About Our Visionary Founder
Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin
The Prism of Visionary Leadership
Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin (1936-2010), who is also locally known as Panoor Thangal, is a leader, great scholar, author and reformer from South India. He left behind a great legacy of seminal works in Arabic that are worthy of research attention, and some of them are used in several universities in the Gulf countries. His proficiency in Arabic is explicit in these works. He wrote in different specialisations such as Quranic exegesis, hadīth, jurisprudence, logic, theology, history among others. His roles as a teacher, theologian, and philosopher made him a prolific writer in Arabic. He left behind a remarkable legacy of intellectual contributions, which remain testimonies of his dedication, hard work, erudition and scholarship.
He mastered Arabic by regular reading Arabic magazines published from Gulf countries. He also kept a close relationship with Arab scholars, writers and philosophers and whenever he returns from overseas, he made sure to bring several books in Arabic and English. Releventization of Islamic knowledge was his main objective in mastering Arabic. Therefore, he presented the major works of classical Islamic scholars in contemporary style and attractive format. He appreciated the position of Arabic in Islam as well as the international audience. Arabic is the language of the Qur’ān and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (KKN Kuru,p (39-42). His tireless efforts in writing books were not motivated by promotion or any material benefits; rather, it was for helping his students and disseminating the knowledge in a meaningful way. He consistently made himself busy engaging with educational activities.
His main aim in writing books is to assist teachers and students in mastering that particular subject in simple and accessible ways. As far as his quranic exegesis is concerned, one of the reasons is his realisation that fabricated explanations and Isralite stories are injected in some book of tafsīr, which are powerful to cause damage to Islam and the Prophet. In addition, he wanted to read the Qur’ān in the light of discoveries of modern science and to relevantize it so that the people can comprehend its message and relevance in a better way. In his write-ups, he mainly focused on the numerous miracles in the creation of this world and the unique power of Almighty, keeping in line with reasonable and logical articulation. The famous historian of Kerala, K.K.N. Kurup expects that revitalising the legacy of Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin , for example, his tafsīr, can strengthen the cultural relationship, academic exchanges and dissemination of knowledge between Gulf countries and Kerala. Below is given the names of Arabic books written by Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin with a brief introduction about each of them.
Books Authored by Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin
ʿAlā Hāmish al-Tafāsīr: Taʿlīqāt ʿalā Tafsīr al-Jalālayn’
Category: Tafsir
Volumes: 7
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
Year: 2007
The magnum opus of Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin is the ʿAlā Hāmish al-Tafāsīr: Taʿlīqāt ʿalā Tafsīr al-Jalālayn’. This book proves his ingenuity and skill in the art of classification and composition of a scholarly work. Being a non-Arab, though writing a comprehensive tafsīr of the Qur’ān is challenging, he accomplished it. He is the only scholar from Kerala who holds the record of writing a complete and detailed tafsīr of the Qur’ān in Arabic in the known history so far. He dedicated nine years from 1419 to 1428 AH corresponding to the year 1998 to 2007 AD to complete this great work.
This tafsīr comprises seven huge volumes, which is prepared benefitting from the classical and contemporary interpretations. It includes references from the tafsīr of Jāmiʿ al-Bayān of al-Ṭabarī (d. 923 AD) to the exegesis of Sheikh Tantawi (d. 2010). It also incorporates quotes from modern books and scientific works.
Ādāb al-Muslim fī Manhaj al-Islām
Category: Tasawwuf
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It is a book of Islamic ethics. It discusses ethical aspects a Muslim should uphold and extend towards his family, children, properties, etc.
Ṣafwat al-Kalām fī Mabādi’ ʿAqā’id al-Islām
Category: Aqidah
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It discusses Islamic theology. It deals with faith, resurrection, ākhirah, awliyā’ and Sufi rituals. It is prepared for helping students understand the essential theological matters of Islam, and he has included easy examples to explain the logic thereof.
Al-Manṭiq fī Sharaḥ al-Tahdhīb
Category: Mantiq (logic)
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
Year: 1422 AH
It is an explanation of the book of logic written by Saʿd al-Din al-Taftāzānī...
Al-Kalām fī Sharaḥ al-ʿAqā’id al-Shafiʿiyyah
Category: Aqidah
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It is the complete commentary of Sharḥ al-ʿAqā’id by Abū Ḥasan ʿUmar al-Nasafī...
Niqātun min Tārīkh al-Islām
Category: Tarikh (Islamic history)
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It attempts to tell the history of the prophets from Adam to Muhammad (pbuh).
Al-Nibrās fī Maslak al-Fiqh al-Shāfiʿī
Category: Fiqh
Volumes: 3
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
Year: 2006
The three volumes deal with various juristic chapters in al-Fiqh al-Shāfiʿī...
Al-Madārij fī Taqrīر al-Ghāyat wa al-Taqrīb
Category: Fiqh
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It is the commentary of Matn al-Ghāyat wa al-Taqrīb by Abū al-Shujāʿ Aḥmad al-Aṣfahānī.
Al-Mirqāt fī ʿAqīdat al-Islām
Category: Aqidah
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It is also a small book about the belief system of Islam...
Shadharāt al-Dhahab
Category: Tarikh (Islamic history)
Publisher: Jamʿiyyat Ṭullāb Nibrās al-ʿUlamā’, Jāmiʿah al-Zahrā, Kerala, India
It is a book of Islamic ethics to be upheld in various walks of Muslim life...
Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin was a skilled orator with eloquence, accuracy in expression...
Sayyid Ismail Shihabuddin has significantly contributed to the cause of raising the profile...
As a scholar, he is distinguished among Kerala scholars because of his expertise in various subjects...