Vakkom Muhammed Abdul Khadir Moulavi and his contributions to Arabic language and translation

Abstract

This academic study is primarily structured into five chapters. The first chapter analyses the historical and cultural background of Keralite society, discussing the arrival of the Arabs and the social system of 19th-century Kerala. The second chapter analyses the scientific and intellectual writings of Vakkom Moulavi, detailing the contents of his books, translations, and journalism. The third chapter examines the social reformist ideas of Vakkom Moulavi, including his struggle against superstitions and his educational policies. The fourth chapter explains the role of the media sector which became a driving force of the Renaissance focusing on the Swadeshabhimani newspaper and periodicals like Muslim, AlIslam, and Deepika. The fifth chapter discusses the study of his disciples and prominent translators who carried forward Moulavi’s scholarly legacy. Muhammad Abdul Qadir Moulavi was born on December 28, 1873, in Vakkom village, located in the Chirayinkeezhu taluk of Travancore. His father was a prominent industrialist, multilingual scholar, and great academic. Consequently, from his childhood, he received a highly favourable environment for academic pursuits. He acquired equal proficiency in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Tamil, Sanskrit, English, and Malayalam. This extensive linguistic knowledge later laid the foundation for his monumental translation services, including those from Arabic. Moulavi was a regular reader of Al-Manar magazine, published from Egypt by the prominent scholar and reformer Sayyid Rashid Rida. This research proves that Moulavi was attracted to the reformist ideas put forward by AlManar. One of Vakkom Moulavi's greatest historical contributions was the reinstatement of the Arabic language in Kerala as a living cultural language. He formulated comprehensive projects to bring Arabic language learning—which at that time was confined only to traditional institutions—to the common people. This thesis clarifies that he persistently approached the Travancore government and secured recognition for Arabic as a subject of study in all government schools with Muslim students. The government first appointed Vakkom Moulavi as the Chairman of the Board of Examinations to determine the qualifications of Arabic teachers. For this purpose, he personally authored Arabic textbooks for children and special guides for teachers. He fostered a scientific awareness in society that Arabic is not something to be confined to mere reading, but must be studied by understanding its meaning. By translating the rich cultural sources of Arabic, Persian, and Urdu languages into Malayalam, Vakkom Moulavi created a new model in the science of translation. This study proves that instead of literal word-for-word translation, he adopted a style of 'Cultural Translation' incorporating cultural adaptations. Vakkom Moulavi was not merely a religious scholar, but a linguist who integrated the Arabic language into modern education. Demonstrating the utmost academic authenticity in the translation process, Moulavi undertook translations only with the permission of the original authors, even before international copyright laws became stringent. It is due to Moulavi’s rigorous efforts that thousands of Arabic teachers and students in the schools and universities of Kerala today handle this language with pride under government salary. The memories of Vakkom Moulavi, who departed from the scholarly world on October 31, 1932, remain vibrant today. This PhD thesis conclusively proves the comprehensive Arabic language contributions of Vakkom Moulavi in the light of historical documents. It is documented and proven that after Moulavi's death, his invaluable book collections, manuscripts, and books were transferred to the 'Madinathul Uloom Arabic College' (M.U.A. College), Pulikkal. This heritage wealth needs to be digitized and preserved for future generations. The thesis recommends that a special Research Chair be initiated in his name at the college, and that Moulavi’s life should be increasingly included in curricula for Arabic-Malayalam translation studies. It is expected that this authentic research study will serve as a brilliant guide, passing on Vakkom Moulavi’s translation legacy to future generations. This work also holds the distinction of being the first research thesis to comprehensively address the life and services of Vakkom Moulavi.