Burdha Majlis

Qaṣīdat al-Burda (Arabic: قصيدة البردة‎, "Poem of the Mantle") is an ode of praise for the Islamic prophet Muhammad composed by the eminent Sufi,Imam al-Busiri (Muḥammad b. Saʿīd b. Ḥammād b. Muḥsin b. Abū Surūr b. Ḥibbān b. ʿAbdullah b. Mallak al-Sanhajī) of Egypt. The poem, whose actual title is al-Kawākib ad-Durrīya fī Madḥ Khayr al-Barīya ("Celestial Lights in Praise of the Best of Creation"), is famous mainly in the Sunni Muslim world. It is entirely in praise of Muhammad, who is said to have cured the poet of paralysis by appearing to him in a dream and wrapping him in a mantle or scarf.

Biography of Imam-Busiri

Imam-Būṣīrī ’s full name is Muḥammad b. Saʿīd b. Ḥammād b. Muḥsin b. Abū Surūr b. Ḥibbān b. ʿAbdullah b. Mallak al-Sanhajī. Different biographers present slightly different versions of his life although certain facts are agreed upon by all. He descended from the North African Berber Sanhaja tribe of Morocco. The famous historian al-Maqrīzī, claimed that al-Būṣīrī ’s family was from the Hammād Citadel in Morocco and was a part of the Banū Ḥabnūn tribe.

Tomb of Imam - Busiri

Little is known about his childhood although scholars surmise that he received the usual education for children of his time; he would have attended a Qur'an school and memorized the entire Qur'an. Kīlānī asserts that al-Būṣīrī ’s family must have been poor as he was forced to search for work from a young age. Sometime during his youth, he made his way to Cairo, where he pursued his studies. There he was exposed to the important Islamic sciences, Arabic language and linguistics, literature, history, and the biography of Muḥammad. Even as a young man, al-Būṣīrī began to compose poetry, although not of a religious nature. For example, in the year 637/1240, at the age of 30, he composed a poem to petition the King Najm al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī when he failed to allot a generous endowment to al-Būṣīrī ’s mosque. An accomplished poet, he would often recite his poetry and give lessons at mosques in Cairo. A number of young poets studied under him, such as ʾAthir al-Din Muḥammad Ibn Yusuf Abū Hayyān al-Andalusī (d. 725/1325), Abū al-Fatḥ b. Sayyid al-Nās al-Yaʿmarī (d. 734/1334), and ʿIzz al-Dīn b. Jamāʿah (d. 735/1335).

Burdha Majlis in Kerala

Burdha Majlis is most popular in kerala with the leadership of Shai-qu-na Kundur Usthad. Kamarul Ulama AP Aboobakar Musiliyar, Thajul Ulama, Ullal Thangal, Sayyid Ibraheemul Khaleel Al Bhukari also have a great role in the popularity of Burdha Majlis in Kerala.

Shai-qu-na Kundur Usthad

Kundoor usthad (r) [1935 – 2006] – a saint but a Servant of society – that will be the simple way to characterize him. Making the unceasing love and ardent zeal towards the Prophet (s) his life-breath , he dedicated his entire life for the poor , destitute and orphans .

He Carried about the burning love to Habeeb (s) in him and manifested it praising and eulogizing upon his beloved in both Arabic and Malayalam languages by the spontaneously overflowed poems that persist with simplicity of words and structure for the reader to feel and sing. Most of them have been popular and been collected and published under the name ‘Qaseedathul Qadiriyya’ . He was crowned with the name ‘Bussoori of modern era’ because of his similarity with Imam Bussoori in this aspect . He founded Swaheehul bukhari Dhars and Burda Majlis in every Thursdays after Asar and Isha respectively, under the Ijazath of Sayyid Abbas Alavi maliki from Mecca .

He was an eminent Scholar. After gaining high graduation in religious us study from Baqiyathe in Vellur (Tamil Nadu) , he lead the life of a Mudarris for almost three decades . He carried Critical role in providing the shelter for many Mudarris and disciples when they faced the regional and sectarian challengers . He endowed the whole support without reservation for the organizations, institutions, and persons of Ahlussunna

Kundoor Usthad himself reminded us Sulthan of South Indias ‘Gareeb Navaz’ Khaja Mu-eenudheen (r) with his compassion and kindness that he showed towards the destitute, Poor’s and orphans’. He educated, bred and uplifted them to the front line of society. He found the delight and joy in serving the neglected and inflicted.

In the draught areas Usthad provided the water facilities. He built the roads and paths and repaired the wrecked one in his own expense. Sometimes it was Usthad himself who conducted those by handling the tools teaching community the lesson to not wait for the reference of government. He extended his helping hands in favor of the parents of the poor daughters who have bewildered before the threat of dowry system. He liked always to be with the orphans and destitute children as a father looks after his children.

Shaikuna Kundooor forsaked everything in his hands for the sake of welfare society and empowerment of is community. Even when his beloved son Kunhu ( Muhammed Kutty) was stabbed to death he was calm and composed and forgave the to the gaieties. His munificence’s and endurance for the poor’s and destitute wave among the qualities that joined him to Khaja Mueenudeen (r). So he is lovingly called as South India’s ‘Gareeb Nawaz’.

Ullal Thangal

Ullal Thangal (Sayd Abdur-rahman Kunhikkoya Thangal) is a Sunni Muslim scholar from the Indian state of Kerala, South India. He is current President of Samastha Kerala Sunni Jam'iyyathul Ulama (Kanthapuram), the organization of scholars and clerics under the Sunni faction of Muslims of Kerala. Known as the Crown Among the Clerics ("Taj-ul Ulama"), Ullal Thangal was a prominent member of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama before the split of the Sunnis in 1989.

Kamarul Ulama AP Aboobakar Musiliyar

Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar (Malayalam: കാന്തപുരം എ.പി. അബൂബക്കര്‍ മുസ്ലിയാര്‍, born Aboobacker Ahmed) is the leader of one of the traditionalist Sunni factions of Muslims in Kerala, India. Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musalyar is known for his professionalism and expediency.^[1]

Shaikh Aboobackar Ahmad is the General Secretary of the All India Muslim Scholars Association and founder and Vice Chancellor of Jamia Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya (Sunni Cultural Centre), Karanthur, Kozhikode, Kerala. He is also chief patron of the Sunni Youth Society and General Secretary, Jamiat Ulema (Kerala).

Born in Kanthapuram, a village in Calicut District of Kerala, on 22 March 1939, Kanthapuram hails from a mediocre peasant family of 'Alangam Poyil', the much popular and better known "A.P." stands for this. His father, Mouthariyil Ahmed Haji, was very pious and so was his mother, Kunheema Hajjumma, who was the daughter of Kuttoosa Molla, a teacher of Qur-An in the locality of Mangad, where reaches the family routes of his father too. He has two brothers and three sisters. His father died when he was twelve. Zainab is the wife and he has six children, namely, A.P. Abdul Hakeem Azhari, Maymoona, Hafsa, Sakeena, Rayhana, and Najma Firdousi. C. Muhammed Faizee, Abdul Bari Musliyar, Muhmmed Koya Saqafi and Obeidullah Saqafi are his in-laws.

He completed his elementary studies from A.M.L.P. School of Kanathapuram, where both Islamic and public instruction system co existed. Later he completed his higher Elementary education.

Kanthapuram completed his course in Qur'An studies from Vennakkode Abdulla Musliyar, who was a scholar and qari'a, (one who recites Qur An phonetically). He persuaded his studies in the Darses (the form of schools exist in mosques for religious and spiritual education) of Kanthapuram, Vavad, Kolikkal, Chaliyam and Thalakkadathur. He was awarded the degree of Moulavi Fadhil Baqavi from the renowned Islamic study centre of Baqiyath Swalihath, Vellore, in 1963. Sheikh Hassan Hazrath, Muhammed Abubakkar Hazrath, O.K. Zainudheen Kutty Musliyar, Puthoor Abdulla Musliyar, Kizhakoth Abdul Hameed Musliyar, Vavad Pocker Kutty Musliyar, Kuttikkattor Bichali Musliyar are some of his famous teachers in different institutions and disciplines.

He brought about a good social status and dignity for the religious scholars with his active interference in the society. He became a member of the Central Mushawara of Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Ulema in 1974, followed by the office secretary, before becoming the joint secretary of the Samastha. He was a member of the committee, which was appointed to expand the organization in all India level in 1976. He held the designation of the general secretary of Samastha Kerala Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, (S.Y.S.) from 1975 to 1996, and he was the president of the organization during the tenure of 1996- 2004. Presently, Kanthapuram is the Chairman of the Supreme Council of S.Y.S. He also served as the member of Hajj committee of Kerala and Chairman to the Editorial board of the Arabic Text Books of Govt. Schools of Kerala.

He was elected as the General Secretary of Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Ulema in 1989.In 1993, when the All India Jam-iyyathul Ulema was set up, Kanthapuram became the General Secretary and in the same year he was endorsed as the Consortium Qasi of Calicut.Besides these, Kanthapuram is the treasurer of Samastha Kerala Sunni Education Board and General Secretary of the famous Markazu-ssaquafathi-ssuniyya or The Sunni Markaz.

The debates and dialogues of Kanthapuram is very famous especially against those sects of the Muslims who emerged against the puritan nature of Islam and the teachings of Qur-An. The debates of Kuttichira, Ayiroor, Kuttoor, Pattambi, Pulikkal, Valiyaparambu, Kottappuram etc. with Kanthapuram in lead, was surely a blow to these sectarians.

In the post independent India, where illiteracy and poverty were the ruling factors as the balance sheet of the colonial rule, Kanthapuram began his revivalism, keeping in mind the social and educational uplifting of the downtrodden class including that of the Muslims. He visualized and translated into action farsighted projects in order to change the social anarchy and educational backwardness of the Muslims, which were prevailing in the Muslim society after the 1921 Malabar Mutiny. Kanthapuram is the visionary, founder and founder General Secretary of Markazu-ssaquafathi-ssuniyya, which is a world famous educational consortium, including that of Orphanages, Vocational Training Centers, School of Islamic Shariah, School of Qur-An Learning, Engineering College, English Medium Educational Institutes, International Public Schools, Women's Educational Centers, Hospitals and Commercial Complexes. Apart from this, Kanthapuram serves as the chief patron and Chairman of about 300 Educational Institutions, which are spread all over India. The Islamic Educational Board, headed by Kanathapuram runs more than ten thousand Madrassas, which provides religious education up to the secondary level.

Focusing his attention on the suppressed and sidelined population, he felt that the need of the hour is to provide proper education to lift them up from all type of inhibition thus giving them all round social development. He pragmatically proved the concept of education by the very resolute principle of Modern education in any branch, backed by moral traditions and religious values.

Sayyid Ibraheemul Khaleel Al Bhukari