Shanthapuram Islamiya College, established in 1955 (known as Al Jamia Al Islamiyya since 2003), is not merely a centre of knowledge but a great cultural institution — a home that has exerted a significant influence on the renaissance of Muslim education in Kerala. It has a rich history to tell, of generations raised under the guidance of towering scholarly figures. It is also the story of a bold and substantial experiment. When the sincerity of its teachers, the enthusiasm of its students, and the clear direction of its authorities came together, it produced a saga of success whose results exceeded all expectations. Its graduates' constructive contributions in education, religious propagation, media, public service, book-writing and organisational work are something that no one who approaches history impartially can ignore.
What was implemented at Shanthapuram was a method that completely rejected the division of education into “religious” and “secular,” bringing both together into a single curriculum. In the religious and social circumstances of six and a half decades ago, this was a daring step. The architects of that time had the limited goal of producing scholars qualified to carry out Islamic propagation in the language of their age. But the achievements of Shanthapuram's children were not confined to that. What resulted instead was the rise of a generation with a distinctive and comprehensive outlook on life and religion, possessing the capacity and strength to influence the field of education from its very roots.
The first batch completed their studies in 1963. As time passed, the institution too grew — the number of teachers and students increased, and physical facilities improved. But what surpassed all of this was the quality displayed by its products. Shanthapuram's children became a distinctive voice in the religious and social arena of Kerala. People took notice of this young generation of scholars who spoke and wrote about Islam in pure Malayalam. They had neither long beards nor turbans; they dressed as ordinary people do. Yet they showed not only the ability to read Arabic texts and work through the grammar of classical books, but also a linguistic excellence that let them dive deep into Arabic literature. Alongside this, English and Urdu, too, came easily to their tongues and pens. Because mathematics, science and the social sciences were part of the curriculum together with the Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh, Kalam and Mantiq, they had no difficulty shining on secular platforms just as they did on religious ones. They confronted the arguments of rationalists and communists both on stage and in print. Taking on leading roles in education, the world of media, religious propagation, book-writing, organisational work and public service, they delivered an outstanding performance.
Thus the seed sown in the small village of Mullyakurshi spread across the whole of Kerala as numerous plants and ears of grain. Even other sections within the community came forward to assimilate the Shanthapuram model in their own way. Today it has grown into a leading Islamic university. With excellent faculties and research facilities in the Qur'an, Hadith, Shari'ah, Da'wah and related fields, many people from outside Kerala too arrive there in search of knowledge. The growth from Kulliyyat al-Islamiyyah to Jami'ah al-Islamiyyah is also the history of continuous reforms in the field of education. Like all of you, I too am proud to have been able to become one link in that chain.
The number of those who have studied at Shanthapuram Islamia College and Al Jamia across different periods exceeds 10,000. Among them are eminent scholars, leaders of the movement, authors, and those working in education and media. They continue to render praiseworthy service in various fields, both at home and abroad. Alumni organisational activity had already begun in the sixties itself, but it was only with its reorganisation in 2011 under the name Shanthapuram Al Jamia Al Islamiyya Alumni Association that it gained strength and vigour.
The Alumni Association is engaged in the effort to make more effective use of the abilities and academic qualifications of its former students. After its reorganisation, it conceived and implemented numerous programmes to help keep us connected to the institution and to render whatever service is possible towards its growth. These include biennial gatherings, academic discussions, the publication of books, the construction — at a cost of six crore rupees — of the Waqf project building in Perinthalmanna, the honouring of former teachers, the release of a work compiling the contributions of Shanthapuram's children, and the formation of an Alumni Representative Assembly bringing together representatives from more than 70 batches from 1963 to date. In addition to this are the service projects that various batches have taken up and completed on their own.
As part of making the association's activities more efficient and extensive, we have decided to observe Muharram 1, the first day of the Hijri year, as Alumni Day. A website has now been prepared to help us understand the circumstances of our former students and to get to know the activities of the Alumni Association more closely. We request that all alumni make use of this and extend their support in every way possible. We look forward to everyone's wholehearted cooperation. May Allah bless us.
With warm regards,
Dr. A.A. Haleem
President, Shanthapuram Al Jamia Al Islamiyya Alumni Association
