Malappattu;

Living Islam through Devotional songs in

South India

“But remind; for reminding benefits the believers”

The Qur’an (51:55)

It is imperative, for a habitus has a striking ideology to its

productive remarks in history and striving on-going milieu.

Conceptualizing folk happenings is too much attached with the

universal totalitarian multiplicities. Role of a religion in a

living society is to instill ethical impressiveness for the

social cohesion, communal harmony, and social development through

recreating self-determinism from the scattered abstracts. Focal

point of a religion is the spiritual modification of mind and

body, with the usage of contrasted form of specific believes,

incarnations and revealing. In fact, a religion basically does

the installation of ideas to the material objects of cosmic

realities. For the sake of such endeavors every religion effort

to fabricate its textual foundations. Interpretations,

reinterpretations, and all have been made as a concern with those

textual-testimonial constituents of a religion. Such normative

encodings can live forever with generating new orientations as a

lived faith grows to new historical directions.

Meanwhile, applied linguistics or lexical patterns cannot make a

reading on the traditional happenings of a society. Such a

moment of trouble can easily challenge the deep quest of its

normative foundations and its integration with the living

situation. If such criteria will not apply for the analysis of

texts it has been pay for different stigmatization and it lead to

the birth of unexpected misconceptions. A religion or any those

ideologies get trouble under the brutal false consciousness, when

the text and context get detached.

Behaving relativity above the cultural assumptions is very

integral to the existence of a lived religious experience. If any

stand beyond this ethical philosophy start to produce next step

for the decline of those ideology. Rise and fall of a

civilization are both constituted by and constituent of an

impressive ideology which might form the zeitgeist. They are the

works of both history and culture. I concentrate in this paper on

the cultural intricacies of a historical new wave in the

practices of a lived form of Islam in Kerala undeniably since its

arrival on her land. In other words, this article is trying to

find the meeting point of both the lived and the textual Islam

through an analysis of the devotional songs in south India,

especially Malappattu. And for that, I attempt to address two

questions that concern the issue:

1) What is the textual evidence for the devotional songs in

Muslim societies?

2) How do these piety genres influence the socio-cultural

diversities of the living Islam in Kerala?

Typology of living Islam and the encoding of legitimized precepts

Islam generates multifarious deeds for human life through the

affirmation of acceptable ethical factors along its every single

dust. Existence of Islam is through its highly codified texts. In

fact, those things crafted the normative structure of Islam.

Fabrication from self grasped imagination and individual belief

are will not take for the creation of texts. I classify the

Islamic texts into two:

1) Primary text

2) Subsidiary texts.

Revealed texts ‘the Quran’ is the foundation of every ideas

derived in Islamic milieu is the Primary text. All else other

forms will take for the secondary or subsidiary or sub texts.

From lord to his messenger, then to the messenger’s disciples,

the reading of this holy text passes through variety of sounds

and experiences attached with it. Prophetic wont are mainly

considered as the primary perspective or optical factor for

reading the fundamental text. Later this primary concern extended

to various stages of analyzing methodology. Deducted modes of

operandi give birth for numerous sub texts for the reading of

Primary. Variety of disciplines developed, while a text paid for

deep thought reading and analysis. Islamic mode of jurisprudence,

theology, philosophy…etc got an institutionalized behavior, since

the existence of subsidiary readings.

According to the traditional held views, there are numerous

criterions for the crafting of sub texts. It is dialectic and

diverse as per the gesture of disciplinary approach.

Considerable context is inevitable in the platform of textual

crafting. Text and context proportionally expose reciprocal

behavior forever. While interpreting, recreating texts for

objective discourse of material happenings, recollection and

contrasting of contextual criterion need to be considered. It

will only result to the systemic understanding on vested ideology

of a religion. When the advocates of traditional Islam want some

positive additions to the already existed textual structure of

Islam, he can do it quite legitimately. That addition can be even

some aesthetic one. Nothing from the corpus of Islamic legal

texts would stand to contradict such attempts as long as they are

legitimate. This is why the normative Islam integrates numerous

studies on various civilizations, cultural patterns, and socio-

political orders in various historical times.

Texts of Islam are an idea of living. The synthesizing platform

of those normative Islam to the folk Islam delivers a typical

form of encoding, that inevitable for the existence of the

religious ideology. These will be taken as the fruitfulness of a

religion. And the dichotomy of text and context surely lead for

the devotional energy crisis of it’s too. Entextulization of

normative Islam and recontextulization of folk Islam deflected

from the spatial rhythm of Islamic discourses in various edges of

Muslim history. Most of them did those interferences, in the name

of renewal (taj’did) or revival (Is’lah), but they can’t demonstrate

what Islam defined in its profuse life code. The constellation

which walk beyond the lined pattern of textual Islam, have been

nomenclature as the advocates of heretical innovations. That’s

why the textually rich society has been called to be the portion

of major soul and spiritual health for a lived / living Islam.

There are many reasons for the existence of those offshoots in

Islam. It’s all are fragmented and diverged according to the

behavior ideas or practices. Anyway Islam always highlights

traditions which alive in ongoing discourses with rich ancestral

inheritance to the striving of a ubiquitous ideology. Its inner

logic is in its deep esoteric creeds. And its hand over through

centuries from civilizations to civilizations, nations to

nations, cultures to cultures. Every deeds get at in the hands of

Muslim world is took synthesis of various ideas and objects, in

pertain with obvious factors of textual Islam.

Viable tradition living with acceptable mediations is the hotbed

for the normative Islam. Every Muslims considered tradition as

an unique relics. Sprouting of etiquette over those matters are

in according with their devotee mindsets transgressed through

tempering spiritual piety festivity. Muslim network formation

held by pursuing, what tradition gave to them. While take an

effort to found the deep under currents of Muslim tradition, ever

happened to see the colorful chain, that strengthen an ideology.

David Gilmartin has coined the term “Muslim network civilization”

to expose Muslim community in accordance with the contrasting of

traditional believing. Using of such terms is profusely correct

while analyzing traditional communities in different parts of the

Muslim world. Mappila Muslims in South India alive Islam through a

rich practice of such networking, that develops through various

compressions of space and time.

Islamic texts live through traditional communities which provide

effective legitimization above the texts with life and teachings.

Also they keep the texts from inward and outward value

degradation. All other consciousness stand for the value

dejection and expression of innovations above the texts will not

take for any consideration to define Islam and Muslim lives.

Muslim past day interfaces variety of Pro and counter discourses

over its foundational texts. In nutshell, living Islam means the

existence of a constellation of human experiences in Muslim

society through textual impartation and it’s constantly passing

from one generation to the other with an energetic transmission

of normative ideas.

Genetics of devotional songs over centuries

Songs, poems and aesthetic expressions inspire the social

creativity. Its letters have been crafted to praise highly

spiritual bound personalities, recollection of important

happenings of past in tradition, advices and stories are also

subjected. It seems to be the acting of human for self and

group determinism. Any specific ideology never can’t abound it

within that precepts itself. But take it for transgressed

instillation of dialectical human deeds, without any pointed cast

or creed. It may engulf social, cultural, political, religious,

or any determinations. Beyond these multiplicities of songs, it

leads to shape a cultural personality of an idea to an objective

factor of cosmos.

The essences of piety / devotional songs are a verbal art form

has tradition which traces back to centuries. Recollection or

reminding (Tadkirath) is the basic factor of the devotional songs.

Using, it as a tool for exploring spiritual feelings among the

believers and help to tie the hearts with in the living organ and

to the truly imaginative past too. As per the gesture of the

diversity of cultures it exposes multiple types through

legitimizing textual evidence and the cultural pattern of living

geography itself. Islam move across the edges of world through

the perfect performation of rhythmic tunings forever. Focal point

of integrating ethics, reason and aesthetics develop hyper spirit

of human existence for a life code. That’s why Muslim tradition

gave unique platform for the rhythmic tuning what probably called

as devotional songs.

Devotional songs in Muslim tradition have considerable evidence

in its profound normative pattern. Quran, Prophetic wont, and

else all other major foundational texts of Islam emphasize the

possibility of such type of piety genres which help to the

recollection of past glorious tradition and the alert of

hereafter to Muslims. Here the past means the life and teachings

of prior lives, pedagogical interventions and major events etc…

And it asserted that such acting help the living community to

take energy for its present interfacings and future assumptions

of life making with obvious etiquette of normative Islam.

Devotional songs in Muslim societies have the tradition of

fourteen centuries, which get at its primary chain to the Prophet

(PBUH) and his companions who plays a central role in early

Arabia. Sixth centaury Arabian Peninsula covered with numerous

ethical errors. Those days the popular ethics are totalizing with

dehumanitarian false consciousness. Ever time war between

scattered social classes, transgressed wine using behavior,

brutal sexual harassment to the women are the major social issues

in that Arabia. Arab historians termed it as the age of “triple

W” (war, wine and women). Poems, songs and those like literature

also profoundly lived there. Sabu’almuallaqath (Seven poems) is the

most popular collections of poem that used to be hung in the

Ka’ba of Mecca before the arrival of Prophet (PBUH). Poems of

Celebrated Arab poets like Labeeb, Tarafa, Zuhair, Anthara ibn

Shaddad, Amir ibn Khulthum, Harith ibn Hilliza, Imrul khais who

characterized renowned Lailamajnoon, etc were exhaust their

imaginative fantasy from the ethical void geography of early

Arabia. Rather than commercial goods, highly expounded literary

works got highly demand in those day’s Arabian markets. Majority

of literary endeavor’s thematic explosions were in concern with,

prior mentioned cultural faults. Internal and external clashes

powered by tempering literary linguistics. So, as per the

expansion of these type literates and its forthcoming byproducts

led to the fragmentation of Arabian social network brutally.

Inter cultural conflicts and cultural tensions transformed the

Arabia to the cockpit of civilization void.

Prophetic entering to Arabia in sixth centaury Dark Age

completely transformed the cultural dimension of Arabia from

brutal pragmatics to civilize. Devotional preaching of Prophet

Muhammad (PBUH) had been made introspection to lion part inner

core of Arabia. Along with common civilians many poets and

literates too embraced the thoughts of Prophet. Those, reverted

literates then took their pen and paper to write on the

devotional thoughts from the revivalist spirits of prophetic

teachings. It is the prototype of devotional verbal arts in

Muslim communities. Emergence of Islamic devotional songs was

like this. Arab poetic typology pursues something differentiated

structure and morpheme in its art of writings. Muslim poets also

used to took that. Baanathusuada (Suada is Gone) is one of the

most celebrated eulogy about Prophet (PBUH) written by famous

Arab poet Ka’ab bin Zuhair, when he embarrassed Islam,

Collections of Hasan bin thabith, Collections of Abdullah bin

Rawaha are also the most celebrated poets who wrote through the

thematic explosion of devotional spirit in early Arabia of

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Many testimonial texts are in normative Islam, transmitted

through faithful reliable interlocutors traceable to the Prophet

(PBUH) which emphasize the positive node for the devotional

genres in Islam. Abdullah bin Rawaha, one of a prophet’s

disciples reported that, Once, beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

assures the inevitability and positive factors of considering

commemoration of buried most piety advocates. It’s good and

considerable in Islam. When a man sung in front of Prophet

Muhammad (PBUH), he got much rejoices and called his companions

to hear that. Hasan bin Sabith also often been quoted from

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about the writing and singing of songs in

concern with the respect, sympathy to the celebrated spiritually

ranked people. Reshaping of vested epoch and reworking of

comings will become only get at the pinnacle stage of truism in

such moments. Variety of texts which says prophetic life and wont

remark this as truth in the consideration of prophetic tradition.

SwahihulBukhari, Swahih Muslim, Tirmudi, Abu Davud, Nasaei, Ibn Maja shows the

authenticity of remembering past for the sake of here and here

after or resurrection for Muslims. Basically, devotional songs

are lead to take a believer to the past centuries for deriving

high volt energy for next time recasting living discourses.

Praising of, lord, his beloved savior, important persons among

the community etc… are the subjectivity of devotional songs in

Muslim Arabia. Anyhow, later many type of songs viz active in Muslim

world. Eulogy of most beloved advocate of Muslims, Prophet

Muhammad (PBUH) has been subjected for the poems increasingly.

Qasidathul Burda (Poems of mantle)of thirteenth centaury Egyptian

Sufi poet Imam Abū 'Abdallāh Muhammad ibn Sa'īdul-BūsīrīAshadhili

(1211–1294 CE), Qadidatu nu’mania (Poems of excellence) of eight

centaury Iraqi scholar and founder of school of hanafi, Imam Abū

Ḥanīfah (699 — 767 CE). Qaseedathul vitriyya (Poems of Solitude) had

written by early Arabic poet Muhammad bin Abdul Rasheed Al

Bagdadi, Qadae ke baqshis (Garden of beloved) of nineteenth century

South Asian Sufi Saint Imam Ahmmad Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921

CE) etc… have been circulated in most of the Muslim societies.

Majority of the devotional songs in Muslim societies have been

considered for sung to profusely praise the prophetic life and

teachings. Geography of Mecca and Medina, which is consider as

the prophetic birth place and propagation land have been pointed

in devotional songs of Muslims aesthetically. Imaginary

travelling to prophetic Medina, sadness of believer for the

absence in Mecca are the most hyper sympathetic themes in those

genres.

Malapattu; an explosion of piety genres through tempering

spirituality

As per the gesture of folk Islam across the world through

devotional songs, South Indian Muslim community also has produced

quite a lot of its own traditional devotional songs. Large number

of Songs, prose-cum-songs etc are circulating among South Indian

Muslims. Malappattu is one of them. It got much popularity than

others among the local practitioners of Islam in South India. It

sprouted since centuries before, authored by renowned Sufi poets.

Malappattu is a Malayalam (One of major South Indian language,

mainly spoken in the state of Kerala) term which means the “Chain

song”. Striking distinctiveness of these songs is the

proportional mixture of multiple languages rather than a one

language. Arabic, Persian, Tamil, Malayalam, Sanskrit are mixed

in a single idealistic platform, what anyone call piety

expression.

Founded texts from various parts of South Indian Muslim tradition

indicates, Malappattu writing started centuries before. Age old

texts have been taken from the Tamil Muslim tradition. In early

time itself Tamil had considerable dominancy in South Indian

literary tradition. An eight stanza poem Palsandh malei (‘mala’

in Malayalam and ‘malei’ in Tamil) wrote in Fourteenth century

known as the first among this. It mainly engulfs with the

praising of all mighty god. Its author is anonymous still now

also. GBP Moore opined that the author may be a non-Muslim due to

its lack of usage of Persian and Arabic mixture to the poem.

Whatever it may be, some of the historians stand in the side of a

reverted Muslim author in early South India. Mikrasu malei, also a

poem wrote by an anonymous pen of man. Slightly adapted prophetic

history passes through its lines. Sufi leader and scholar, Shaikh

Nainan Khan’s Kanakambhisheka malei pulses the intention of

profound spiritual excellence of a believer. Muthumoli malei and

Thirumani malei of Abul Khader Nainar Labba Alim Pulavaris are also

the products of Seventeenth century Tamil Muslim tradition.

Malappattu highly generated and circulating still now in Mappila

Muslim community, which is one of a deep traditional and second

largest community after Hindus (56%) who contain 24.70% of

population in Kerala. It have been influenced by Arab Muslim

devotional songs in thematically and local traditional devotional

songs in typologically. Cultural geography of Mappila Muslim

community consists with numerous practices, which traces to the

circle of normative Islam. It’s the geography had been influenced

by multiple Diasporas cultural assimilation and other unique

cultural dialogues. Islam exist South India at the second half of

seventh century in Malabar costal region known as Kodungallor.

One of Indian kings from Kerala, Kodungallor, and named Perumal

traveled to Arabia with Arab traders and embraced Islam and named

Tajudheen. After his visiting of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) he

returned to South India with his companions itself. But, from

the way he died. Historical assumptions emphasize, he might have

been buried at Salala, which situated at present Oman. And his

companions continued their journey to Malabar, and settled here

with exposing exemplary socio-religious harmony.

South India enlightened with the rays of Islam through large

number of Diasporas from West Asian countries, which is the

geography Islam expound from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It was

set in motion, for trade purposes, knowledge networking, and many

other push and pull factors played crucial role for the Arab

migration to South India. Old Persia, Syria, Yemen, Bagdad etc

fragmented the concept of Ummah to diverse cultural

personalities of world. But, Islamic knowledge was transmitted

mainly through Yemen’s migration, which commonly known as Hadrami

Diaspora, than any other Arab countries. Migrated Arabs, reverted

traditional people, and other settled people who live in the

circle of Islam known as the Muslim society in South India. The

migrated fellows, especially those intellectually migrated took

the textual patterns of Islam from West Asia, and equated its

normative blows with the traditional happenings of South India.

This integration clearly saw on the structural linings of

devotional songs. Malappattu writers in South India selected its

typology from the living society, to take the literature public

easily. And its preeminent subjectivity contrasted from the inner

core of normative Islam. A new model of script was developed for

the writing of Malappattu, often been known as Arabic-Malayalam,

which was acted as a counter discourse against ongoing linguistic

feudalism crafted in the midst of class-cast detachments in south

India. This script found new ways to the common hearts, without

any type of discriminations. The poems contain 100-600 lines.

Malappattu in Mappila Muslim Community encoded under Mappilapattus

(Songs of Mappila) was a counter poetic theology and an

alternative literary mission which sprouted in early seventeenth

century of Kerala. It is still considered as a door to the

Islamic mode of lived religion in medieval Kerala, Mappilapattus

are different category. Malappattu (Song of chain), Padapattu (Song of

war), Khissapattu (Song of story), Kalyanapattu / Mailanchipattu (Song of

wedding), Madhupattu (Song of praise), ThadiUrdipattu (song of

advice), Viruttampattu, Kathupattu (Song of letter) etc…Among them

Malappattu got mass popular support due to its master signifier of

spiritual intuition. According to the diverse subjectivity,

different sections also found in malappattu. Muhyudheen mala, Rifae

mala, Nafeesath mala, Mampuram mala, Mahmood mala, Manchakkulam mala, Badar

mala, Shaduli mala, Ajmeermal, Noor mala, Naseehath mala, Jilani mala, Makhdoom

mala, Salamathmala, Niskarapattu mala, etc…around hundreds of Malappattu

found from Kerala Mappila Muslim community. Often Neerchapattu

also been used for Malappattu.

Before the arrival of Islam to Kerala, this land was

predominantly the abode of the Hindu believers. During the time

when Malappattu was written, the land was abundant with the

numerous Hindu religious devotional songs and hymns. The authors

of poem dare to make integration between the poetic typology of

Kerala and Arabia. Malappattu is the finest evidence for that

fruitful collaboration.

Every poem’s starting only with the praising of lord all mighty,

his savior and companions, indicating special hymns in Islam for

the Starting of every good deeds such like Bismillahirahmaniraheem

(In the name of Allah, most merciful and most kindness). This

installation, generated from the prophetic style of hymn, that

once he taught to his companions ‘start every good deeds with the

praising god All mighty, then you can feel unique exuberating

rejoice on that’. Some examples given below from the Malappattu:

***

“Allah thiruperum tudiyum salavathum

Adinal thudanguvan arul cheytha veedambar”

-Muhudheenmala-

***

“Bismiyum hamdum salathum salamalum

Bindu prakethudangun navarya Allah”

- Badar mala-

***

“Billahi nam tudiyum salavathum

Bismi muthalaya thudangan arul cheythoovar”

- Mahmood mala-

***

“Bismi tiri perum tudiyum salavathum

Beedambar kakki adinal thudanguvan”

- Rifae mala-

***

“Bismiyum hamdum salathum nalsalamum munne

Billi nafeesath mala nan thudangeedunne”

– Nafeesath mala-

***

“Aaadi bismi oothi hamdum beedi rasoolullah

Annabiyil yen salathum unni salamullah”

- Mamburam mala-

***

Praising of highly spiritual bound advocates has been considered

as the focal point for the themes in Malappattu. Muhyudheen mala,

considered as the prime work of Malappattu in Mappila Muslim

community. It was written by renowned Sufi scholar and religious

vizier in Kozhikode, Kazi Muhammad bin Abul Aziz, at 1607 CE. It

codified in 157 lines. Theme of the song is the eulogy of twelfth

century Sufi leader from Bagdad, who seeded the Qadiri thariqath

(Qadiri sufi way), QuthubulAqthab Shaik Abdul Khader Jilani

(1077–1166 CE). The poem consists with various stages of Shaikh

Jilani, like childhood, honesty, amazing activities, and many

other incidents. Author pursued three authentic historical texts

for writing the poem. BahjathulAbrar of Imam Shathanifi, one of

Shaikh’s disciples, Takmila of Shaikh Abdul Razak, who is the son

of sheikh and Futhuhathul Gaib, authored by the sheikh itself.

“Bahja kithabinnum, bahru muhithinnum,

Angine takmila thanninnum kandoovar”

It is often been quoted from muhyudhen mala itself which justify

the authenticity of the poem’s content. This poem had much

relevance in the focal socio-political scenario of Seventeenth

century South India. It is the time of emerging anti-colonial,

anti-feudal movements. Most of the literates from the oppressed

sect of society take their letters to make a counter wave to the

paradoxical ideology of social discourse. Muhyudheen mala also has

been considered as a literature of such countering. When

seventeenth century Mappila society interface the imperial

attacks of colonial determinism, and brutal discrimination of

categorized feudal elitism, Kazi Muhammad, the author of

Muhyudheen mala set his ink to vanish ongoing fault lines of

cultural aspects of South India through his magnum opus literary

work. When, most of the literates pursue a direct counter against

such mentioned ultra discourses, muhyudhhen mala found a new way.

Else other all are the expressive counter act but Muhyudheen mala

took energy from the inwards of society, which means the

spiritual exuberating. Through such explanative typology Kazi

Muhammad also tent to do draw a clear cut illustration of

Spiritual inner core of Islamic esoteric and exoteric feelings.

Seventeenth century AD was the time of existing pseudo soiritual

movements and other fake Sufi ideologies in Muslim world through

the false interpretation of major Islamic texts. Most of them

bifurcate the exoteric and esoteric approaches. Kazi Muhammad

strongly defends it through his beautiful lines with giving

exemplary model as Shaikh Jilani.

“Balath shareeath nnum kadalullovar

Idath haqeeqath ennum Kadalullovar”

[His (Shaikh Jilani) right blessed with Islamic Shareea

(exoteric), and left with Haqeeqa (esoteric)].

From the inspirations of Muhyudheen mala many scholars and poets

wrote new versions of Muhyudheen mala in different models. Of late

numerous dialogues and hot discussions have been made concern

with variety of the areas in muhyudhhen mala due to its extra

ordinary literary structure and deep thought meanings. Poets like

Nalakath Kunchi Miodeen Kutty, MP Fakeer Muhammad Edava also

wrote Malappattu in the structural pattern of Kazi Muhammad.

Anyhow, Muhyudheen mala is consider as a resisting weapon against

calamities. Sir William Logan underlined in his ‘Malabar manual’,

about the influence of Muhyudheen mala among the Mappila Muslim

community to fight against British colonial brutality. Before

every struggle Mappila Muslim warriors sung Muhyudheen mala and

attain a spiritual energy from it.

Rifae mala, is the eulogy about Twelfth century Iraqi Sufi leader

Shaikh Sayyed Ahmmad Al Kabeer Rifae (1107-1183 CE) written in

1812 and its author is unknown. As per the popular belief it will

help to resist Snake troubles and other natural incidents.

Nafeesath mala of Nalakath Kunchi moideen, about famous Egyptian

women Sufi saint Nafeesathul Misriyya. Ibrahi bin adham mala of

Kottakunnan Muhammad is the praising of eighth century Iraqi Sufi

king Ibrahim bin Adham. Siddequmala, authored by Manachan

pirakath Abdul Aziz, describe the life of Prophetic disciple and

first Kalifha of Islamic Empire in post-prophetic Arabia Khalifa

Aboobacker Sideeque. Hamzath mala, of Kunchi seethi Koya tangal

koodambiyakath also the eulogy of one of the prophet’s companion

Hamzathul Karrar.

Many local Sufi saints also have been subjected for Malappattu

writings. Noorudheen mala, of Qaiyarakath kunchava about Chaliyam

Noorudheen sheikh. Manchakkulam mala, codified to praise Shaikh

ManchakulamAwliya, by Sayyed Hassan Thangal Palakkad. To

rejuvenating fourteenth century Sufi leader Mampuram Sayyed Alavi

mauladhavila has been subjected in Mampuram mala. Renowned Muslim

scholar in and the man who paved intellectual platform for the

South Indian Muslims through introducing ‘Darse-Nizami’ classical

Islamic education system, Shaikh Zainudheen Makhdoom is the

central subject in Makhdoom mala.

Important issues in Islamic history are also in Malappattu poetry.

Renowned war between Muslims and Muslim enemies in Mecca is the

theme of Badar mala of Mambattil Kunchirain. Malappuram mala /

Shaheed mala recollect famous anti-feudal rebellion, named

Panarambth feudal lords in Malabar region which hold before 250

years ago. Niskarapattumala ha s been written to teach commons about

the ritual practices of Islam. Five time prayer of Muslims,

ritual fasting and its way of submission to, All mighty God are

engulfed in this type of songs.

Rhythmic tuning of Malappattu flows through the hearts of South

Indian Muslims centuries. Festivity of Malappattu generated highly

in the midst of popular Islam. Beyond mass gatherings, this genre

sounded within the boundaries of houses, and small

constellations. To get cure from disease, Exuberating new steps

with spiritual blessings, Overcome accidental and ever time

troubles in ongoing life are the major reasons for singing

Malappattu among the majority of South Indian Muslims. ‘Sabina’ (it’s

the name commonly using in Malabar region) is the name for the

book of collected Malappattu. Muslim used to bring a copy of ‘Sabina’

with the holy Quran, in their homes, for the everyday recitation.

Traditional Mappila Muslim community in present central Malabar

can’t illustrate a slight part of everyday life without the

Malappattu tuning in any time.

Post-Script

Devotional songs are alive in contemporary traditional Muslim

societies because of the pregnancy of the textual corpus of Islam

that continue to get disseminated since fourteenth century. This

normative mass underscores the inevitability of recollecting,

what exalted in their past. Holy script of Islam the Quran

depicts its fundamental philosophy across its majority of verses,

for such indication it effort to use the etymology ‘Dikr’. It

suture, how those recollection made vital sea changes in past

societies and what its reflexive backups is for contemporizes.

Historiography of major textual Islam leads to deliver new

reorientations of cultural or practicing Islam and gives the

legitimization living habitus.

As regards the Malappattu tradition in South India, this cultural

practice has been deeply in compliance with the normative textual

Islam. Never ever any compartmentalization found in the textual

and lived practices from the equation of both sects. As per the

gesture of traditional held views in Muslim majority societies

and ideology of Islam confirm the inevitability of devotional

praising through songs and other tunings. Analysis of

multifarious cultural fragmentation of traditional Islam and

Muslim societies in West Asia, South Asia, African countries,

East Asia assert those material happenings and its constantly

performs construct an unique network between diverged

civilizations. Thus, the gatherings of multiplicity alert to

identify its striking factors. Such quests on so-called

generating helps to find its canonical factors, which has been

called as textual base of livings or the normative energy of folk

ideology.

References

1) Holy Quran- Surathu Dariyath-Chapter 51, Verse 55

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[Presented paper for International Conference on ‘Textual and

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