KOZHIKODE: In Kerala, there are three main sects of Muslims-Sunnis, Mujahids (Salafis) and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind though all these belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. Sunnis, who adhere to the Shafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, are largest in terms of number. While it was in 1940s that the Jamaa’t-e-Islami started functioning in the state, the Mujahids (Salafis) movements gained momentum in 1920s.
Unlike Sunnis, both Jamaa’t-e-Islami and Mujahids (Salafis) groups are against popular Sufism and oppose strict adherence to traditional jurisprudence.Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Kerala, was officially formed on January 30, 1948 in Kerala. Inspired by writings of Abul A'la Maududi, it was V P Mohammed Ali who gave leadership for the formation of the Kerala chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami. Its founding principle was that Islam is a complete way of life rather than simply a set of worship practices.
According to P A Rasheed, Calicut University syndicate member and former additional director of Public Relations Department, the emergence of Muslim organisations in Kerala dates back to 1920s when Kerala Muslim Aikya Sangham was formed. "After few years, Samastha and Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen (KNM) emerged. KNM, which was following the Egyptian Salafi ideology, later shifted to Saudi Salafism, an extreme form of political Islam following Muslim migration to GCC,” he added. Egyptian Salafi ideology focuses on reformation and modernisation while that of Saudi follows ultraconservative ideology of fundamental Muslim scholar Muhammad Ibn Abd al Wahhab.