C.N Ahmad Moulavi

Hussain Randathani

CN Ahmad Moulavi, popularly known as CN, was famous for his reformist ideals and novel  approaches to Quran and Islam. He was the first to translate the Quran into Malayalam language following  the  interpretation of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan. This brought ardent criticism from the traditional class and even the reformist organizations rejected him for his new ideals and approach. He stood for his ideas single handed, though he changed many of his views in the later period. 

C.N was born in 1905 at Cherur, near Vengara in Malappuram District of Kerala, in South India as the son of Nathadan Kodan Hasan Kutty and Azhuvath Khadija. After his preliminary studies under his father and in the near by school he moved to the mosque academy (dars) of Karuvarakkundu near Mnajeri where his brother Kunhalan  Musliyar was the chief instructor (mudarris). In 1920 he had to  leave the mosque insearch of  livelihood for his family. He was trained in agriculture and became well versed in ploughing and drawing water from wells through the hand machine  called etham. Again he moved to dars and studied under Kattukandan Kunhahammed Musliyar. From here he moved to Jamaliyya College in Tamil Nadu, where he studied urdu and became acquainted with Urdu scholars and books. One day Muhammed Abdu Rahman visited the college. CN met him for the first time and accepted the membership of the congress. He became a disciple of Abdu Rahman and an active congress man. How ever he had to leave the college. He proceeded to Poona where he resided with KT Ibrahim Moulavi, a Malayalai  Imam of  the nearby mosque.  C.N got a job there and he stayed with the Moulavi  who had a large collection of Islamic books. CN utilized the opportunity to read many of these book till he left the place after one year.  

 In 1921 C.N left for Vellur where he joined the famous seminary of Baqiyat al Salihat and in 1930 he passed the muqtasar degree in theology. Janab Abdul Jabbar Hazrat was the principal of the seminary . Along with his studies in the Baqiyat he also appeared for the Afzal al Ulama Degree examination in Arabic language and passed the programme  in 1931. After three months he joined as religious instructor at Malappuram Training College.  It was the only training college in Malabar and students from various parts of Kerala and also from Lakshadweep studied here. It was in this period the communist ideals began to spread among the Muslim youth and people became attracted to communism. C. N thought of countering communism with the economic system of Islam. He also deeply studied the Quranic translation of Moulana Azad and the commentaries in Urdu. He  visited Allama Nadwi, the principal of Jamaliyya College and sought his advice in translating the holy book to Malayalam. In 1944 he started his work in a forlorn room in Karuvarakkundu.  Within two years he translated seven and half sections of the Book with an introduction, totally  amounted to 800 pages. The first volume was well received by the readers, but the financial stringency prevented him to continue his mission. Mr. AB Kochunni Ernakulam came for his help and published the second volume in 1954 translating only two and  a half sections. In 1958 after much trouble the  third volume was also released.This  time Mr. Humayun Kabir, the central minister visited Kerala and with the help of .Sri Ummer Koya, the Kerala Education Minister, C.N met Mr. Kabir and he released a grant  to publish the remaining part of the translation. Mean while he fell seriously ill and with the help of philanthropists and Rev. Otton of Mission hospital, Ambur, he was taken to America for further treatment.

After relieving from the disease, C.N  thought of starting a college in eastern Eranadu, and visited some wealthy men of the area. But there was no response except fromMampad, near Nilambur where Athan Moyin Adhikari, the village officer promised to donate  thirty acres of land for starting the college. Adhikari asked C.N to stay with him for few days as his guest  and C.N readily agreed. C.N made him aware of the benefits, if a college is started in the area and thought the Adhikari will help him financially also. Adhikari, however declined any more offer. It was this time Mr.M.K.Haji, the former Muslim League leader came to visit Adhikari and he also insisted him for the college. Adhikari, then readily agreed and the three decided to start the college. A managing committee was formed with C.N as the president, Adhikari as General Secretary and M.K Haji as Treasurer. Application was submitted in Kerala University. Hassan Koya, the syndicate member rendered all assistance and the University gave sanction to the college in 1965.

It was this time the Muslim Educational society had started  a college  at Mannarkkad in 1968. C.N was busy with other works and he couldn’t give much attention to the college. He with the advice of the committee approached MES and requested them to take on the college. Thus the college came under MES in 1969.C.N was also behind starting a school at Edathanattukara and schools at different places. Earlier he had published a journal called Ansari monthly from Karuvarakkundu. Later he started tha Ansari Press and a readymade shop at Calicut. He also had authored Islam Samagra Padanam and Islamile Dhana Vitharana Padhathi, both were translated to English. His book Mahathaya Sahitya Parambaryam, the first of its kind in Mappila literature, written along with K.K.Muhammed Abdul Karim  became very popular. He also wrote small treatise on studying Quran easily. Other books are the translation of Sahih al Bukhari, Palisha, Manushyan Anashwaran, Quran Krodeekaranam, Quran index, Qur-ante  Moola Sidhnthangal and Namaskaram Qur-anil Anju Neram.He was also a prolific writer in journals particularly in Mathrubhumi. He has been a member in Sahitya Academy and  was honoured with fellowship in 1979. Moulavi died in 1993. A library called C.N Ahmad Moulavi Memorial Library has been started as a memorial to him.