Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

MASHHOOR MULLAKOYA THANGAL

AND VADAKARA
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal and Vadakara

(History)
Malayalam Text
by: T.V. Abdurahimankutty
Translated to English by
Ashique Bin Ismail, Aluva
First edition, copy: 1000
August 2016
Publishing & Distribution
Ayshabi Publications
Vadakara, Tel: 0496 - 251 66 79
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All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
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without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Right 2016 by Ayshabi Publications
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

MASHHOOR MULLAKOYA THANGAL

AND VADAKARA

T.V. Abdurahimankutty
Translated by
Ashique Bin Ismail, Aluva
[ Head of the Dept., Faculty of English, Ministry of Education, Oman ]

AYSHABI PUBLICATIONS
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

The final resting place of Cheruseethi Thangal, Thayengadi

Makham, Vadakara (Makhamul Waseela)

Sheikh Sayyid Zain Hamid Cheruseethi

Thangal (Q.S)
S

ayyid Cheruseethi Thangal was born in the city of Tarim of

Hadhramaut which was a part of Yemen in the year 1669 (C.E)
(A.H. 1080). He was acclaimed for his spiritual leadership, scholarly
competence and a social reformer of great stature. His final resting
place is Thayengadi Vadakara. His full name is Sheikh Sayyid Zain
Hamid bin Abdul Khair Abdullah Ba Alavi Cheruseethi Thangal. He is
also mentioned as Muhammed Bin Hamid in some documents. He
grew up with many dispositions- good demeanor, virtuous character
and excellent traits.
He alighted at Kerala with his brother Sheikh Sayyid Jamaludeen
Muhammudul Wahthi in Hijri year 1113 (1701 C.E). They came to
Thiruvananthapuram, todays capital city and stayed there for a
short while. After that, Tanur was a go-between, where they stayed
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

temporarily for some time. Finally, they came to Vadakara and

settled there. The famous Sayyid ancestry Ba Alavi is the Qabeela of
Cheruseethi Thangal.
The leader of Ba Alavi lineage is Sayyid Ahamed Bin Issa (R) who
was migrated to Hadhramaut in the year 952 (C.E). The ancestry
remained through his son Sayyid Ubaidullah.

The elder son of Ubaidullah, Sayyid Alavi was ardent in religious

faith, a religious exponent and a great scholar. Those who were
joined to Sayyid Alavi are called Ba Alavis. They are spread in Yemen,
Hijas, West Africa, East Africa and Indonesia and their population is
about ten thousand.
As a result of tolerance to Muslims and the esteem in which
Muslim leaders and scholars were held by Zamorin rulers, Sayyids
came to Malabar and started to settle there. Natives and rulers alike
held them in high esteem and accepted them.
Since locals couldnt articulate with precision the Arabic names
of the venerable visitors who came and settled in Vadakara, they
called them Valiya Seethi Thangal and Cheriya Seethi Thangal. The
landlords of Valiyakath ancestral home gave a double-storied house,
under their ownership in Thayengadi, to Thangal brothers to live for
free. Younger brother lived downstairs and the elder lived upstairs.
Locals as well as those from nearby places came to see them and
find solutions to their problems.
A tributary chieftain of Kolathiri who ruled Kadathanad was
the ruler of Vadakara at that time. Owing to malicious plotting by
the Portuguese and their conspirators, a great rift between Muslim
traders and the ruler had occurred. It was a time when things
were getting to better shape due to a bond of friendship between
Thacholi Otheyanan and Kunhali Marakar in the second half of the
16th century.
The Chieftain heard about the extraordinary powers of
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

Cheruseethi Thangal from his subjects and wished to meet him. One
day, while Cheruseethi Thangal and his dependents were resting
on the beach, the chieftain arrived there with his retinue. Thangal
welcomed him in the most appropriate manner. The guest was
given a seat beside Thangal.
Cheruseethi Thangal gave instruction to bring a tender coconut
for refreshment. The mouth of the shell was cut open and given to
chieftain to drink. As he put the coconut drink near his lips, he saw
live fish in the coconut water. He pulled out from drinking it. He was
adept in his hate for fish consumption. Moreover, he didnt drink
water from wells, ponds or any water body where there were fishes.
Though he was in charge of the sea routes, he never sailed.
The chieftain was bewildered. He didnt know what to do but
he perceived it as a miracle from the divine person sitting beside
him. He drank the coconut water, it tasted sweeter than usual.
The famous poet Therkandi Muhammed Sahib, the well-known
writer of Mappila songs, who lived in the first decades of the
20th century, had composed a eulogy called Cheruseethi
Mala which extols the miracles of Cheruseethi Thangal briefly.
Udanvannethiyurath thangal madikkanda nee irikke
kothineeyonnum urathidanda mathiyoyitharume
Kuthichorale vilichu ilaneer parichu banishaname
Parichubannor volimumbakam urichipettennu urathe
Polichappolkandu oru samak ullil kalikkumellam nalarthe
peruth neram tharith rajan kuruthode nilanthe
porutham rakshithidanam swami karuthum mattum thodinthe
One day as Valiya Seethi Thangal was sitting upstairs and
Cheruseethi Thangal was sitting downstairs, a visitor came with
an offering. On enquiring what it was, the visitor told Cheruseethi
Thangal that it was a stalk of raw banana. The bananas were actually
ripe but he told so as not to displease Cheruseethi Thangal. He went
upstairs; unwrapped the sack but the bananas had turned raw. The
visitor explained what had happened to ValiyaSeethi Thangal. He
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

instructed the visitor to go and give them to Cheruseethi Thangal.

Shortly after that incident ValiyaSeethi Thangal shifted his residence
to Koyilandy and gave leadership to spiritual activities for the rest
of his life. Hijri year 1160 Rajab 26 (C.E 1747 August 3, Thursday) he
shed his mortal coil. His final resting place is Valiyakath Makham at
Koyilandy.
The chieftains respect for Cheruseethi Thangal grew gradually
as the news about his miracles came one after another. One day he
asked Thangal what he would wish to have for reward. He replied
that it would be better if he had a place to worship, live and for
burial. With much joy, he registered the broad piece of land which
included Thayengadi Makham in Thangals name. With the aid from
the chieftain a mosque was built in that place for giving spiritual
awareness. Many from inside and outside the land began to come
daily to Thangal for Baiath. He married again from Karakkad and
constructed a house there.
Cheruseethi Thangal was initiated to Qadiriyya Tariqa by Sayyid
Abdurahman Al-Hydrose who came to Malabar from Hadhramaut
in 1703 and whose final resting place is Valiyajarathingal at Ponnani.
Cheruseethi Thangal who continued with his activities to create
spiritual awareness was a beacon of hope and support for everyone.
Sayyid Sheikh Jifri Thangal in 1746 (C.E) and his brother Sayyid
Hassan Jifri in 1754 (C.E) came to Malabar and became Cheruseethi
Thangals disciples.
Sayyid Sheikh Cheruseethi Thangal, Sayyid Sheikh Valiya Seethi
Thangal, Sayyid Sheikh Jifri Thangal, Sayyid Sheikh Hassan Jifri
Thangal were of great help to the people of Malabar. They travelled
to different places and attracted people through spiritual and
cultural transformation.
In 1766, Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali came to Kozhikode
via Kadathanad. They came to Cheruseethi Thangal and sought
his blessings. In 1770 Qutub Zaman Mouladaveela Mamburum
Sayyid Alavi Thangal (1752-1845) came to Malabar and became the
disciple of Cheruseethi Thangal. Whenever he comes to visit his
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

master, he would remove the sandals at a mosque 100 yards away

from Cheruseethi Thangals abode. This practice continued when he
came for Ziyara even after Cheruseethi Thangals demise.
Cheruseethi Thangals daughter Sayyida Aysha Beevi, born
of his Yemeni wife Sayyida Khadeeja Beevi came of marriageable
age. It was decided earlier that she should be married to Sayyid
Abdurahman Mashhoor of Yemen. The marriage was fixed among
an august gathering of prominent men from citizenry, scholars
and tribal heads. Sayyid Abdurahman Mashhoor, the nephew
of Cheruseethi Thangal, was in Yemen during that time. As the
wedding day came closer, canopied pandal was set up along with
other wedding arrangements.
At last the wedding day arrived. Invitees from near and far off
lands started arriving. Happiness reflected on every face. Peals of
laughter were heard from inside the house. Ladies, bride and those
in the neighbourhood whispered each other in private. In those
days, marriages happened at night. It was evening; the bride groom
still didnt arrive. Laughter gave way to moments of anxiety. Pall of
gloom spread on every face. They were in distress, except Thangal.
Sitting in a corner, he was enthusiastically engaging the visitors.
Sometime after, Thangal instructed the elderly and dependents to
move on to the beach in order to receive the bride groom. They
were astonished. Nevertheless, happiness dawned.
A big gathering of local and tribal heads moved on. On
reaching the shore they were spellbound to see an unusual sight.
Glistening in the golden rays of the setting sun, over the waves
seated on a prayer mat (musalla) was Abdurahman Mashhoor.
He was drifting towards land and reached the shore from the east.
Beholders felt resplendence of joy. The bride groom was welcomed
respectfully and accompanied with much gaiety. The wedding was
auspiciously conducted. Through Abdurahman Mashhoor, the
ancestry of Mashhoor Qabeela started in Kerala. Sheikh Sayyid
Muhammed Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal is his descendant.
His last days of life were mostly spent in his ancestral house at
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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

Karakkad. He made a wasiyat (death will) that his burial ground

should be set up at Vadakara and Karakkad. Whomsoever lifted
his Janaza without much effort can take it to his native land and
bury the body. A.H 1185 Jamad-ul-Awwal 17 (August 29, 1771 C.E,
Thursday) he left this mortal world. Natives of Vadakara easily lifted
the Janaza and he was buried in Thayengadi Makham with much
respect. Simultaneously, another body was found in the graveyard
at Karakkad. It was buried there as well. People used to go to his
Karakkad Makham for Ziyara too.
The relationship between Thangal and Vadakara cannot be
fathomed, it continues even to this day. Beyond caste and religious
distinction, many believers come to Makham for Ziyara.
In Ramadan, during the night, it is believed to be sacred to
perform Ziyarat in this Makham. Many come for Ziyara without
gender distinction. It was customary for people to offer white cloth
to Makham and receive white cotton thread to wear around their
wrist. The locals took pride in doing so.
In those days a faction of Muslim community-scholars and
religious leaders stood for the progress of the land and community,
whereas, some others with vested interests cooperated with the
governance solely for their benefit. Cheruseethi Thangal chose the
line of diplomacy with the governance. His farsightedness was a
causative factor in bringing a respectable position to the Muslim
community of Vadakara.
Prior to bride going to her grooms house on the wedding
night, or grooms starting for wedding ceremony, or submitting a
nomination for elections; it was customary to come to Makham for
Ziyara. People started to offer the first yield from the harvest, or the
milk from cattle to Makham. In keeping with the custom, people
of Vadakara came to Makham for Ziyara before they ventured on
something good. The Moulid in the name of Sayyid Cheruseethi
Thangal was compiled by his great grandson Sayyid Mashhoor
Mullakoya Thangal.

Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

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Mashhoor Mullakoya Thangal & Vadakara

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