The Thangals (also spelled Tangals) are a social group among the Muslims of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, south India.Kunhali, V. "Muslim Communities in Kerala to 1798" PhD Dissertation Aligarh Muslim University (1986

/ref> The Thangals are often regarded as roughly equivalent to the more general Sayyid, Sayyids or Sharifs, or descendants of

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

, of the wider

Islamic culture Islamic cultures or Muslim cultures refers to the historic cultural practices that developed among the various peoples living in the Muslim world. These practices, while not always religious in nature, are generally influenced by aspects of Islam ...

.Miller, Roland E., ''Mappila Muslim Culture''. New York, State University of New York Press, 2015. pp. 268-271. Most members of the community practices

endogamy Endogamy is the cultural practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting any from outside of the group or belief structure as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relatio ...

and rarely marry spouses from outside their community.Kunhali, V. "Muslim Communities in Kerala to 1798" PhD Dissertation Aligarh Muslim University (1986

/ref> The Thangal families are numerous in

, all receive recognition, but some are considered as saints. The Thangal identification brings much 'reverence and attention' in the Kerala Muslim community (which predominantly identifies with

Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...

madhab). Some individuals take advice from the Thangals on crucial matters. A number of thangals in Kerala 'treat' people for illness and to 'ward off evils'. Shihab, Mashoor, Hirdh, Bafaqi, Jifri, Jamalullayli are some of major Thangal families have many gradations of status on social and economic scale. Influential of the Thangals generally come from prominent business families. They usually exercise their influence through commerce and politics.

Notable Thangal in north Kerala

* Pukkoya family (

Panakkad Panakkad is a small town and Village in Malappuram municipality in the state of Kerala, India. It is located on the banks of Kadalundippuzha river. Pukkoya family of Panakkad, Panakkad Thangal family resides in this village. Panakkad serves as o ...

-Kodappanakkal House) ** P. M. S. A. Pukkoya Thangal (d. 1975) ** Muhammedali Shihab Thangal (1936 - 2009) ** Hyderali Shihab Thangal (1947 - 2022) ** Sayed Abbas Ali Shihab Thangal (Born 31 May 1971) *Kondotty Thangal Family

Notes

: 1.Only some scholars consider the thangals as a 'community' among the Muslims of

References

External links

* * {{Islam in Kerala Muslim communities of Kerala Islamic honorifics Muslim communities of India Social groups of Kerala

Notable Thangal in north Kerala

Notes

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Further reading

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