Draft:Alawi al-Manfarmi
| Alawi al-Manfarmi | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alawi al-Manfarmi |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Hadramaut, Yemen |
| Brith Date | 1166 AH (c. 1752 CE) |
| Death Place | Kerala, India |
| Death Date | 1260 AH (c. 1844 CE) |
| Religion | Islam |
Alawi bin Muhammad Mola al-Dawla (1166 - 1260 AH) was an Islamic preacher, spiritual leader, and fighter against British colonialism in India. He is considered one of the prominent Islamic figures in Kerala, as he made great efforts in propagating Islam among the people of Malabar. He was known as "Alawi al-Manfarmi" due to his residence and death in the town of Manfaram. One of his sons was Prince Fazal Pasha, the governor of the Dhofar region.
Lineage
Alawi bin Muhammad bin Sahl bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Sulayman bin Umar bin Muhammad bin Sahl bin Abd al-Rahman Mola Khayla bin Abdullah bin Alawi bin Muhammad Mola al-Dawla bin Ali bin Alawi al-Ghayyur bin al-Faqih al-Muqaddam Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad Sahib Mirbat bin Ali Khali Qasam bin Alawi bin Muhammad bin Alawi bin Ubaydallah bin Ahmad al-Muhajir bin Isa bin Muhammad al-Naqib bin Ali al-Uraydi bin Ja'far al-Sadiq bin Muhammad al-Baqir bin Ali Zayn al-Abidin bin al-Husayn bin Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Ali (peace be upon him), husband of Fatima, daughter of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny).
He is the thirty-first grandson of the Messenger of God Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny).
Birth and Upbringing
He was born on the 23rd of Dhu al-Hijjah, 1166 AH (c. 1752 CE), in the district of Tarim, Hadramaut. His mother was Fatima, daughter of Muhammad al-Jifri. His father and mother died when he was young, and his aunt raised and guarded him. He then learned religious sciences and the Arabic language and memorized the Holy Quran.
Migration to Malabar
His uncle, Sayyid Sheikh bin Muhammad al-Jifri, had migrated to the Malabar region of Kerala in southern India in 1159 AH (c. 1746 CE), and then another uncle, Mr. Hasan bin Muhammad al-Jifri, entered there in 1168 AH (c. 1754 CE)[1]. Sayyid Alawi also wished to travel to Malabar and go to his uncles and engage in religious propagation there. He left Tarim at the age of seventeen and headed towards Malabar, arriving in Calicut in the holy month of Ramadan in 1183 AH (c. 1769 CE). He stayed there with his uncle Sheikh al-Jifri and married his cousin, Hasan al-Jifri's daughter. He then went from Calicut to the town of Manfaram, where his uncle Hasan's family resided, and settled there.
Resistance Against Colonialism
Despite the absence of an Islamic government in Kerala, Muslims of that land lived in peace and security under the leadership of scholars from the time of the spread of Islam until Europeans entered this country, and they remained committed to their religion and carried out their religious affairs. After the arrival of the Portuguese in Kerala in 903 AH / 1498 CE, living conditions changed. Scholars such as Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom, Qazi Muhammad Kalikutiy, and others called for jihad against Western colonialism. Then the British came and continued their colonialism until the 18th and 19th centuries CE. At that time, Sayyid Alawi and his son Fazal resisted British colonialism and issued numerous fatwas against Britain and their colonialism. He called people to fight and resist the British in his sermons, fatwas, and publications. His book "Al-Sayf al-Battar" placed him at the forefront of this literary resistance against British colonialism in Kerala.
Works
The book "Al-Sayf al-Battar liman Yuwali al-Kuffar wa Yattakhidhunahum min Dun Allah wa Rasuluhu wa al-Mu'minin Ansar" is a collection of his fatwas in response to eight different questions, which he and his friends sent to mosques to prepare Muslims and incite them to jihad and resistance against the British. This book includes statements regarding the Muslim's stance towards an infidel who enters a Muslim country with colonial intentions and wants to take control of the Muslims and dominate them.
Death
He died on Sunday night, 7th Muharram al-Haram, 1260 AH (c. 1844 CE), at the age of ninety-four, and was buried in the shrine of his uncle Sayyid Hasan al-Jifri in Manfaram, Malabar region, and a high dome was built over it. Today, his shrine is one of the most famous religious shrines in Kerala[2].
Notes
References
Y.K. Mujib. Resistance of Kerala Writers in Arabic Language Against Western Colonialism (PDF). New Delhi, India: Jamia Millia Islamia. Page 159. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2016.