Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama of EK Sunnis also known as Samastha, and EK Samastha, is a Sunni-Shafi'i Muslim scholarly body in Kerala. The body administers Shafi'ite mosques, institutes of higher religious learning (the equivalent of north Indian madrasas) and madrasas (institutions where children receive basic Islamic education) in India.
History Kerala Muslims of the fundamentalist and puritanical views of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (1703-1792), Salafism of Rashid Rida (1865-1935), Islamic modernism of Muhammad Abduh (1819-1905), pan-Islamism of Jamaluddin Afghani (1939-1897), and the Tahreek e-Mujahideen in North India. The new ideologists first came out through the Kerala Muslim Aikya Sangham (group for unity among Kerala Muslims), which was founded at Kodungallur of Cochin State in 1922 by leaders like K. M. Seethi Sahib, K. M. Maulavi, and EK Moulavi.
It tried to bring the scattered and unorganised reformist activists together. Later, they formed an Ulama organisation, Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, at a two-day conference of Aikya Sangham held at Aluva in 1924.
Formation Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama was formed on June 26, 1926 but it was officially registered on November 14, 1934, as the government approved its bylaw, which was agreed upon after deep and wide scholarly discussions held in various Mushawara meets and in consultation with law experts. It promulgated the propagation of true Islam, impart of religious education and activities against superstitions and un-Islamic traditions as its primary and supreme objectives. Its bylaw also included encouragement for secular education compatible with religious beliefs, and calls for religious tolerance, interfaith friendship, peaceful existence and national progress. The registration Number is S1.1934/35 at office of the Kozhikode district registrar
Samastha history 1924-2000s The Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama felt the need to organise to defend and protect Kerala’s Islamic tradition and to wage a revivalist movement against the new interpretations. Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar, who had already started counter campaigns against the ‘Wahhabi ideology’, along with some other scholars, met Varakkal Mullakoya Thangal, who was a Sufi Sheikh, to discuss creating an organisational movement to defend theirb version of Islam. Tangal suggested convening a meeting of scholars to discuss the suitable solution. In 1925, some major ulama and other society leaders gathered at Calicut Valiya Juma Masjid and formed an ulama organisation after prolonged and serious discussions.
KP Muhammad Meeran Musliyar and Parol Hussain Moulawi were named the President and Secretary of the organisation, respectively.
Event date Event notes Place leadership presence1926 June 26'Samastha' Founding Conference Town Hall, Kozhikode Sayyid Hashim Cherukunhikkoya Thangal1927 February 7'Samastha' First ConferenceTanur Liyauddeen Hazrath (Nalir Bakhiyaath)1927 December 31'Samastha' Second Conference Molur.Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar1929 January 7 Samastha' Third ConferenceChemmankuzhy (Vallappuzha) Moulana Muhammad Abdul Bari1929 January 7Samastha' Mushavara decided to publish a dailyChemmankuzhy (Vallappuzha). Moulana Muhammad Abdul Bari1929 December 10Samastha' Published a first daily in the name of 'Al Bayaan'.K V Muhammad Musliyar(Editor & Publisher)1930 March 17Samastha' 4th Conference Mannarkkad Vellengara Muhammad Musliyar1931 March 11Samastha' 5th ConferenceVelliyancheri Karimbanakkal Ahmad Musliyar.1932 JunePangil Ahmad Kutty Musliyar appointed as President of 'Samastha1933 Samastha' 6th ConferenceFeroke. Shihabuddeen Ahmed Koya.1934 November 14 Bailo of 'Samastha' Registered Kozhikkode District Registrar Office.1945 May 27,28Samastha' 16th Conference Karyavattam1945 August 1 'Samastha' decided to publish a publication under 'Samastha'1947 March 15,16,17'Samastha' 17th Conference Meenchantha (Kozhikkode)1949 March 30 Pathi Abdul Khadir Musliyar reachedMalabar1949 September 1 'Samastha' Mushavara decided to establish Madrasa in each MahalluSayyid Abdurahman Bafakhy Thangal.1949 October 16'Samastha' appointed to establish first Madrasa and Dars 2 OrganizersVallappuzha K P Usman Sahib, N K Ayamu Musliyar Vallappuzha.1950 April 29,30'Samastha' 18th ConferenceValancheriDNA1950 April 30Samastha' appointed K P Usman Sahib as 'Samastha' Office SecretarySamastha' Office1950 October Al Bayaan' started republishing Valakkulam *Kaderi Muhammad Musliyar Publisher: K P Usman Sahib.1951 March 23,24,25'Samastha' 19th ConferenceVatakara. Moulana Muhammad Habeebulla.1951 March 24Paravanna Muhyuddeen Kutty Musliyar appointed as 'Samastha' Secretary1951 September 17'Samastha' Prathinidhi ConferenceValakkulam1951 September 17 SKIMVB formed1951 September 17Madrasa Syllabus Committee formedMembers:
Moulana Paravanna Muhyuddeen Kutty Musliyar, K V Muthukoya Thangal, K M Kunhimoosa Musliyar, O Abdurahman Musliyar, P Aboobakkar Nizami.1951 October 28 SKIMVB meeting approved Madrasa Syllabus to Std. 1 to 51951 October 28SKIMVB meeting approved Bylaw of SKIMVB1951 October 28 SKIMVB meeting decided to register Madrasas1951 October 28SKIMVB meeting formed Text Book Committee to make text book
Conferences Samastha organised a host of public conferences at various places to spread their message. Facing an opposition of secularly educated people, journalists, advocates and neo-scholars who had been fruitfully utilising all means from public meetings to publications to propagate their reformist ideologies and to brand traditionalists as courting shirk, Samastha leaders were compelled to come out to defend themselves against the allegations and to explain its views. Systematically held public conferences and anniversaries increased Samasthas popularity, kept the majority of Mappila Muslims in their fold, and restricted the inroads of reformist ideologies. In the first 25 years, Samastha focused its agenda on conducting public conferences, dialogues and ideological conflicts. Between 1927 and 1944, it convened 15 annual conferences at various places attracting immense public attention. 70th year Anniversary E.K Aboobacker musliar addressing the crowd The 16th conference held at Karyavattam was important as since then Samastha started to keep records and registers of all activities, resolutions and decisions scientifically. After that, the frequency of the huge public conferences decreased mainly because the organisation had tightened its foundation and fortress by 1950s and it had formed many sub committees and subordinate organisations to deal with different issues. In next 40 years, it conducted next eight conferences.
1985–1996 The 24th and 25th conferences held at Calicut seashore in 1985 and 1996 were the largest gatherings the town had ever witnessed, for the resolutions, topics and issues the conference sessions discussed, and for the attention both drew from non-Muslim, political and government circles.
2002 – Samastha celebrated its platinum jubilee holding public conferences at five major Kerala cities: Kasargod, Calicut, Thrissur, Kollam and Tiruvanandapuram. 26 February 2012 – The Samastha 85th conferences held at Kooriyad, Malappuram 11 February 2016 – The Samastha 90th conferences held at Alappuzha
Mushawara council A forty-member 'mushawara' is the high command body of the Sunni council. As of 2020, the president was Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal.
Structure President — Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal General Secretary — P. P. Umer Musliyar Treasurer — M.T. Abdulla Musliyar
Presidents
Varakkal Mullokoya Thangal (1926–1932) Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar (1932–1945) Abdul Bari Musliyar (1945–1965) KK Sadakkathulla Musliyar (1965–1967) Kanniyath Ahmed Musliyar (1967–1993) K.K. Aboobacker Hazrath (1993–1995) Sayyid Abdurahman Imbichikoya Thangal Al-Aydarusi Al-Azhari (1995–2004) Kalambadi Mohammed Musliar (2004–2012) C Koya Kutty Musliyar (2012–2016) Kumaramputhur A. P. Muhammed Musliyar (2016–2017) Sayed Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal (2017–Present)
Sub-organizations in EK Sunnis' viewpoint The EK Samastha's Samastha Centenary Memmorial Book mentions several of its sub-organisations and gives details of them. They are as follows: Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidyabhyasa Board (SKIMVB) It is a sub-body of Samastha. It was founded on 24 March 1951. The board prepares curriculum, syllabus and textbooks in over 11,000 madrasas. Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Mufathisheen (SKJM) It is an organisation of madrasa inspectors. Its state-level body was formed in 1959. Sunni Mahallu Federation (SMF) It is an organization to coordinate and empower mallahu bodies. First body of SMF was formed in 1976 in the northern part of Tirur Taluk, then in 1977 in Malappuram district. In 1987 the state-level body was formed. Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF) It is a student-youth organisation of Samastha. It was founded on 19 February 1989. Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) It a youth and mass organisation of EK Samastha. It was regrouped due to a reason linked to the 1989 dispute between AP Sunnis and EK Sunnis. AP Sunnis had taken over the SYS founded in 1954. Samastha Kerala Sunni Bala Vedi (SKSBV) It was founded on 26 December 1993. It functions under the aegis of SKJMCC, inside and outside of Kerala, with 19 district committees, 560 range committees and ten thousand madrasasa unit committees, with around 12 lakh members. Samastha Employees Association (SEA) It is an organisation of employees. It was founded in 2001. Samastha Kerala Madrasa Management Association (SKMMA) It is an organisation of madrasa office bearers. It began its works since 2009 under SKIVB. Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Muallimeen Central Council (SKJMCC) It is an association for madrasa teachers. Its first district level working body was formed in 2013 and the state level body in 2015 Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Mudariseen (SKJM) It first district level working committee came in to being in June 2013 and the state level committee after EK Samastha central mushavara's permission in 2015. Samastha Legal Cell (SLC) It was founded in 2013 under SKIVB. EK Samastha's Samastha Centenary Memmorial Book, published on 4 February 2025, says as of now Samastha has filed several appeals before the Supreme Count of India for around 22 matters Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Quthabah (SKJQ) It is a body of Khatibs. It was founded on 15 April 2017. Samastha Pravasi Cell (SPC) It was founded in 2019. EK Samastha's Samastha Centenary Memmorial Book, published on 4 February 2025, referring to it as the "newest child" of Samastha, continues that Samastha recognised it as the 14th feeder organisation.
Institutions Jami'a Nooriyya Arabic College Jamia Jalaliyya Mundakkulam Jamia Darussalam Al Islamiyya Nandi Darul Huda Islamic University Samastha National Education Council (SNEC) Alathurpadi Dars Muttichira Dars Kodangad Dars MEA Engineering College Akode islamic dawa academy
100th anniversary The 100th Anniversary of Samastha Kerala refers to the events organized in 2024 to commemorate the centennial of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, The two-year-long celebrations were inaugurated on 28 January 2024 in Bangalore, Karnataka,https://www.reporterlive.com/kerala/2024/01/28/samastha-100-year-celebration-in-bengaluru India and will continue till 8 February 2026. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the Samastha's 100th anniversary declaration conference at Bengaluru Palace grounds 28 January 2024.
Official celebrations January 2024 - Commencement of the 100th anniversary celebration Inauguration at Bengaluru Celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, which will be held from February 6 to 8, 2026, have begun in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the 100th anniversary function at Bengaluru Palace grounds on 28 January 2024.
Action Plans