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SAYYID HASAN JIFRI THANGAL

Sayyid Hasan Jifri Thangal (1710-1764) was a prominent Islamic scholar and spiritual leader of the Ba-Alawi Sufi order in Malabar during the 18th century. Coming from a family regarded as descendants of Prophet Muhammad, he was the first to propagate religious teachings, with Mamburam of the present-day Malappuram district as the centre. He was the leader of the Alawi subsect of the Ba-Alawi order.

Background

Sayyid Hasan Jifri Thangal was born in 1710 in Hadramawt, Yemen, as a son of Sayyid Shaikh, into a family with a lineage tracing back to Prophet Muhammad. Following the invitation of his brother, Shaikh Sayyid Jifri, he embarked on a mission to impart Islamic knowledge and spiritual guidance to the people of Malabar.

In 1755 A.D, he landed at Pantalayani in Koyilandi of the present-day Kozhikode district and stayed with Sheikh Syed Jifri, who had initiated a spiritual mission in the region. Later, he moved to Ponnani with the aim of spreading Islam there, along the lines of the Ba-Alawi order. In Ponnani, he engaged actively in teaching and learning, collaborating with local religious scholars and imparting knowledge to the public.

During his life at Ponnani, a prominent Islamic religious and educational centre of that period, Sayyid Hasan Jifri Thangal recognized the need to extend his influence to other regions. Thus, after his preaching activities in Ponnani, Hassan Jifri accepted the invitation of Tirurangadi Khali Allama Jamaluddin Makhdoom and settled in Tirurangadi Jumu’at mosque. Further, e moved to Mampuram, near Tirurangadi, where he remained for long and continued his mission until his death.

Influenced by the spiritual activities of Hassan Jifri, Valiyakthodi Makhdoom, a landowner and mosque manager, Kammu Molla gave Valiyyakkathodika ancestral home and land to Hassan Jifri. The house came to be known as Mamburum Pazhaya Maaliyekal. Hassan Jifri built a Sawiya (Sambria) near his house and continued his religious mission from there.

Kammu Molla also married off his daughter Sayyida Sharifa Fatima to Hasan Jifri. They had only one daughter, Sayyidath Fathima Beevi.

Legacy

Hasan Jifri was a saintly leader who took a special interest in providing relief and service to people oppressed under tenancy. He was believed to be capable of performing miracles, and Muslims and people of different faiths offered many gifts as vows, including wealth, valuables, land, and food. Hasan Jifri distributed this among the poor people.

He died in 1764 (Hijri.1178) and was buried near Sawiya in Mamburam. Later, his sister’s son Syed Alavi Hassan Jifri, who came to Mamburam, married his daughter Sayyidath Fathima Beevi, took over Sawiya and settled in the region. Syed Alavi also built the tomb of Hassan Jifri. This tomb came to be known as Tharmamal Jaram and at present is a site of reverence and pilgrimage.

Later, Syed Alavi became a spiritual sage known as Mampuram Thangal (also called Mampuram Syed Alavi Thangal).

References

  • K. K. Abdul Sathar. (1999). History of Ba-Alawis in Kerala [Doctoral Thesis, Department of History, University of Calicut].
  • T. Zainul Abid. (2017). Sufi Scholarly Contributions of Hadrami Sayyids in Kerala: A Historical Study [Doctoral Thesis, Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia].
  • Sayyid Hasan Jifri. Ziyarath.com. Accessed on 24.08.2023 from
    https://ziyarathinfo.wordpress.com/2022/08/05/സയ്യിദ്-ഹസൻ-ജിഫ്രിഖ്-സി/
  • History. Mampurammaqam.com. Accessed on 24.08.2023 from
    https://mampurammaqam.com/
  • ശൈഖ് ഹസ്സൻ ജിഫ്രി. (2019, December 11). Wikipedia. Accessed on 24.08.2023 from
    https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/ശൈഖ്_ഹസ്സൻ_ജിഫ്രി