RELIGIOUS CO-EXISTENCE IN MALAPPURAM: MYTH OR REALITY? BY MUNEER KUTTIYANI MUHAMMED A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master in Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (UÎËl al-DÊn and Comparative Religion) Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences International Islamic University Malaysia DECEMBER 2013 ABSTRACT Hindu-Muslim relation in Malappuram district of Kerala state in India is noteworthy in terms of its peaceful co-existence since the early Muslim presence in the region. However, there are some attempts that have been taking place to polarize the people of both communities, just like what the colonizers did during the period of colonial invasion. The purpose of the present study is to determine the status of religious co- existence prevailing in the current social realm of Malappuram in relation to its historical contributions towards Hindu-Muslim peaceful co-existence. The study also seeks the critical analysis of the denunciations put against the district and its people, which threatened the idea of peaceful co-existence and its practicability. The study examines the history, status and features of Religious co-existence in the district. The perception of Hindus on the majority Muslims have also been highlighted in the study. The methodology of the research is qualitative analysis through library study and examination of relevant information based on books, articles, websites, newspapers, reports of various agencies including the interviews of selected personalities. This study highlights the need for a peaceful inter-religious ambience in a society where different people of different faiths live together. The sustenance of the peaceful co- existence between the Muslims and Hindus can be maintained by reiterating the glorious history of the region which has been heavily emphasized in this study. ii ﺧﻼﺻﺔ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ إنﱠ ﻋﻼﻗﺔ اﳌﺴﻠﻢ واﳍﻨﺪوﺳﻲ ﰲ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﻣﺎﻻﺑﻮرام ﻣﻦ وﻻﻳﺔ ﻛﲑاﻻ ﰲ اﳍﻨﺪ ﺟﺪﻳﺮة ﺑﺎﳌﻼﺣﻈﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺣﻴﺚ اﻟﺘﻌﺎﻳﺶ اﻟﺴﻠﻤﻲ ﻣﻨﺬُ وﺟﻮد اﳌﺴﻠﻤﲔ ﰲ وﻗﺖ ﻣﺒﻜﺮ ﰲ اﳌﻨﻄﻘﺔ. ﻏﲑ أنﱠ ﻫﻨﺎك ﺑﻌﺾ اﶈﺎوﻻت اﳌﺘﻌﻤﺪة اﻟﱵ ﺟﺮت ﻻﺳﺘﻘﻄﺎب اﻟﻨﺎس ﻣﻦ اﻟﻄﺎﺋﻔﺘﲔ ﲤﺎﻣﺎً ﻣﺜﻞ ﻣﺎ ﻓﻌﻞ اﳌﺴﺘﻌﻤﺮ ﺧﻼل ﻓﱰة اﻟﻐﺰو اﻻﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎري.إنﱠ اﻟﻐﺮض ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﻫﻮ ﲢﺪﻳﺪ ﺣﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﺘﻌﺎﻳﺶ اﻟﺪﻳﲏ اﻟﺴﺎﺋﺪة ﰲ اﺎل اﻻﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻲ اﳊﺎﱄ وﺻﻠﺘﻬﺎ ﺑﺎﳌﺴﺎﳘﺎت اﻟﺘﺎرﳜﻴﺔ ﲡﺎﻩ اﳍﻨﺪوس واﳌﺴﻠﻤﲔ ﻟﻠﺘﻌﺎﻳﺶ اﻟﺴﻠﻤﻲ ﰲ ﻣﺎﻻﺑﻮرام. وﺗﺴﻌﻰ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ أﻳﻀﺎً ﻟﻮﺿﻊ ﲢﻠﻴﻞ ﻧﻘﺪي ﻟﻠﺘﻬﺪﻳﺪ اﳌﻮﺟﻪ ﺿﺪ اﳌﻨﻄﻘﺔ وﺷﻌﺒﻬﺎ، واﻟﱵ ﺪﱢد ﻓﻜﺮة اﻟﺘﻌﺎﻳﺶ اﻟﺴﻠﻤﻲ واﻟﻌﻤﻠﻲ ﳍﺎ. اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﺗﺒﺤﺚ اﳊﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﺘﺎرﳜﻴﺔ وﺻﻮرة اﻟﺘﻌﺎﻳﺶ اﻟﺪﻳﲏ ﰲ اﳌﻨﻄﻘﺔ، وﻗﺪ ﰎﱠ ﺗﺴﻠﻴﻂ اﻟﻀﻮء ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻨﻈﺮة اﳍﻨﺪوﺳﻴﺔ ﻟﻸﻏﻠﺒﻴﺔ اﳌﺴﻠﻤﺔ ﰲ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ. ﻣﻨﻬﺠﻴﺔ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﻫﻲ اﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴﻞ اﻟﻨﻮﻋﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل دراﺳﺎت ﻣﻜﺘﺒﻴﺔ، وﻓﺤﺺ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ، واﳌﻘﺎﻻت، واﳌﻮاﻗﻊ، واﻟﺘﻘﺎرﻳﺮ اﻟﺼﺤﻔﻴﺔ ﻣﻦ ﳐﺘﻠﻒ اﻟﻮﻛﺎﻻت ﲟﺎ ﰲ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ ﺷﺨﺼﻴﺎت ﳐﺘﺎرة ﰲ ﻣﻮاﺿﻴﻊ ذات ﺻﻠﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺒﺤﺚ. وﺗُﱪز ﻫﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ اﳊﺎﺟﺔ ﻷﺟﻮاء ﺳﻠﻤﻴﺔ ﺑﲔ اﻷدﻳﺎن ﰲ ﳎﺘﻤﻊ ﻳﻌﻴﺶ ﻓﻴﻪ ﳐﺘﻠﻒ اﻟﻨﺎس، وﳐﺘﻠﻒ اﻷدﻳﺎن. ﳝﻜﻦ اﳊﻔﺎظ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺘﻌﺎﻳﺶ اﻟﺴﻠﻤﻲ ﺑﲔ اﳌﺴﻠﻤﲔ واﳍﻨﺪوس ﺑﺈﻋﺎدة اﻟﺘﺄﻛﻴﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ اﻴﺪ ﻟﻠﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ، واﻟﺬي ﰎﱠ اﻟﺘﺄﻛﻴﺪ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺒﲑ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﰲ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ. iii APPROVAL PAGE I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (UsËl al-DÊn & Comparative Religion). .................……………………………. Thameem Ushama Supervisor I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion, it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and qualify, as a dissertation for degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (UsËl al-DÊn & Comparative Religion). …..……………………………………. Haslina Ibrahim Internal Examiner This dissertation was submitted to the Department of UsËl al-DÊn & Comparative Religion and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (UsËl al-DÊn & Comparative Religion). …..…………………………………… Thameem Ushama Head, Department of UsËl al-DÊn & Comparative Religion This dissertation was submitted to Kulliyyah of Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage (UsËl al-DÊn & Comparative Religion). …..……………………………………. Ibrahim Mohamed Zein Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences iv DECLARATION I do hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigation, except where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted as a whole for any other degrees at IIUM or other institutions. Muneer Kuttiyani Muhammed Signature…………………… …… Date…………………… v INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH Copyright © 2013 by Muneer Kuttiyani Muhammed. All rights reserved. RELIGIOUS CO-EXISTENCE IN MALAPPURAM: MYTH OR REALITY? No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as provided below. 1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research may only be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement. 2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make transmit copies (print of electronic) for institutional and academic purposes. 3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieval system and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other universities and research libraries. Affirmed by Muneer Kuttiyani Muhammed. …………………………….. ………………………….. Signature Date vi This study is dedicated to my beloved parents, Muhammed Rafeeque Moulavi and Khadeeja Beevi; my beloved life partner Shameera and our children; and to my guardians and well wishers in Al Jamia Al Islamiya, Santhapuram. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the name of Allah the most Merciful and the most Benevolent All praises be to Allah the Lord of the Universe. Let His regards and salutations be upon the Holy Prophet MuÍammad and his family and companions I would like to acknowledge, with gratitude, my respected supervisor Prof. Dr. Thameem Ushama, for his sincere assistance in guiding, supervising and advising me. Also, my gratitude goes to Dr. Haslina Ibrahim, whose critical examination and welcomed suggestions for constructive changes contributed in the completion of this thesis. I do owe special gratitude to Dr. Abdu Salam Ahmed, who facilitated this great opportunity to pursue my higher studies in IIUM and his valuable advices, instructions and constructive criticism which had a profound and positive impact on the successful completion of this study. I am extremely indebted to Al Jamia al Islamiya where from I inspired to pursue my higher studies in IIUM and for guiding and leading into the field of learning and knowledge. I extend my sincere thanks to IIIT for granting financial assistance throughout the last two years and unless its assistance, I would not be able complete the study. I would also like to extend my acknowledgements to all my teachers in IIUM, well wishers and friends especially Basheerudheen T.P and Abu Darru C.T who have assisted me by giving the required books. There are many other people who have helped me in many ways. Last but not least, I would like to pay high regards to my beloved father Muhammed Rafeeque Moulavi, dear mother Khadeeja Beevi and my wife Shameera for their sincere encouragement and inspiration throughout my research work and lifting me uphill this phase of life. May Allah, the Almighty, render His bounties and blessings on all of them. Finally, I state that I am alone responsible for the entire faults that remain in this thesis. May Allah accept this humble attempt and make it fruitful for this life and the hereafter. ÓmÊn. viii TABLE OF TRANSLITERATION Consonants Ö ض ‘ ء Ù ط B ب Ú ظ T ت ‘ ع Th ث Gh غ J ج F ف × ح Q ق Kh خ K ك D د L ل Dh ذ M م R ر N ن Z ز W و S س H ه Sh ش Y ي Ø ص Short Vowels Long Vowels Ó آ A ءَ Ô إي I ءِ Õ أ ُو U ءُ ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................... ii Abstract in Arabic ........................................................................................................... iii Approval Page ................................................................................................................ iv Declaration ...................................................................................................................... v Copyright Page ............................................................................................................... vi Dedication ..................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... viii Table of Transliteration .................................................................................................. ix List of Maps ............................................................................................................... ixiii List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………...xiv List of Abbreviations …………… ................................................................................. xv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 1.1.