In the past, the Muslims had a golden epoch that was well-to-do with esteemed presence of scientist-scholars. They then, were at the top religious and secular education. There were many Muslim scholars offered several contributions, by being enthused by Qur-anic teaching, for modern science in that time. Be it in such science as medical, mathematical, geographical, physical or biological and so on. It is indubitable that the non-muslim scientists too had got ample inspirations to discover and invent new facts of modern science from Islamic teaching. Even in Kerala, we had such radiant scholars in past. The Shikh Nellikutthu Marakkar Musliyar was one of such charismatic scholars Kerala has ever seen in the last century. But the mater of unfortunate was that his scientific findings had not been hashed out at all.
Born in 1881 (Hijiri: 1298) in Nellikkutthu village of Malappuram, Kerala, he was very well-known personality due to his profound knowledge in every subject in his time. He was man of extra-ordinary personality, respected consecrate Sufi and celebrated articulate orator. Nellikutthu is very historied place of Malabar with many great far-famed Islamic scholars such as Ali Musliyar who was freedom-fighter and incontrovertible leader of Khilafat movement in Kerala and well-thought-of Mappila historian Nellikutthu Muhammadali Musliyar.
His Family and Life
He was born in Pallattil Puthukkolli family. This family was old and major family of Nellikutthu village in that time. His father was Pallattil Puthukolli (Kolleriyil) Ahamed Kutty Sahib and mother Ayisha daughter of Pallattil Valiya Puthukkolli Muhammed Kunji who passed in 1922 (Hijri: 1340) away. After leant the recitation of Holy Qur-an and primary lessons of religious knowledge from Kottakutthu Mammad Musliyar, set out his study journey to summit of versatile arts. He then, went with above-named Ali Musliyar to his Dars in Kavarathi, Lakshadeep and Podiyad masjid for the sake higher studies.
He has got golden opportunities to possess the knowledge from such great scholars as Shaikh Yusuf Alfazfari and Shikh Cherusseri Zainudheen Musliyar. As Marakkar Musliyar was ever so clever and brilliant in studying from childhood, he had not spent long time to win longed goal in studying.
Teaching Life
Having completed his years-long study life he began his teaching life by initiating a Dars in Panakkad Masjid. The major part of his teaching life was in Masjid of Periyangad a village four miles- far from Vandoor. From 1909 (Hijiri: 1327) he spent long thirty eight years there continuously. The villagers gave him and his family permanent accommodation for him near mosque, thus he became one of them later.
Of the men of literature of his time, he was of special lovely styles his own in literature. Written many poems in Arabic language on different subjects, he was widely-known Arabic poet of that time from region of Malabar. Famous scholar and mappila historian Shikh Nellikutthu Muhammadali Musliyar who found out his literary works such as poems and condolence poem after a huge efforts and searches wrote that his writings are too strong to pretermit. As a fellow of research in whole life, he made tremendous efforts to discover new information in every branch of knowledge and thus he was able to achieve profundity in spherics and astronomy. The lines of his some poems are helpful to recognize the depth of his lore in spherics.
Poem about Halley’s Comet
Halley's Comet is a short-period comet clearly visible with the bare eyes from Earth in every 75–76 years once. This comet appeared on 9th of February 1986 and hopes to be appeared next on 28th of July 2061. When Halley’s Comet appeared on 20th April 1910 a normal religious scholarly person from Malabar Shikh Marakkar Musliyar like other European scientists who did wide researches about comet’s figure, motion, length of tail and developments, determined in mind to study the comet. Having finished his wonderful research of it he wrote a poem in Arabic language. But the matter of sadness is that these lines did not come to light in the serious way which it deserved.
ايا قومي عجيبا في السماء : رأينا حادثا دون الخفاء
بدى نجم له ذنب جسيم : طويل كل يوم ذونماء
مزيد في التراقي نحو علو : الى أن ينتهى حد استواء
بشرقي السما باواخر من : ليالى نحو شهر الانقضاء
فيومان اختفى بالغيب ثما : راينا؛ طالعا غرب السماء
بعيد غروب شمس في اليالي : كذا حقا ترى دون اختفاء
فذا في عام كشج ثم غين : بهجرة خير كل الأنبياء
ربيع الآخر شهر اتجلى : به ذا لالعجيب بلا امتراء
Ho my people... We obviously saw a wonderful sight in the sky
A star with long and thick tail appeared it grows day to day
It was visible in last of night for about one month in east of the sky.
Disappeared for two days, we afterwards saw it in west of the sky.
Soon after sunset in night we see without screen very plainly.
This occurred in 1328 according to Hijiri calendar surely.
This wonder appeared in month of rabee al akhir verily.
Ho people... We saw plainly
A sight took place wonderfully
Appeared a star in the sky
With tail growing day to day
It was visible in night daily
Stayed a month shining endlessly
Came it out in the East firstly
Of the contemporary scholars of that time, he was a renowned polyglot. He had wealth of knowledge in Malayalam, Tamil, Urdu and Sanskrit as well as Arabic. He has written poem in Malayalam also. It is said that the poem of giving an account of his children’s birth and other, is so notable and to send letters in poem was one of his hobbies.
He had four sons and five daughters. In 1946 (Hijiri: 1365) he passed away in his house in Pariyangad. His Qabar (grave) is in graveyard of Pariyangad Masjid.
By: Raoof Irumbuzhi