The Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen (KNM) was formed on 20 April 1950 in Kerala state, southern India, under the leadership of the scholars of the Islahi movement in Kerala. Members of the organization call themselves salafis. KNM is not the first organizational setup of the Islahi movement in Kerala; that was Kerala Muslim Aikya Sangham (Kerala Muslim Unity Forum). Kerala Jam'iyyathul 'Ulama (KJU), a body also composed of scholars, was established in 1924, and is still actively functioning. KNM was formed as a common platform for the tens of hundreds of common Islahis (those who follow the ideology of Islahi Movement in Kerala ). KM Maulavi was the first president of KNM. There are two factions of KNM after the Mujahid split. One faction, commonly known has 'AP' faction, has TP Abdulla Koya Madani as president and AP Abdul Qadar Moulavi as general secretary. The other faction, known as 'Madavur' faction has Dr. EK Ahmmedkutty as president and CP Umer Sullami as general secretary. Both have separate headquarters at Kozhikode in Kerala.
[edit] Objectives
The objectives of Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen are not different from the objectives of Islahi movement in Kerala. The movement sees its primary objective to be conveying the message of Islam, which the KNM describes as being centered on monotheism. It also works against perceived social evils and all types of bid'ah (innovation without reference to shari'a ).
Bodies affiliated to KNM manage ambulance units, pain and palliative care centers, orphanages, zakat funds, family counseling and other charity wings. KNM is actively involved in many other social activities.
According to KNM, dowry system is un-Islamic, and it urges its members and wellwishers to keep away from it. A special wing of the KNM, BISMI, works against the dowry system. KNM promotes interfaith dialogues between different religions, through related organizations, called the Niche of Truth of the 'AP' faction and The Truth of the 'Madavur' faction.
[edit] Feeding organizations
The various organizations under KNM. Each organization has split into AP and Madavur factions and each faction has its own committees and programes. It is to be noted that both factions claim the same organisational names.
[edit] Kerala Jam'iyyathul Ulama (KJU)
This is the first ulama (Islamic religious scholars) organization in Kerala. It is formed in the year of 1924 in a meeting held at Aluva under the leadership of KM Moulavi, MCC Abdu Rahman Moulavi and EK Moulavi. It guides the Islahi community in Kerala in religious matters. It describes its aim as to eradicate superstitious belief, shirk (polytheism) and bid'ah.
[edit] Ithihadu Shubbanil Mujahideen (ISM)
The youth wing of Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen. In 1966, KNM formed its youth wing named as Ithihadu Shubbanil Mujahideen (ISM), with a view to lead the youth of Kerala in the light of Qur'an.
[edit] Mujahid Students' Movement (MSM)
MSM is the student wing of Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen (KNM), the Islahi organization in Kerala, formed as the population of Islahi students in the schools, colleges and universities increased rapidly.
Initially, religious minded students had been enrolled in the students' wing of ISM, known as ISM-SW. Later, in 1971 a separate wing by name Mujahid Students' Movement (MSM) was formed. The first president of MSM was Dr. MCC Abdulla. MSM's chief objective is to propagate Islamic ideals and principles among the student community in the campuses and schools. Students of medical, law, arts, science and engineering colleges actively participated in campus discussions and deliberations on Islam. These students in turn have a large influence on both Muslim and non-Muslim students in terms of beliefs, ideologies and doctrines.
[edit] Mujahid Girls' and Women's Movement (MGM)
MGM, the women's wing of KNM was organized in 1987. Some of them came forward to learn Islam and propagate its values. This situation necessitated a platform for coordination of their activities. Previously, women had been organized behind the banner of MSM Girls' Wing[clarification needed]. The foundation of MGM enabled larger participation and convenient functioning.
MGM enjoins Muslim women to promote religeous values among themselves. Study classes and family gatherings are arranged to impart religeous knowledge. It has a special concern for charity activities like housing for poor and distribution of equipment for self-employment. MGM claims to uphold dignity of women and to respond to any move to distort it. It says its identity is differentiated from among the modern feministic platforms by deliberate deviation towards morality and its values.
MGM Students' Wing
MGM Students' Wing is the feeder organization of KNM exlusively for girl students.
Shabab weekly and Al-Manar monthly are the mouthpieces of 'Madavur' and 'AP' factions respectively. Shabab is a respectable magazine and has a wide readership among Kerala's Muslim intellectuals. ISM's AP and Madavur factions have a weekly called Vichintanam and a women's monthly called Pudava respectively. All these are published in Malayalam language. The Malayalam daily newspaper Varthamanam is primarily supported by members and sympathizers of Madavur faction.
The Kozhikode-based Yuvatha Book Houuse, run by Madavur faction, is one of the two major Islamic publishers in Kerala. The other one is 'Islamic Publishing House' of Jama'at-e-Islami Hind.
[edit] Issues
In their continued campaign urging to Muslims to return to the mainstream religion and the sunnah of the Prophet, some of the major issues that the scholars of the KNM address are:
- Combating of shirk in all its forms, opposing worship of graves and fake godmen among Muslims.
- Promoting the khutba (Friday sermon) in the local language, Malayalam
- Denouncing terrorism and violence
- Safeguarding the right of the Muslim woman to pray inside the mosque, which is often denied in Kerala
- Combating social evils such as dowry system, denial of education to girls, etc.
- Opposing all forms of bid'ah and any matter that is contrary to the sunnah of the Prophet.
In spite of numerous criticisms faced by KNM, there have been achievements. Several decades ago, school education was denied to Muslim girls based on the fatwa issued by the mainstream Sunni clergymen in Kerala. The continued efforts of the KNM has resulted in the elimination of this practice and this is said to have contributed heavily to the development of the Muslim society in Kerala. Over the years, the KNM has been instrumental in the upliftment of women and in the eradication of social evils, bid'ah, and shirk among Muslims. The mainstream Sunni clergy had even opposed the translation of the Qur'an, which is the holy book of the Muslims. The scholars associated to the KNM are said to have played an important role in the translation of the Qur'an into Malayalam and in educating Muslims about its virtues.
[edit] Criticism
After the institution split into two groups, infighting and rivalries posed a threat to its activities in general. In addition, ideological conflicts against KNM have arisen from different sections.
This primarily arises from the fact that the KNM calls itself islahi , and sometimes salafi , though the two are different ideologies and are not compatible. Islahi movement is based on giving the aql, or intellect to interpret ayahs, and hadiths etc. Whereas the salafi movement is based on the methodology and interpretations of the salaf on all matters - starting where they did, and leaving what they left.
As a result, as a simple and obvious example, while all examples from the salaf show that they never mixed with women freely, it is found that even the leaders of the KNM mix freely with women, and all their colleges, and institutions are mixed, with even women who do not even wear a scarf being employed by them to teach their male students.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
"Organisation History". Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen. http://salaficonference.in/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=73. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
