinkutty Vadyar Memorial, to preserve the Arabi Malayalam texts?

M.N.K.: There is a research library at the Moyinkutty Vaidyar Memorial at Kondotti. They have a collection of old manuscripts. They have published the transliterated works of Moyinkutty Vaidyar in two volumes. Pulikkottil didn’t write it himself; rather, he recited his songs to his friend Pokkavil Aimol, who wrote it down in Arabi Malayalam. Later, these got printed in the Malayalam script. So his texts were transliterated in the Malayalam script during his own lifetime. He died at 93 years of age in 1979. Among the Mappila song writers it was Moyinkutty Vaidyar who died the youngest. He died when he was 40 years of age.

A.T.: Were there any women writing in Arabi Malayalam?

M.N.K.: Of course, there are. Jamila Bibi from Andrott Island who died recently was a Mappila song writer. I knew her personally. Many of her songs have been printed and published. And much earlier on, there were several women writers like Kundil Kunjamina, V. Ayeshakutty, Aleema Bibi etc. Chandana Sundari Mala by P.K. Haleema is a notable work. Women have written a variety of songs like lullabies, songs in praise of women, songs sung when the new bride is welcomed, wedding songs etc. In wedding gatherings, there used to be a custom to produce instant songs. Songs are song competitively, ex-tempore. Quick paced, freestyle poetry. They make it up as they sing. On such an occasion, a woman sang like this:

Pattu kondu choottu ketti pottu kutthum Njan edi. (Roughly translated as ‘Girl, I will put a bindi on the forehead with songs’)

K.G. Sankara Pillai’s poem Bengal has lines very similar to the above.

Paattu kondu Choottu ketti Rajakkanmarude mohattu kutthuka. (Make a bundle of songs and stab the face of kings with it)

It’s very unlikely that KGS had ever heard the first verse. The woman who sang it lived much before he wrote Bengal. Clearly, the sense of poetry and rhythm wasn’t exclusive to men. Women had it just as well, only there wasn’t much of an effort to shed light on it, or preserve it.

A.T.: When we talk of works written by women, were there works that were not only written by women, but also talks about the problems that women face, and their liberation- women’s writing, as we call it today? Did such works exist [in Arabi Malayalam]?

M.N.K.: No, because these are issues that have come up in mainstream

discussion only in current times. The songs of those times, for e.g. the oppana paattukkal or wedding songs described simple things like a young woman and her beauty, her youth, love, sexuality, pleasures, things like that. They talked of problems that were relevant to them at that point of time. The verse Nafeesath Mala was about a Sufi woman. In those works the socio-political issues that you mentioned do not appear. Even in the male writers’ works, the socio-political issues are not discussed. Before Kumaranasan, there were no poems dealing with such issues. If you were to consider Poonthanam, such issues barely came up. Issues like marumakkathayam (matriliny), or sambandham, the marital relations between Namboodiri men and Nair women, such things were discussed only when Indulekha was published.

What I am saying is that we need to consider the time period too when we analyze such topics. It’s commendable that Moyinkutty Vaidyar chose to have a female protagonist in his verse. One has to look for such details, it is senseless to judge such texts by modern values. For instance, in the book, Badarul Muneer marries four women. If you are to judge it from a modern angle, it can seem misogynistic. You have to judge it, however, by the values of the time period in which it is set. In it, after Badarul Muneer first marries Husnul Jamal, and then he marries other women who loved him, and were willing to live and die for him, and this was done, as far as one could tell, with Husnul Jamal’s permission. One has to understand that.

A.T.: The term Mappila bhasha or the language of Mappilas frequent our discussions on Arabi Malayalam. Even though they’re not synonyms, we use these phrases interchangeably. Why is this so? Are these two terms linked?

M.N.K.: Mappila bhasha is a slang term. It is a community dialect. There are many kinds of dialects in Kerala. Local dialects, community dialects, etc. And within these community dialects, there would be class variations, caste and gender variations etc. Variations like these are many in number. In Mappila bhasha, for instance, there is a relatively much bigger presence

of Arabic words, and they would have phrases distinct to themselves. Their own sayings. They even have their own, unique pronunciations; for instance, enunciating the zha sound is difficult for them, and thus the word puzha, would be pronounced as poya.

So, all these sayings, unique phrases and pronunciations—they’re collectively called Mappila bhasha. I mean, it is still Malayalam—a community dialect of Malayalam. However, although we can generally say that Arabi Malayalam is the written form of that dialect, did they speak the way they wrote? Arabi Malayalam is a written dialect. It’s a writing variant, a unique writing style. People generally don’t talk in the same way they write. People don’t speak in the same style that, say, Chandu Menon (1847-1899; wrote the first major novel in Malayalam Indulekha) wrote, do they? Mappila bhasha is present in the conversational writing styles of writers like Basheer, N.P. Mohammed, U.A. Khader, K T. Mohammad, Uroob, some works of M.T. Vasudevan Nair, S.K. Pottakkad, etc. There are distinct differences among them; for instance, they’ll use the word khalbu, instead of the Malayalam word hridayam meaning heart. There are also differences in pronunciation, phrases, proverbs, and so on.

A.T.: You have done much research in Mappila songs, as well as in Arabi Malayalam. Have you seen communities outside Kerala, in places where Muslims or Arabs had travelled to, where the local language is written in Arabic script?

M.N.K.: It exists in most parts of India, as a matter of fact. There’s Arabi Tamil, Arabi Kannada, Arabi Bengali, even Arabi English. This is something unique to them. When Christians came to new places, they generally learned the local script, language, and grammar, in order to spread Christianity. For instance, Gundert (Hermann Gundert [18141893]) came to Kerala to spread Christianity. He wrote the first Malayalam dictionary, a book on grammar and even published a couple of newspapers like Rajyasamacharam, and Paschimodayam. There are other Christian missionaries.

On the contrary, wherever the Arabs traveled to and settled down, what they did was to adopt the local language into their own script. For example, when they went to Persia during the time of the 2nd Umar Caliphate in the 7th century—the region that is now Iran and Iraq—there was a language called Pahlavi, which had its own script. Rather than learn this script, what the Arabs did was to write it in the Arabic script. This is how the modern Persian script was created. It was with this script that the Mughals wrote Hindustani, which we now call Urdu. It was how Arabi Malayalam and Arabi Tamil came to be.

It must be noted that there were times when Christians did this too. For example, they used to have a script called Karshuni. Malayalam was written using modified Suriyani script. The original Suriyani script couldn’t cover all Malayalam letters, so they added a few letters. At the SEERI institute (St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute) in Kottayam, there is a very scholarly person called Koonammackal Thoma Katthanar, who I visited recently. He has worked on a script which doesn’t exist today. It’s variously called Kursoni, Kurson, or Suro Malabarica, but ultimately it refers to Syriac Malayalam, which is similar to Arabi Malayalam.

So, a few exceptions like this existed. By and large, however, the Christian tradition was to learn the language, script, and grammar of a region, while the Muslim tradition was to spread their own language and culture in the regions they travelled to and settled.

A.T.: Is Arabi Malayalam being studied in foreign countries?

M.N.K.: One person who has been studying Arabi Malayalam is Ophira Gamliel. She has translated the Muhyadheen Mala into English. She spoke on it at a seminar—I also was a participant—two or three months ago at

Bochum University. There are a handful of such people. It’s not about how many there are; it’s about the people out there who know about this. Like I had mentioned, it was Fossett who first started learning about Arabi Malayalam, and what more do you need to look at? Fossett was a police officer.

So, this is something that has always enthralled people, because it has its own history, culture, lives, and politics. It has art, it is very romantic. It’s like how it is in the Tamil poetic works like Akananuru and Purananuru. The akam represents love, while the poram represents fighting; both of these are very important elements in Mappila songs. Struggle, as shown in poems like the Badaru padappattu and love, like in Badarul Muneer Husnul Jamal. So love and war are very important concepts in these. Through the ages, in every culture, these are things that have filled people with wonder. These are two important themes of literature itself—love and struggle. If you take Shakespeare, or Kalidasa, Vyasa or Valmiki, these themes run through all their works.

A.T.: I remember reading one of your articles where you mentioned that Mappilas are people who have songs for all aspects of life, from birth to death. Have we lost that tradition today?

M.N.K.: No, I don’t think it’s lost. What I had written was that the Mappilas were always a people of song. They always come together for it; from the cradle itself, they’re surrounded by song. I’ll give you an example. Kozhikode has a great tradition of Hindustani music. Baburaj (M.S. Baburaj; 1921-1978) is from that tradition. He was only a halfMalayali; his father was a Bengali. He was the son of a musician called Ghulam Muhammad, and his real name was Sabir. Thus, there are more enthusiasts of Hindustani music in Kozhikode, than of Mappila pattu. And this is not a recent development, it has been like this for a long time. It is from Kozhikode that you get the known history of Mappila pattu, with Muhyadheen Mala being the first among them. The author himself describes his identity in these lines:

Kozhikkottathura thannil pirannoru Khali Muhammad ennu perullon (The one with the name Khali Muhammad born at Kozhikode)

Kozhikode has a strong legacy of Carnatic music. Like I said, there’s a tradition of Hindustani music. Back when I was studying, there was this wonderful organization called Sur Sagar Sangeeth Sabha. I don’t remember who the organizers were. Among the most significant individuals who this organization had brought in, were Talat Mahmood and Mohammad Rafi. Basheer’s relationship with the city was through its music. You could be certain that he would be present at the concerts in the town. He was generally very reluctant to attend literary gatherings. He knew only music was the one to listen to. In short, music is very much part of Islamic tradition.

Qur’an is suffused with music. Its very foundation is music. It is rhyming by nature. Rhyming the ends of sentences is very important in Arabic and the Qur’an is testament to that. Qul Al-durabinnas, Valikinnas, La-Innas, like that. The last words always rhyme. If you are to read the Qur’an, often you wouldn’t be able to tell if it’s poetry or prose. It’s written in prose that rhymes. You can sing it as well as read it. Listen to the baang (Azaan); listen to how musical it is.

If you ask me what the most important part of Muslim culture is, I’d say music. I’ll talk about someone who you may not have heard of. The Prophet’s daughter Fatima had a son, Hussain, who had a daughter named Sukayna. She was extremely beautiful; she is said to be one of the most beautiful women in history. Her most important contributions was in the field of music. Remember, this is the great granddaughter of the Prophet himself. Sukayna. No one talks of her much.

So, the story goes that once Abu Bakkar Siddiqui was walking with the Prophet, and they see girls singing and dancing the duffumuttu. Seeing this,

Abu Bakkar Siddiqui gets angry, asks them, 'Can’t you see that the Rasool is coming?', but the Prophet stops him and says, “Abu Bakr, let them sing. Let them express their happiness, it’s a festive time after all.' Think about it. Asurakkal Badaru Alayna— song sung by the young women of Medina, to ceremoniously welcome and congratulate the Prophet. Asurakkal Badaru Alayna, ‘Behold! The full moon has risen above us.’ Bin Saniyathil Bidhayu. So, the Prophet was smiling at these girls, and appreciating them. He’s not telling them to stop singing. So, music has always been there, right from the times of the Prophet.

If I were to describe Arabi Malayalam in a nutshell, it’s the artistic expression of the Muslim community in its entirety - it’s how they have expressed themselves through their literature, music, and their rhythm.

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