What Is Arabic-Malayalam: Has It Alienated Malayali Muslims from Their Local Culture and Literature, Or Can It Be Considered an Embodiment of Syncretic Pluralism?

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 28 July 2023 Arabic-Malayalam is the way of writing Malayalam language in Arabic. There are twenty-eight letters in Arabic. Only fifteen of them can be written using Malayalam script. The remaining thirteen letters cannot be written. Malayalam vowels ‘a’, ‘aa’, ‘e’, ‘ee’, ‘u’ and ‘uu’ are the only vowels that could be in Arabic. ‘Ai’, ‘ae’, ‘I’, ‘o’, ‘au’ have no similar vowels in Arabic. For example, there is no Arabic letter that can replace the Malayalam letter ‘cha’. There is an Arabic letter pronounced ‘Ja’. With the letter 'ja' which is written with one dot, two more dots were added and pronounced as 'cha'. This is how each letter is replaced in Arabic script from Malayalam. Arabic words with the same pronunciation are not available to replace Malayalam letters related to Muslim culture, so new letters were made by making minor modifications to similar Arabic letters. So, this is how Arabic-Malayalam was formed as a product of plural coexistence of Kerala Muslims. Instead of maintain separate identity through peculiar languages as in Nort India, Kerala Muslims adopted Malayalam language with modifications in Arabic script. This aspect of linguistic pluralism has been cited as a reason for unparalleled social harmony in South India. Origin The exact time when Arabic-Malayalam took shape cannot be determined. It should be understood that the Muslims of Kerala were formed as a community in the early Islamic periods and religious studies and knowledge were formed since the situation came to reach the common Muslims. Ullur S. Parameswaran Pillai, in his Kerala literary history published in 1953, dates back origin of Arabic-Malayalam to six hundred years from the present. (Volume: 1, 1953:228). Looking at some facts, it can be seen that Arabic-Malayalam emerged from the 9th century (O. Abu, Arabimalayala Sahityam, 1970:16-17). K. Abubakar writes that history has witnessed the presence of Muslims here since the 9th century AD and Arabic-Malayalam can be at least as old as that. Is Arabic-Malayalam a language? Linguist O. Abu that Arabic-Malayalam is a language and that language has its own grammar. (History of Arabic-Malayalam Literature,22). CK Karim also shares this opinion (Kerala Muslim Directory, 170). K Shamsuddin says that Arabic-Malayalam is the written form of one of the dialects of Malayalam. (Mappila Malayalam is a mixture of languages). But M N Karassery says that Arabic-Malayalam is only the written language of Malabar Muslims. In any case, Arabic-Malayalam also exhibits some grammatical and linguistic characteristics of its own while subsuming the Malayalam language in a separate script, making full use of the Arabic script. Arabic-Malayalam did not only exist through oral communication alone. The language has script as the backbone of the language, ‘Mala literature’ (traditional song literature) as the media of enjoyment and a rich literature. Ancient Arab merchants did not have imperial interests. They gave importance to broad human culture. A strong social relationship existed here with exchanges of goods and services. Therefore, many Arabic words took place in Malayalam's colloquial language. There are many Arabic words that are used in Malayalam conversation as a lingering impact of social mixture of Arabic-Malayalm in Malayali tradition. Examples are Rahmat, Manzil, Musafir, Chaya, Hamuk, Dhikr, Dars, Alif, Aadat, Muhabat, Bahr, Nikah, Mahr, Porisha, Monjatti, Manoharikka, Udakkam, Kutusha, Puthi, Beater, Bandhuka etc. Similar Experiments There had the custom of writing the local language in the Arabic script in the lands where the Muslims lived. Examples are Arabic-Punjabi, Arabic-Tamil, Arabic-Kannada, Arabic-Sindhi etc. Similarly, Spanish Muslims wrote the Spanish language in Arabic script. It was called Aljamido. Many books have been created in this script. Similar to Arabic-Malayalam, it faced government action around 1492 and many were destroyed (Syed Azizur Rahman, 2002, 491-493). When religious studies became indispensable for Muslims and Arabic letters with the same pronunciation were not available to replace some of the Malayalam letters associated with Muslim culture, Muslims were forced to use the Arabic script in the vernacular. Born as a result of a religious imperative, Arabic-Malayalam also served a cultural function. Symbol Of Resistance The Mappilas were able to create an alternative system to the language of the colonial speakers with Arabic-Malayalam. Linguistic implementations such as these can be seen in resistance societies trying to resist political and cultural colonial encroachment. Communities that believe that the land, culture, and faith they live in have their own identity and must continue to do so, resisting colonization through their own dialects. Colonization can be resisted linguistically in three ways. One is to completely reject the language of colonialism and use only the language that bears the imprint of one's own culture. An example of this is the Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, who had decided to ban English departments from his universities, which control their cultural heritage and consciousness and promote western modernity, and write in his own language, Gikuyu. I believe that his writing in Gikuyu, the Kenyan language, is an essential part of the struggles of the people of Africa and Kenya against imperialism. Second, while using the language of colonialism in an essential world context, it brings within it traces of one's own culture and land, both linguistically and thematically. An example of this is the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, who wrote in English but consciously expressed his own national idioms and anti-colonial themes in his novels. It is the creation of a parallel linguistic culture within the colonial language itself. Third, while being forced to use the colonial language entirely, act on the sense that it is not one's own language and culture. An example of this is the linguistic approach of Edward Said, a prominent oriental intellectual. Edward Said says that when we learn English in school, we learn their language, and when we speak English, it makes us feel like it is not my language. (Jamal Kochangadi, 2007: 144-156)33 Among these, Arabic-Malayalam is part of the first method. Through Arabic-Malayalam, the Mappilas proved that they have their own identity and can express whatever they want through it, completely rejecting the colonial language. It is worth noting that the Mappila literature expressed anti-colonial themes and their script also stood as a symbol of resistance. Communal Harmony Fostered Through Language The shared language of Hindus and Muslims helped cement communal amity. Unlike, North Indian counterpart where linguistic separatism was one of the root causes for communal tension, the absence of linguistic barriers brought communities together. Malayalam was written in Sanskrit by Hindus and in Arabic by Muslims. The similitude of oral language helped both communities share culture. This fluidity of cultural assimilation by both communities is felt even today. The historical records, produced by eminent literary historian Ullor Paramesharan has explained Hindus using Arabic Malayalam for trade and art purposes. The literary traditions of Sanskrit were munificently borrowed by Muslims and presented in Arabic-Malayalam. Though Muslim themes were introduced into Malayalam poetry by non-Muslim poets since the beginning of the 20th century, the entry of Muslims into the Malayalam literature is of late occurrence because of the attachment of the Muslim poets to Arabic Malayalam. In imitation of the Sanskrit literary tradition Maha Kavyam were composed by Malayalam poets. Rama Chandra Vilasam was written by Azakath Padmanabha. Kurp and Kattakkayam cheriyan Mappila wrote Sree Yeshu Vijayam. But Mahammadam was written only after a long period. Ponkunnam saidu Mohammad, a Muslim scholar in Sanskrit and Malayalam, wrote this Maha Kavyam in the same Snskrit metre and here the poet attempts to narrate the story of mankind in an Islamic perspective. It also contains a description of the Quran in detail. Kerala is the breeding ground of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. In medieval period, many sailors who were traveling in revenge for the Crusades were traveling in search of the country of Muslims. When Portuguese admiral Cabral, who came to Kerala in 1600, demanded the expulsion of all Muslims from the port of Kozhikode, he opposed it and declared that he saw the Arab traders as his own subjects. This friendly atmosphere has been a boon to the Muslims who had crossed the sea for trade. Many people, who were impressed by the teachings of the Sufis and cured by their presence, made many gifts for religious institutions. Churches were built in many places with the cooperation of Hindus. Hindu kings also built many mosques. The Malappuram church was built by Paranambi, the Hindu ruler of Malappuram. The temple and the church standing next to each other is a wonderful sight in Kerala. Animal sacrifice is not performed on Ead as a sign of respect in the Shaikh's mosque near Chalat Shastra temple. Many practices of the Muslim Arakal dynasty were similar to those of the Hindu Chirakal dynasty. The royal palace and wedding traditions were full of similarities. The churches found in the coastal areas of Ponnani and Kannur are almost built in the style of temples. While the mosques, which are full of carvings, are inscribed with plants and vines, the temples contain images of deities. Poet Kambalat Govindan Nair has written Patapat (war ballad) about the Malabar War. Although many people used literary forms to express their hatred, the facts that they experienced in life were rejected by the people. Art forms play a major role in maintaining religious harmony. Mala songs (Panegyrics) which are the plot of religious harmony become a bridge between the two communities. Even in friendships between kingdoms, arts were exchanged influenced by Arabic-Malayalam. The fact that the Nawabs became the main promoters of Kalari underlines this deep connection. The fact that art and sculpture are given the same importance as literature in estimating the enlightenment and civilization of every society calls for their preservation. In short, it is our responsibility to protect such arts, literary traditions which are measures of identity. Art forms and linguistic diversities play a major role in maintaining religious harmony. The condemnation of inclusive literary tradition by Salafi puritans has to be opposed as they have the potential to rip the country across. Islam as a religion is entirely receptive to plural literary traditions and art form, contrary to modern reformists. Arabic-Malayalam in this score derives special attention as the embodiment of historical communal brotherhood and religious assimilation. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. 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