Malabar History journal

The editorial of the first issue of Al-Muslim clarifies the reason for starting such a journal despite the presence of many journals in Malayalam:

“As each community (samudaayam) is working in these days for their prosperity (abhivridi), don’t Muslims also have to work like that? Anyone can attempt to show their community (vargakkaar) the areas that need reform (parishkaram), making them aware of it and working to bring reform. It is necessary for Muslims to take such initiatives as many castes (jatis) in Kerala have already started working for their prosperity. Examining the last census report, it is evident that the Muslims of Kerala (Malayalathile Musalamanmar) lag behind others in education.” (Cited in M. A. Gafoor. Kalavum Kalpadum, p. 87-88)

Analyzing the articles published in Al-Muslim, Muhammad (2010) argues that most of the content focused on issues of education among Muslims. Moulavi’s focus on education stemmed from his understanding that other communities had gained social and economic dominance through access to modern education, while Muslims lagged behind due to their opposition to Western education. Besides publishing articles by contemporary educators, Moulavi invited officials from the British government’s Department of Education to contribute articles highlighting available resources and criticizing the community leaders’ indifferent responses to these opportunities. The government praised the journal’s efforts, stating its contributions were more valuable than the services the government itself had provided. Moulavi published articles urging Muslims to prioritize women’s education, form associations to establish schools and spread education, and abandon their opposition to everything British.
One method he employed in the journal was to collect data from census reports and government documents to write articles showcasing the educational status of Muslims. By doing so, he aimed to convince the community of the necessity of measures to achieve parity with other communities and to pressure the government to address Muslim concerns. The journal not only encouraged the government to approve the demands of Muslim leaders in the Travancore Assembly but also ensured that these measures were implemented.

In addition to education, the journal addressed other issues: social reform among Muslims, religious education, general knowledge, news and events in other Muslim countries, clarification of commonly misunderstood aspects of Islam, and Islamic law. It also included special essays on Muslim communities in specific locations. One essay on the Muslim community in Ponnani highlighted the negative effects of their resistance to Western education despite the village’s prominence as a center of religious learning. Another article on the community in Idava, in south Kerala showed how, despite the presence of affluent families in the area, there was little focus on educational activities. Leaders of Idava responded positively to the suggestions in the article, founding schools and madrasas through associations inspired by Moulavi.

Moulavi encouraged the adoption of modern techniques in Muslims’ occupations and trades. He observed that the community’s productivity in traditional occupations like trade and agriculture would decline once these fields were modernized. The articles in the journal emphasized the connection between material prosperity and spiritual well-being. He wrote: “The difference between the Muslims of earlier generations, who were examples of humanity, and the present Muslim community, which has become a disgrace to the world, is the difference between the Islam they observed and what we practice today.” (Quoted in Abraham. Modernity, Islamic Reform, p. 149)

Another issue he consistently raised in the journal was Muslim disunity. The following passage, taken from his essay, illustrates this point:

“Our condition is such that we cannot help but divide over everything. It becomes hard to find places without parties engaging in mutual hostility and enmity. Rare are the families untouched by the Satan of disunity… we do not deserve the name ‘Muslim community’ but rather ‘Muslim masses.’” quoted in Abraham. Modernity, Islamic Reform, 154

He therefore called for unity and community consciousness to reclaim past glory. In his view, the emergence of schools of jurisprudence prevented unity and made the true teachings of God and the Prophet inaccessible. The journal included reports on the formation of Muslim associations in various neighborhoods, which he shared enthusiastically, as these groups were partly inspired by his writings.

Moulavi launched Al-Islam, in Arabi-Malayalam, in 1918, aiming exclusively for theological reform. His two goals were: first, to publish a journal accessible to most Muslims, especially women, hence using Arabi-Malayalam; second, to spread the ideas of reform inspired by Al-Manar in Egypt under the editorship of Rashid Rida. In a letter to the editor of Al-Manar, Moulavi expressed his appreciation for the journal and his intention to transmit its valuable ideas in Kerala. Although he had previously published articles on religious reform in Al-Muslim, Al-Islam was a monthly fully dedicated to explain theological issues.

The editorial statements from the first issue of Al-Islam explain the reason for its publication as follows:

“Every act of reform aimed at Muslims should be based on religion. They will not improve unless their religious situation improves. Therefore, it is essential that knowledge of the true principles of religion be widely spread among them. Arabi-Malayalam is a very feasible and beneficial medium for expressing religious ideas. (al-Islam volumes republished p. 12)

In his editorial, Moulavi acknowledged Muslims’ aversion to the Malayalam script, their literacy in Arabi-Malayalam—especially among women—and their apparent reverence for the script due to its similarity to Arabic.

The journal published articles defining and elaborating the idea of Islah (reform) and methods for spreading it. It contained critiques of common rituals like visiting saints’ tombs and condemned certain practices by ulama, especially their opposition to teaching women to write. Other articles dealt with themes like tawhid and shirk (monotheism and polytheism), serialized publication of translation of the Quran, for which Moulavi depended on al-manar, a Quranic interpretation by Rashid Rida. However, Al-Islam was short-lived, ceasing publication after five issues due to Moulavi’s ill health, financial difficulties, and opposition from ulama, who publicly urged people to disassociate from it.

Al-Muslim primarily focused on the Muslim community’s socio-economic status, drawing demographic details from government documents like the census. The community was compared to others in Kerala, who had apparently advanced in reform. Al-Muslim encouraged Muslims to follow good initiatives by forming associations, founding schools, acquiring education, and eliminating practices that distorted the true message of their religion. Al-Islam, on the other hand, dealt with theological matters, addressing contested religious practices through the lens of reform ideas similar to those in Al-Manar. By publishing in Arabi-Malayalam, the language primarily used by Muslims for cultural and religious activities, the journal’s intended audience is clearly suggested. The five volumes of the journal were republished in 2016 in Malayalam script as a single volume by the Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust, based in Trivandrum.

References

• Abraham, Jose. “Modernity, Islamic Reform, and the Mappilas of Kerala: The Contribution of Vakkom Moulavi (1873 – 1932).” PhD Diss., McGill University, 2008.
• Gafoor, P. M. A. Kalavum Kalpadum (Mal. The Time and Foot Print). Calicut: Yuvatha Book House, 2014.
• Muhammad, Jamal. Swadeshabhimani Vakkom Moulavi. Thiruvananthapuram: Prabhat Books, 2010.
• Samad, Abdul. Islam in Kerala, Groups and Movements in 20th Century. Kollam: Laurel Publications, 1998.
• Vakkom Abdul Qader Moulavi (ed.). Vakkom Moulaviyude al-Islam Otta Valyathil. Trivandrum: Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust, 2016.