Browsing by Author "Lakkal, Abdul Vasih"

Salafism is a movement that claims to be as old as Islam as preached by our beloved Prophet (Pbuh). Today, there is no doubt that Salafism has rejuvenated Islamic thought. Almost all reformation and revolutionary Islamic movements owe a great deal of debt to it. Modern Islamic history would have been a totally different story if it was not for Salafism. The seeds of its thought can be found all over the Muslim world and has resulted in the creation of hybrids or variants of this movement, all claiming to uphold the Salafi Ideology. The aim of this research is limited to the study of the role of Salafism in Kerala, a small state located in southern India. The study focuses on Kerala Nadwah al-Mujihidin, the dominant Salafi movement of Kerala. In the endeavurs of the author to carry out this research, it became obvious that a revolutionary element existed in the proponents or Imam of this ideology. It was thus quite surprising to find a lack of this revolutionary spirit in the Kerala Nadwah al-Mujahidin as it exists today. Thus this research underwent a major shift in focus from a historical appreciation of Salafi movement in Kerala to a critical evaluation of the works of this movement from a holistic perspective. Thus, the study of the movement was not restricted to matters pertaining to religious duties or beliefs; rather the whole social and political implications of their activities were analyzed. It is hoped that this research will provide valuable insight not only for those interested in the evolution of Salafism in Kerala, but also for those interested in Salafism itself.

This study examines the issues of Muslim minority in India, in Kerala particularly. It looks at their struggle in sustaining the survival of their cultural and religious traditions as set out by Fiqh al-Aqaliyyah. The study looks at the complex challenges, theoretically and historically, faced by the Muslims of Kerala in meeting the objectives of the Shari’a. The state of Kerala is located in the far south of India, characterized by peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance as the rules and regulations followed by the Muslims of India in other states may not be suit the Muslims of Kerala; their circumstances are different from each other. These states have been known for the religious clashes and sectarian conflicts, while the Kerala people are known to share their views with each other in religious, social and political events without regard to what each sect adopts in its beliefs or doctrine. The research follows the inductive method. The researcher collects the scientific material related to the chosen subject, analyzes it to extract the benefits from it, and expresses his opinions on some issues of the Muslim minority in Kerala with reference to the backgrounds and the circumstances behind them. The issues faced by the Muslim minority in Kerala may appear to be easy and simple, but they have another aspect that affects the relationship of Muslims with others. The research concluded that the Muslim minorities in Kerala are in need of a new jurisprudence in the light of Maqasid al-Sharia and it should be characterized itself with co-existence in order to serve as a bridge between Islam and others.