Islamic Traditions in Malabar: Boundaries, Appropriations and Resistances
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ISLAMIC TRADITIONS IN MALABAR: BOUNDARIES, APPROPRIATIONS AND RESISTANCES Thesis Submitted to the Pondicherry University in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIOLOGY By Hashim T Under the Supervision of Dr. Sudha Sitharaman Associate Professor DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY PUDUCHERRY – 605014 December 2014 i Dr. Sudha Sitharaman Associate Professor, Department of Sociology School of Social Sciences and International Studies Pondicherry University CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled Islamic Traditions in Malabar: Boundaries, Appropriations and Resistances submitted to Pondicherry University in fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, is a record of original research done by Mr. Hashim. T, during the period of his study 2011–2014 in the Department of Sociology, Pondicherry University, under my supervision and guidance and that the thesis has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship or any other similar titles. Place: Puducherry Dr. Sudha Sitharaman Date: Research Supervisor ii Mr. Hashim. T Ph.D. Research Scholar Department of Sociology Pondicherry University Puducherry – 605 014 DECLARATION I, hereby declare that the thesis entitled, ‘Islamic Traditions in Malabar: Boundaries, Appropriations and Resistances’, submitted to the Pondicherry University in fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIOLOGY, is a record of original research work done by me under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Sudha Sitharaman, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Pondicherry University, and that it has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship or any other similar titles. Place: Puducherry Hashim T Date: Research Scholar iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have come to a stage in the writing of my thesis in which I have to recall and express my gratefulness to many individuals and institutions who offered to assist and support me in the engagement with my doctoral work. I first should thank my research supervisor, Dr. Sudha Sitharaman, for being an unfailing source of strength. I still remember the circumstances in which I joined this department, having come from a regional medium background. She made me feel comfortable in those initial days of a changed circumstance with her friendly approach. She has been with me through every stage of this study, from my first inchoate thoughts on Islamic contestations through the most recent round of revision of the thesis. I cherish it with a deep sense of gratitude. I have grown along with her in these years and I have learnt a lot from her both as an academic as well as a person. Particularly, striking is her ability to maintain the right kind of attachment and detachment in engaging students and their work. I also thank her family for their wishes, especially her mother. I am thankful to my Doctoral Committee members- Prof. B.B. Mohanty, Prof. Mohanan B. Pillai, and Dr. Venugopal Reddy for their valuable suggestions. I am grateful to all my teachers in the department - Dr. G Ramathirtham, Dr. Ghulam Dhasthagir, Dr. C Aruna, Dr, P.K. Parida, Dr. Mansy and Dr. Imtirenla Longkumer for their guidance and moral support. Dr. Saravana Raja and Dr. Imtirenla Longkumer, have been kind enough to spend considerable time in editing the dissertation. I wholeheartedly acknowledge their help and timely support. Our office staff, especially manager Mr. K. Madivanan, office assistant Manogaran, Dhamodaran, Ayyanar have been very helpful. I would like to thank my informants Dr. Ausaf Ihsan, E.N Ibrahim Moulavi, O Safarulla, Shihab Pookottoor for spending time with me in discussing the study. My visit at Cheruvadi/Kodiyathur was made memorable with the support of my close friend, Thanveer. Also I thank his parents for all the help. Maliyekkal Mohammed, Asweel Ahmed, Abdu Mash are few of those who helped me to collect valuable information from the field. Mr. Yousuf, Librarian, Ahmadiya Library, Kozhikode helped me to get the valuable information about the field. Conversations with Abdurahiman Mangad gave me new explores about my topic and I still remember his in-depth knowledge that helped me while writing my thesis. Thanks to Rafeeque iv Hudavi of Chemmad Darul Huda Islamic university for procuring some very important Malayalam literature needed for my work. I also thank numerous other respondents in Cheruvadi/ Kodiyathur, including activists and office bearers of various religious organisations, who provided me with information and cooperated with the study. The critical comments I received from participants of many academic conferences helped me shape my ideas. The conference on Contemporary Religion in India organised by Department of Sociology, Pondicherry University, provided ample opportunities for me to share this work and receive comments. I thank all those who contributed in sharpening my ideas. I am indebted to Prof. Sasanka Perera from South Asian University, discussions with who during the initial phase of my study gave an appropriate and manageable direction to my work. Krishna, Lahari Behera, Ratheesh, Arun, and Lois Jois devoted their time to read my thesis and for making the necessary corrections. Grateful thanks is due also to the following libraries; Hira Library Kozhikode, Chemmad Darul Huda Islamic University Library, Chemmad, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, History Department Library at Kerala University, Old British Library at Trivandrum, Trivandrum Public Library, Ahmadiya Library Kozhikode, C H Mohamed Koya Library Calicut, C H Chair library Calicut University, Kerala University Library and Malabar Research Institute Vadakara. My stay here for the past four years has been really enjoyable and unforgettable. This was made possible because of the kind of friends who were/are ready to stand with me on moments both of high and low. As usual, it is difficult to do justice to all those who gave, offered, and shared over many years. Apologies are therefore in order to those not explicitly named. I thank my friends Haneef Hudavi, Fahad Hudavi, Anas Hudavi Edoli, Shafeeque Porai, Sreegith Thankappan, Ankita Patra, Deeptimayee Rout, Bineeta Dash, Ubaid, Mohammed Iqbal, Abdul Naser, Gaffar Khan, Adhru, Unni, and Thanveer Ahmed for being there. And finally I cannot forget my dear roommate Babu G alias ‘Abru’ for making my stay in the campus a memorable one. My family has been as warm and accommodating as always. My Ippa has been really patient and understanding and allowed me to pursue what I desired in life. He would be proud to see my work come through. My Imma, I do not know how to thank her. I v thank my sisters, Jaini and Seppi for being supportive. I am also thankful to my brother-in-laws, Kakku and Bappualian. My brothers, Apappa, Kakka, Illi, and also my friend Nasaru have been caring. I thank sisters-in-law Basila and Rahna for being kind. And their children especially Nunumol, Ithachi, Hanfa, Hania, Dillu, Sumu, Dichu and Aman for their love and affection. It means a lot to me. Finally, special thanks to Farha, my spouse, who has been really kind and supportive. Hashim T Research Scholar vi Abbreviations BJP Bharathiya Janatha Party CPI (M) Communist Party of India (Marxist) CBSC Central Board of Secondary Education GIO Girls Islamic Organisation INC Indian National Congress INL Indian National League IPB Islamic Publishing Bureau IPH Islamic Publishing House ISM Ithihadussubanil Mujahideen ISS Islamic Sevak Sangh IUML Indian Union Muslim League KNM Kerala Nadwat-ul-Mujahideen KJU Kerala Jamhiyathul Ulema LDF Left Democratic Front MGM Muslim Girls Movement MES Muslim Educational Society MSM Mujahid Students Movement NDF National Development Front PDP Peoples Democratic Party SC Scheduled Caste SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SDPI Social Democratic Party of India SSF Sunni Student Federation SYS Sunni Yuvajana Sangam SBS Sunni Bala Sangam SBV Sunni Balavedhi SKSSF Samasta Kerala Sunni Students Federation SKJU Samstha Kerala Jamhiyathul Muhminuun SIO Students Islamic Organisation ST Scheduled Tribe UDF United Democratic Front SNDP Sree Narayana Darma Paripalana Sangam vii MAPS Political Map: Kerala viii Political Map: Malabar ix Political Map: Kozhikode District x Political Map: Kodiyathur/ Cheruvadi Mappila Rebellion affected areas of Malabar xi CONTENTS List of Maps Page Numbers Political Map: Kerala VIII Political Map: Malabar IX Political Map: Kozhikode District X Political Map: Kodiyathur/ Cheruvadi XI Mappila Rebellion affected areas of Malabar XI Chapter I: Introduction 1 1.1 Muslim Communities in Kerala: An Ethnographic Setting 7 1.2 Studies of Muslims in India 10 1.3 Theoretical Understanding 19 1.4 Secularism and Islam 28 1.5 Secularism and Secularisation 33 1.6 Beyond Binaries 41 1.7 Statement of the problem 47 1.8 Objectives 50 1.9 Methodology 50 1.10 Chapterisation 54 Chapter II: Mappila Muslims of Malabar 2.1 Introduction 58 2.2 Origin of Mappila Muslims 58 2.3 Islam and Malabar 65 2.4 Pan-Islamism and Muslim Alliance with the Indian National Congress 70 2.5 Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement in Kerala: 77 The Response of the Mappila Muslims. 2.6 The Trajectory of the Khilafat Movement to Mappila Revolt 82 2.7 Ulama: Fatwas and Responses to Khilafat and Mappila Revolt 88 2.8 Emergence of Muslim League and the Politics of Mappilastan 98 2.9 Summary 104 Chapter III: Religious Groups and their Theological Differences 3.1 Introduction 107 3.2 Muslim Groups of Malabar 107 3.3 Mappila Muslim Religious Identities through 109 Community/Organisational Representations 109 3.4 The Mujahid Movement 113 xii 3.5 The Sunni Muslims 115 3.6 The Jamaat-e-Islami 118 3.7 The National Development Front 119 3.8 Ahmadiya Muslims 119 3.9 The Tablighi Jamaat 122 3.10 Quran Sunnath Society 123 3.11 Istigasa and Taqleed: Sunni vs.