Malays are in heaven, or in the tavern

By Saybhan Samat

(December 18, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)There is a very amusing description of the Malays very well known to their Moor co-religionists in Sri Lanka . The Moors always remind the Malays of their extreme positions as regards their commitment to Islam. They often remind Malays that if wrongly guided, they end up in the tavern, but if rightly guided, will certainly end up in heaven. The two alternatives are tavern or heaven. Although the rather proverbial statement sounds a little odd, it is a true characteristic of the Malays. Many Malays at some time of their lives become perverse alcoholics, consequently disrupting their own lives, but for some strange reason they suddenly change course to sometimes end-up becoming saints or extremely God fearing, humanistic and loving individuals intent upon doing good and maintaining peace.

Sri –Lanka has a rich tradition and heritage of well loved Malay saints evidenced in the number of Malay shrines that abound in the island. The best known among Malay saints is Tuan Bagoos Krawan Balankaya whose shrine is situated in Colombo ’s premier mosque, the Grand mosque in New Moor Street in the Hultsdorf area in Colombo 12.

The tragedy is that many, ignorant Malays are not aware of this. The saints father Balankaya was the son of Hooloo, minister to the Rajah of Goa, Mass Makotha Ranthay Pathola Mohammed Shabdeen who, along with other princes and noble men and their families were exiled from Indonesia to Sri Lanka by the Dutch in 1723.

Being a devout Muslims, Balankay(Snr) devoted himself to the religious and social upliftment of the Muslims. By his Sri Lankan Moor wife, Sithy Ummu Khadijah, he had nine children, the last of whom was Tuan Bagoos Krawan Balankaya the saint who was born on 28th January 1827.

This Malay saint whose mausoleum is in the Grand mosque Colombo was Khalifa to Kottar Sheik whom he later succeeded. He resided for a time in a hamlet at Palawa Tura, half a mile from Kochchikade railway station. He relentlessly ministered to the spiritual and social needs of the Muslims. This saint died young aged only 35 years on October 29, 1862.

Another Malay saint that is well known is Tuan Pangeran who was a royal exile and whose mausoleum was in Peer Saibo Street , in the Hultsdorf area. This saint had requested a descendent of his in a dream to bring his body home from Sri Lanka . So a delegation from Indonesia exhumed the body with the permission of the Governor of then Ceylon and found the body undefiled by the elements. With full military honours to a saintly prince, the body was taken by the Dutch under destroyer escort for re-internment in Surabaya ( Jakarta ).

The mausoleums of three Malays soldiers, believed to be brothers, who served under the British and attained sainthood, As-Seyed Mohammed Ibrahim Oliyullah, As-Seyed Mohammed Usuph Oliyullah and As-Seyed Mohammed Usuph Oliyullah are at Kivinde, Magama amd Palatupana respectively.

There is also Tuan Tengu Hussien whose shrine is at the Line mosque near the Bogambara prison in Kandy , many Muslims both Malays and Moors visit his shrine to seek his intercession to obtain their favours from God. In addition the remains of two Malay sisters of the Miskin Family of Nuwara-Eliya who attained saint hood, lie interred at Edinburgh Estate Nanu Oya and Summer Hill Estate Kandapola.

Besides these saints Malays claim that there are many more Malay saints which abound in Sri Lanka whose history and site of shrines are unknown. Malays rose to their peak in all their activities when they possessed religious zeal. The Malay Regiment under the British was awarded the King’s Colours in 1801, the first Asian regiment to receive this honour. On disbandment of this regiment the Malays formed 75% of the Police Force, 90% of the Prison Service, 100% of the Colombo Fire Brigade. They also found employment in the plantations, government departments, the business sector and became skilled artisans in rattaning and masonry.

Today, despite having 23 Malay associations, they are unable to mobilize themselves to demand a Malay representative into parliament. The majority of the Malays are poor, unemployed and marginalized. A few elite among the Malays form associations to boost their ego and indulge in social climbing. Extravagant rallies are held with a carnival like atmosphere, Malays girls exposing their mid-riffs dance, all have a jolly time but there is no alleviation of the poor Malays. Just like our fore-fathers, Malays should recapture their zeal for Islam only then will God restore them to their past glory and assure them heaven in the Hereafter, other wise they will lose their language, culture, religion, identity and even lose their selves and be a forgotten race just like the South African Malays.

-Sri Lanka Guardian