A brief History of
the Colombo Grand Mosque
extracted and revised
from an account written by MIL Muhammad Nuhman in
1959, an old boy of Hameedia Boys'English
School in 1905, which was presented to the Colombo Grand Mosque Committee of
Management on July 25, 1959
The Colombo Grand Mosque
occupies
a unique place in the life of the Muslim community in Ceylon from the times of
ancient Sinhalese Kings. Its early origins are hidden in the dim past where
legend and tradition are interwoven with history. Its significance and position
for the Muslim community has been such that even today it takes a leading role
in all the religious activities of the community. The decisions made by the
Mosque committee on various religious issues based on the consensus,
deliberations and agreement of the various Trustees, Imams of the many Jumuah Mosques in Colombo, and the Ulema,
held regularly within its auspices and premises have, generally, been accepted
by most of the Muslims in the whole Island.
The origin of the Mosque can be traced to the adventurous and
pious Arab traders who used to carry on a lucrative trade between the Orient
and the European ports in the Mediterranean in elephants, pearls, gemstones and
spices during the period between the first and sixteenth centuries. This was a
period when the Arabs had established lucrative trading posts on the Western
coastal belt of Ceylon from Puttalam, in the North
West, to Hambantota, in the South, as evidenced by
the large number of Ceylon Moors, descended from them, living in these parts of
the Island. It is hardly necessary to mention that the Arabs of that era were
pioneers, not only in trade, commerce and accounting but also as skilful navigators and geographers, carrying this vast
knowledge to the then known parts of the civilized world.
PORTUGUESE PERIOD 1505-1658
The earliest reference to the Mosque is contained in an
illustration of the first Fort of the Portuguese which was built in 1518 (see
map above). This illustration has been reproduced by Mr. R.L. Brohier in his "Historical Series" - No 1, and
appears on the front of the book. The existence of Mosques in Ceylon, during
this period, appears from a description found on this illustration in Colombo.
It is said that when "a flotilla of eight Portuguese sailing vessels
anchored in the Bay (Colombo) on November 15, 1505, the Commander of the
expedition saw, beyond a rummage of masts and spars of smaller shipping and off
the shore marred by a crescent of sand, clusters of huts hidden by foliage,
some cadjan godowns and two
limewashed Mosques."
Until the Portuguese arrived, in 1505, the sea-board trade was
mainly in the hands of the Arabs, some of whom who had settled in Colombo, Kalutara, Beruwela, Galle, Matara, and Hambantota along the
western shoreline. Soon after their arrival, the Portuguese obtained permission
from the Sinhalese King to establish a trading post in Colombo. After some
years the new Governor of the Portuguese settlement in Goa (India), Diogo Lopez de Siqueyra, sent Lopo de Brito to take up position
as Captain of Colombo (1518-1521) with a number of workmen to build a stronger
Fort in Colombo, not just to strengthen their position against the Sinhalese
but also to put down the competition in trade created by the Moors.
King Vijaya Bahu who was not opposed to the Portuguese
establishing a trading post, was alarmed at their effrontery in trying to
dominate the sea-board by building a Fort. He, therefore, launched an attack on
the Portuguese in 1520. Thosugh the Portuguese
garrison was small their superior arms and training kept the King at bay and he
was ultimately compelled to withdraw.. De Queyroz says, "The King himself abandoned the camp
despairing of success against the Portuguese, and our people on the following
day, again, burnt the town (Colombo) along with the two large Mosques built by
the former Moor's who had lived there."
The continued friction between the Sinhalese and the Portuguese,
and, the latters inability
to compete with the Moor's in trade in the interior parts of the Island made
their position in Colombo rather precarious. Hence, when Vasco da Gama came to
India (second Viceroy in 1524) he had orders from the King of Portugal to
dismantle the Fort of Colombo, leaving only a factory there. The Fort was,
therefore, razed to the ground and the garrison and artillery were moved to Goa
in India. This was an occasion of great joy for the Moors, who, in gratitude to
Almighty Allah, re-built a small Mosque in Colombo.
Father S.G. Perera has recorded that,"The population of the town was largely Muslim
and there was a Mosque together with a Muslim cemetery and a Court of Justice
to settle disputes according to Muslim Law."
There is also a strong tradition to show that the new Mosque was
built on the identical spot where the demolished ones stood thus implying that
the present day Colombo Grand Mosque must have a history of more than 450 years
today (2002).
In later years the Portuguese found that it was to their
advantage, commercially, to tolerate the Moors and hence they began to enjoy a
considerable amount of freedom. In spite of definite instructions from the
Portuguese Provincial Council in Goa and the Roman Catholic dignitaries against
employing Moors by the Christians, many Moors were still appointed as Vidane's (Headmen) etc. by the local Portuguese.
In his,"Ceylon: The Portuguese
Era", Dr Paul E Pieris
states that even in Colombo there was a Moorish tailor named Belala, who, by 1625 had resided for thirty years and had
also amassed great wealth. On the occasion of the marriage of his daughter to
another Moor, the wedding procession paraded through the city at night and
several Portuguese had also decorated and illuminated their houses and also
joined in the procession. One of the influential Portuguese residents had even
sent one of his African slaves to slaughter the cattle according to Islamic Shariah rites for the marriage
feast.
This brief description is more than sufficient to prove the
existence of a flourishing Muslim community where this old Mosque played a significant
part in their social, cultural, and religious requirements.
DUTCH PERIOD 1658-1796
This flourishing era for the Moors of Colombo was not destined to
last for long. The Dutch, who captured Colombo in 1658, were not prepared to
tolerate the Moors for two main reasons. First, because they
were of an alien faith, and next, because the Dutch were solely intent on
earning as much wealth as they could and hence would not tolerate any rival or
competition in their trade, unlike the Portuguese. Thus many oppressive
laws were passed against the Moors preventing them from residing within the
limits of Colombo and other towns and also preventing them from acquiring land
and property within these towns. The Moors were thus compelled to keep away
from the town and concentrate on their trade with the indigenous people of the
interior.
In the 17th and 18th Century, both Ceylon and Indonesia (Batavia)
were ruled by the Dutch United East India Company. At the zenith of their
power, the Dutch East India Company, besides bringing mercenary soldiers to
Ceylon had also sent many of the Indonesian nobility into exile here,
especially those people whom they considered a threat to their poltical activities. Many of these exiles belonged to the
ruling classes in Indonesia and they were also those who objected, both,
spiritually and physically, to the growing power of the Company.
Kings, Princes, Chiefs and other Nobles who became a nuisance or
hindrance to the Company were sent to Ceylon with their families from Indonesia
as political exiles. A list of state exiles contains the names of 176 persons
belonging to 23 families. Among the 23 heads of these families was Raja Gosman of Oesman (King of Goa in
South Celebes) together with his Minister Hooloo Balangkaya, who had arrived in Ceylon in
1790 or earlier and had lived in Moor Street, Colombo.
BRITISH PERIOD 1796-1948
It was only after the coming of the British to Ceylon that all
nationalities were treated alike irrespective of caste, creed or numbers. The
late C.J. Van Sanden in his book,"Sonahar",
states, "It would appear that as early as 1804 they (Moors) had so
succeeded in enlisting the sympathy of the Britisher
that a resolution was passed on 5th August, publishing a code of Muslim laws
which were observed by the Moors residing in the area known as the Province of
Colombo. It will be noted that while the Portuguese and the Dutch did
everything that was possible to disregard the rights of the subjects and
wantonly wound their susceptibilities, the diplomatic Englishman took them
under his sheltering protection." Some of the Moors began to flock to
Colombo and occupy, especially, the Pettah, gradually
ousting the Dutch residents.
RE-BUILDING OF THE COLOMBO GRAND MOSQUE
The present Colombo Grand Mosque was rebuilt during this period,
and it is interesting to recall the circumstances which led to the need for
enlarging and rebuilding the Mosque.
Hooloo Balangkaya, who has been mentioned earlier, had a son named
Muhammad Balangkaya who displayed a great interest in
the Moorish community. In spite of the objections and protests of his relatives
and friends her had married a Moor lady, and through
this marriage he had six sons and three daughters.Muhammad
Balngkaya was an Architect by profession and was also
a pious Muslim. He found this small Mosque in New Moor Street inadequate for
congregational prayers, and by enlisting the support of many of his rich
Moorish co-religionists, he had the Mosque enlarged and renovated to a two-storey building, designed entirely by him. This is the
present Colombo Grand Mosque, and was the first of its kind in Colombo, or
probably in all of Ceylon at that time.
When the re-building of the Mosque was completed, the then British
Governor of Ceylon, Lieut. General Sir Edward Barnes, GCB, visited the Mosque
in 1826 and highly commended Muhammad Balangkaya on
the excellence of his work.
An additiona wing to the Mosque was
later constructed by Mr. I.L.M.H. Muhammad Mohideen
in 1897, when he was managing the affairs of the Mosque. This wing which was
used as part of the Mosque in addition to it also being used as classroomsfor the Hameedia Boys'English School in 1959 was originally known as "kanjee maduwam" on account
of it being used as the place for the distribution of "kanjee"
(rice porridge) during the breaking of the Ramadan fast at sunset.
HISTORY OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MOSQUE
The lack of historical evidence has prevented information to be
found regarding the early management of the Mosque. It has been generally held
that the management of the Mosque was in the hands of different individuals at
various times and these persons carried out the onerous task of management
throughout these years.
However, it is from the year 1918 that substantial historical evidence
of the Mosque management is available. A group, consisting of some of the
leading members of the congregation of The Colombo Grand Mosque met on Friday,
March 17 1918, after the Jumuah Prayers at a meeting
held within the Mosque premises to discuss the improvement of the management as
the financial status of the Mosque was in a depleted state. The outcome of this meeting, as far as the welfare of the Mosque is
concerned, have been of very significant importance. For the first time
in the history of the Mosque discipline and methodology were introduced into
the management of the Mosque. This was achieved by the establishment of a set
of rules and regulations which provided for the management of the Mosque to be
handled by a Trustee and a Management Committee, in addition to defining in
detail their powers, responsibilities, and duties. Regular meetings were also
provided for in this constitution.
It was at this meeting that New Moor Street Colombo Grand Mosque
held its first democratic election in order to select a Trustee and a Committee
of Management. I.L.M.H. Muhammad Mohideen was elected
the first Trustee, unanimously, since he had already been handling tyhe affairs of the Mosque for many years before and was
acclaimed to be a very prominent benefactor and supporter of the Mosque. A
committee of 45 members was also elected which comprised a Managing Committee
of 16 and a General Committee of 29 members.
Since the introduction of the democratic system of electing
trustees and committees to manage the affairs of the Mosque in 1918, the
following persons have held office until 1959:-
|
TRUSTEES |
TREASURERS |
|
1918-1920: I.L.M.H. Muhammad Mohideen |
1918-1933: W.M. Mohamado Usooff |
|
1920-1925: H.N.H. Jalaldeen |
1933-1940: W.M.A. Wahid |
|
1925-1940: S.L. Mahmood, JP |
1940-1957:
W.M. Abdul Jabbar |
|
1940- ? : M. Ghouse
Mohideen |
1958-? : A.J.M. Ariff |
|
|
|
The youngest son of Muhammad Balangkaya
was Tuan Bagoos Krawan Balangkaya who was born on Tuesday, Rajab 21 1243 Hijra corresponding to January 28, 1827. He was qualified
in Islamic Theology and became a scholar (Alim)
succeeding to the position of Khalifa in Colombo.
THE MOSQUE CANNON
A landmark in the history of the Colombo Grand Mosque is the Cannon.
Credit must be given to the members of the then Mosque Committee for the keen
interest taken by them in installing the Cannon sometime in circa 1898. The
Cannon has become an institution by itself and stands as a monument to their
zeal and enthusiasm. The original Cannon was in service for quite a period of
time and was fired to indicate the times of break of fast, end of Suhoor during the Islamic month of Ramadan and was also
used to indicate the start of the Eids (festivals).
The present Cannon was donated by A.A. Abdul Raheman,
a well known hardware merchant of the Pettah and also a member of the managing committee. The
Cannon was mounted on a wooden base that was movable on wheels and this has
stood the rigors of sun and rain for more than half a century. It was
maintained by the then Imam C.L.M. Abdul Hameed who
introduced many improvements for the benefit of the congregation and the
Mosque.
The Muslim community has always been most grateful to all
governments of Ceylon for having allowed the firing of this Cannon, even during
the period of the two World Wars when such activity was restricted and
prohibited. The Cannon is being fired until the present day.
THE CEMETERY
The burial grounds that was present within the premises of the
Colombo Grand Mosque was discontinued on October 21, 1874, on the orders of the
government. In the meantime a block of land of over 1.25 acres in extent was
purchased in Maradana, on Aug 12, 1875, not only for
the purpose of building a Mosque but also to be used as a cemetery for the
burial of the dead from amongst the members and families of the congregation of
the Mosque. This ground was used for burials after the closure of the cemetery
at the Colombo Grand Mosque. The present Symonds Road Mosque was built on this
site and burial was discontinued here on May 21, 1875. The present Maligawatte Muslim Burial Ground was purchased on October
12, 1874 and this land became the cemetery from this date and is in use even
today (2002).
AL MADRASATUL HAMEEDIA
The history of the Colombo Grand Mosque will not be complete
without the mention of the famous Muslim School which has been a part of the
Mosque itself from its inception. The foundation of the building was laid by
the then Turkish Consul in Ceylon on August 31, 1900 (1318 Hijra).
The school building was erected by I.L.M.H. Noordeen,
a great philanthropist and a leading member of the Muslim community, assisted
by a band of his friends, viz; OLM Ahamadu Lebbe Marikar
Alim, SL Naina Marikar, AL Abdul Careem, and SL Mahmood, JP. If not for the foresight, initiative, and
enthusiasm of the founder, who had managed the school for many years, the
school would not be in existence today (1959).
The management of the school and its properties was entrusted to
NDH Abdul Caffoor in 1917. Amongst the alumni of the
school were, a Minister of State, Civil Servant, Proctors, leading merchantsand several other leading Muslims who embarked
into various professions in life. Someof the old boys
of this school are men of eminence in the community. The acedemic
staff were well versed in Arabic and Tamil which were,
at that time, the primary subjects. Other subjects taught at the school
included English, Urdu and Persian.
It was in 1921 that the nameof the
school was changed from Al-Madrasathul Hameedia to Hameedia Boys'
English School.
When SL Mahmood, Secretary of the school
since its inception, was appointed Trustee of the Colombo Grand Mosque on March
1, 1925, he was also entrusted with the management of the school in 1930, when
he took over from NDH Abdul Caffoor.
The Jamiyathul Hameediya
Society, which was in existence from the time the school was founded in 1900,
was re-organized on November 7, 1937. This Society appointed SL Mahmood as Manager of the school which he held until his
demise in 1940. On August 4, 1940, SLM Sheriff took over as manager of the
school being appointed by the Society.
The management of the school was handed over to the Colombo Grand
Mosque Educational Society on September 1, 1955. Muhammad Ghouse Mohideen, the then Trustee
of the Mosque, was appointed as its Manager from August 1957.
The school has, today (1959), achieved great distinction, both, in
the sphere academic studies and sports. Permission to conduct the SSC class was
granted to the school on December 9, 1953 and students were presented for this
examination for the first time in December 1955. Much credit is due to the past
principals of the school, as well as the present (1959) principal, MH Amit, for all the glory and achievements.
Thanks are also due to the Jamiyathul Hameedia Society for the very generous contribution of Rs 15,000 for building four classrooms with modern
equipment in 1959.
DEATHS OF MEMBERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
|
Name of
Member |
Date of death |
|
M.A.C. Idroos: I.L.M. Abdul Majid: I.L.M.H. Muhammad Hassan M.M. Muhammad
Amir: S.M.L.M. Haniffa: M. Zahir Mohideen: M.C.M. Fuard: Razeen Abdul Cader: S.D.H. Abdul Razack Hadjiar: A.M. Hasheem: M.I.L. Muhammad Nuhman: W.M. Abdul Jabbar A.A.M.
Ismail: M. I. L. Mohamed Nuhman |
11-03-1942 21-10-1946 04-12-1947 26-03-1948 30-04-1951 03-03-1952 29-07-1952 19-09-1952 22-02-1953 25-07-1955 24-02-1962 29-12-1957 circa 1959 24-02-1962 |
OFFICE BEARERS COLOMBO GRAND MOSQUE 1956
CHAIRMAN: ARM Saleem
TRUSTEE: Muhammad Ghouse
Mohideen
HONY TREASURER: WM Abdul Jabbar
HONY JT SECRETARIES: SL Muhammad, MUM
Salih
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE COLOMBO GRAND MOSQUE DURING THE PERIOD 1956-1962
1 Muhammad Ghouse
Mohideen, "Razeendale",
441, Galle Road, Bambalapiiya, Colombo
4 (elected 1921)
2 WM Abdul Jabbar,
12 Alexandra Road, Wellawatte, Colombo 6
3 SLMM Sheriff, 491, Galle Road, Colpetty, Colombo 3 (elected 1937)
4 MIL Muhammad Nuhman,
140, Messenger Street, Colombo 12 (elected 1945)
5 ML Bin Ahmed, "Salonica",
Colpetty, Colombo 12 (elected 1945)
6 Rashid bin Hassan, 27, Fareed Place, Bambalapitiya,
Colombo 4 (elected 1956)
7 SDHM Yoosoof,
104 St Joseph's Street, Grandpass, Colombo 14
(elected 1956)
8 SMS Hamid, 18 Hultsdorf
Street, Colombo 11
9 ARM Saleem,
118, Galle Road, Wellawatte, Colombo
6 (elected 1945)
10 SL Muhammad, 25, Clifton Lane, Maradana,
Colombo 10 (elected 1933)
11 MUM Salih, 181, New Moor
Street, Colombo 12 (elected 1945)
12 SHM Mohideen, 618-2, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya
13 AMM Mohideen, 21, Aloe Avenue,
Colpetty, Colombo 3 (elected
1945)
14 MHM Yusuf, 87, Dickman's
Road, Colombo 4 (elected 1945)
15 AMM Ismail, 35, Moor Road, Wellawatte,
Colombo 6
16 MT Jalaldeen, YMCA, Fort,
Colombo 1
17 MM Jalaldeen, 522, Galle
Road, Colpetty, Colombo 3
(elected 1956)
18 CMM Salih, 13, Hultsdorf Street, Colombo 11
19 AJM Ariff, 10, Station
Road, Wellawatte, Colombo 6
(elected 1945)
20 MMBKA Hamid, 50, Messenger Street, Colombo 12
(elected 1945)
21 MHM Mahful, 18-1, Frances
Road, Wellawatte, Colombo 6
(elected 1945)
22 MHM Nasoordeen, 90,
Messenger Street, Colombo 12 (elected 1945)
23 AAM Khamsus-Zackiya, 381,
Dam Street, Colombo 11 (elected 1945)
24 MFA Marzook, 22, Station
Road, Wellawatte, Colombo 6
(elected 1956)
25 M Shamsudeen Muhammad,
606, Galle Road, Colpetty, Colombo
3 (elected 1956)
26 AAM Ismail, 6 Ascot Avenue, Colombo 15 (elected
1956)
27 Muhammadh Ovais, 69, 37th Lane, Wellawatte,
Colombo 6 (elected 1956)
28 Mansoor Abdul Cader, 37, Pendennis Avenue, Colpetty, Colombo 3 (elected 1956)
29 Mohideen Jalaldeen, 28, Beach Road, Mount Lavinia
(elected 1956)
30 MA Careem, 10, 8th Lane, Colpetty, Colombo 3 (elected 1956)
31 ACM Hasheem, 52, Nelson
Place, Wellawatte, Colombo 6
(elected 1956)
32 M Sharker Mohideen, 441/1, Galle Road, Bambalapitiya,
Colombo 4 (elected 1958)
33 Dr. Mohideen Hassan, 33,
5th Lane, Colombo 3 (elected 1958)
34 M H Sufi Ismail, 37a Beach Road, Mt. Lavinia (elected 1959)
35 CMM Maharoof, 112, Parakrama Road, Colombo 14 (elected 1959)
36 MMM Thahir, 5, Station
Avenue, Colombo 6 (elected 1959)
37 SLMM Meera Lebbe Marikar, 144, Messenger
Street, Colombo 12 (elected 1959)
38 HHM Hassan, 231, Ward Place, Colombo 7 (elected
1959)
39 ARM Mohideen, 78, St.
Joseph’s Street, Colombo 14 (elected 1959)
40 MI Azhar Ghouse, 379, Galle Road, Colombo 3 (elected 1962)
41 M Ajward Hashim, 45, St. Peters’ Place, Colombo 4 (elected 1962)
42 M Fassy Ismail Alim, 89, Maligakande Road,
Colombo 10 (elected 1962)
43 MHM Dhahlan, 37, Ramya Road, Colombo 4 (elected 1962)
44 A Hilmi Mohideen, Park View, Turret Road, Colombo 3 (elected 1962)
Bibliography:
Dr Paul E Pieris: " Ceylon: The Portuguese Era"
Fr de Quetroz: "The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of
Ceylon"
Fr S.G. Perera: "History of Ceylon"
R.L. Brohier: "land, Maps and
Surveys"
J.C. Van Sanden: "Sonahar"
M.J. Wangsa Achmed:
"The Truth"
Extracts
from the Report of the Trustee of the Colombo Grand Mosque,
M Ghouse Mohideen,
on 9 March 1956
The Administration of the Mosque and the Trust properties fell on
the shoulders of the erstwhile M Ghouse Mohideen, of Razeendale, Bambalapitiya, brother in law of Sir Razik
Fareed on June 30 1940 consequent to the death of the
late Trustee, the much lamented Mr SL Mahmood Hadjiar, JP.
Mr WM Abdul
Wahid, who was the Hony Treasurer, expired on May 2,
1940, and Al Haj WM Abdul Jabbar was appointed to the
position on May 12, 1940.
At the time of assumption of office of Mr
M Ghouse Mohideen the
amount of finances in hand was as follows:-
Received from the administration of the Estate of the late Mr WMA
Wahid: Rs 2,586.46
Received from the administration of the Estate of the late Mr SL Mahmood Hadjiar
JP: Rs 271.50
Total: Rs 2,857.96
Of this amount a sum of Rs 2,508.50 was
paid as balance purchase cost of premises No 175 New Moor Street and another
sum of Rs 740.00 being repayment of deposits made by
the tenants as advances, leaving a balance of Rs
390.54 as debit.
1940
1955
INCOME: Rs 295.00 Rs 2,148.11
EXPENSES: Rs 197.00 Rs 1,600.00
The increase in income is mainly due to the amounts received as
rents from the properties purchased since 1940, viz;
Premises No 186, 188 New Moor Street, and Nos 176,
180, and 182 Keyzer Street, and from premises taken
over consequent to the acquisition of the lands adjoining the Maligawatte Muslim Burial Grounds by the Government.
Three Khatheebs were officiating in 1940
as follows:-
Khatheeb ARM Salahudeen
Khatheeb MM Sabir
Khatheeb AJM Warid
They were paid an annual allowance of Rs
50.00 each from 1940 to 1943 which was later raised to a monthly renumeration of Rs 25.00 from Aug
1 1943. This amount was then increased to Rs 30.00
per month from Nov 11 1946.
On September 30, 1948, Khatheeb AJM Warid resigned his position and his allowance of Rs 30.00 per mensem was divided
equally between the other two Khatheebs as they
agreed to officiate alternatively taking up Khatheeb Warid's responsibilities. In January 1952 the monthly renumeration paid to the two Khatheebs
was raised to Rs 65.00 each. In this manner the work
of the Khatheebs was carried out successfully up to
the end of December 1953, at which time Khatheeb MM Sabir resigned his position. In his place, Al Haj Moulavi SUM Hibathul Careem was appointed as Khatheeb
on Jan 9 1954.
The roof of the upper floor of the Mosque was renovated during
1945 at a cost of Rs 4,883.29. This expenditure was
met by the following benefactors:-
YM Naina Marikar
JP: Rs 500.00
AL Haj AMM Abdul Cader Rs 500.00
Al Haj M Mathany
Ismail
Rs 500.00
MHM Shamsudeen
Rs 500.00
Al Haj WM Abdul Jabbar Rs 500.00
MB Mohammed Rs 250.00
AL Haj MHM Sulaiman
Rs 250.00
M/S WMA Wahid & Brothers Rs 250.00
M/S A Meera Mohideen
& Sons Rs
200.00
M/S Mukthar & Ghouse Rs 100.00
Anonymous Rs 100.00
TOTAL:
Rs
3,650.00
The late MHM Sulaiman met the shortfall
of Rs 1,283.00 making a total of Rs
4,933.00, leaving a balance of Rs 49.71 which has
been carried over to the Mosque funds. Since then the Mosque has been
white-washed annually and minor repairs and painting works have been carried
out. Mention must be made here that a portion of the cost of this annual
maintenance work was met by a few members of the Congregation up to 1953.
The Electrical wiring of the Mosque which was in a deteriorated state, was also attended to by a complete re-wiring of the
whole Mosque in 1948. Additional lamps for lighting were also provided at a
cost of Rs 2,500.00. This expenditure was met by Al
Haj WM Abdul Jabbar, the Hony
Treasurer. His name is mentioned here in appreciation of his generous gift
although he himself wished to remain anonymous.
The late Al Haj MYM Mashood gifted four
ceiling fans and paid Rs 20.00 per month towards
their cost from October 1947 to July 1951. AM Shahul Hamid also gifted two fans. The cost of lighting the
Minaret was met by some of the members of the Committee of Management.
Under the auspices of the Committee of Management of the Colombo
Grand Mosque a mass meeting of representatives from various Mosques throughout
the Island was held on September 29, 1943 at Hameediah
School Hall, to consider the Draft Ordinance affecting Mosques, Waqfs, Charitable Funds, Shrines and Thakkiyas.
A representative gathering, including Ulema, was
present. At this meeting the various aspects of the Ordinance was discussed and
all present were made to realize the hardhsips that
were bound to be caused to all Muslims should the supervision and control of
these institutions be handed over to the Public Trustee as contemplated in the
Bill. It was decided to inform all Mosques in the Island of the defects in the
proposed Ordinance and how it violated Islamic Law in allowing a non-Muslim to
control the affairs of the places of worship of Muslims. A Committee was formed
to take immediate steps to ascertain views of the representatives of the
various Mosques in the Island.
A conference of delegates was held on December 18, 1943, at Hameediah School Hall. The late Mr
MHM Shamsudeen presided and several resolutions were
passed condemning the Bill. Later, as a result of a memorandum submitted by
this Committee to the then Minister of Home Affairs, the general opposition
manifested, and the Bill was shelved by the
Government.
Since the attainment of independence the question of promulgating
the amended Waqf Ordinance was revived. The Draft
Ordinance was, again, taken up in 1952 by the Muslim Members of Parliament and
the Senate. The Committee of Management lost no time in taking necessary action
to protect the interest of Muslims. Under the auspices of the Committee a
conference of representatives of Mosques and other places of Muslim Worship, of
Muslim Organizations, and of Ulema, and other
prominent Muslims, was convened on October 21, 1952 at Hameediah
School Hall, New Moor Street, to protest vehemently against the proposed Draft
amendments to the existing ordinance of 1931, as the proposed amendments were a
violation of the inherent rights of Muslims under Muslim Law.
In accordance with the decision of the conference a Memorandum
protesting against this amendment was forwarded to the Minister of Home Affairs
on November 30, 1952.
On January 10, 1953, a circular was issued to all the Mosques in
the Island requesting Muslims to meet their respective Members of Parliament
and request them to oppose the Bill when it came before the House. The matter
is now before the Parliament.
In this connection I would earnestly appeal to all Muslims to
consider seriously, whether under the prevailing conditions of religious antagonism
in the Island, it would be advisable for our Muslim Members of Parliament to
continue to support the enactment of this amending Ordinance that is repugnant
to the very spirit of Islam.
A notice was published in the Ceylon Daily News of December 4,
1950, by the Government Agent, Western Province, under sub-section (I) of
section 7 of the Land Acquisition Act No 9 of 1950, to acquire the following
lands belonging to the Maligawatte Muslim Burial
Grounds:-
PPA 2831 Lot
No 9 Narahena alias Narahenakumbura
part of Assessment No 75 Maligawatte Lane, extent 17
Acres, 0 Roods 18.9 Perches.
PPA 2831 Lot No 12 Narahenakumbura Part
of Assessment No 75, Maligawatte Lane, extent 11
Acres, 1 Rood and 30.5 Perches
Immediately this advertisement was noticed, the Chairman, in
consultation with the office bearers, lofged an
objection with the Government Agent, Western Province, through our lawyers on
December 12, 1950, against the insertion of the name of OHM Sulaiman
as claimant to the above lands and pointing out that the legal claimant was the
Trustee of the Colombo Grand Mosque.
The action taken by the Chairman was unanimously approved by the
Committee at its meeting held on Feb 3, 1951, and he was also requested to take
all further action necessary to establish the claim of the Mosque to those
lands.
Mr ARM Saleem, a member of the Committee of Management, suggested
that instead of getting into endless litigation, it was desirable that an
amicable settlement should be arrived at, as the claimant was in possession on
a notarial document. The whole matter of bringing about a settlement was
entrusted to a sub-committee comprising of Al Haj M Ghouse
Mohideen and Al Haj WM Abdul Jabbar
with power to add. Mr Saleem
was co-opted to the sub-committee. At the meeting held on October 6, 1951, the
sub-committee reported to the Committee of Management that they had recommended
the payment to the claimant a sum of Rs 55,000 on
account of compensation and Rs 4,000 on account of the
damages received from the Government, if he agreed to renounce his right, title
and interest in the said lands. It was agreed that a sum of Rs
13,820 taken by him as advance from the tenants on the leases granted by him be
waived off.
A sum of Rs 316,000 was received from
the Government as compensation for the aforesaid lands and Mr
OHM Sulaiman was paid the agreed sum as compensation.
The monies remaining were utilized to purchase Premises No 176, 180 & 182 Keyzer Street, at a cost of Rs
255,289, with the Mosque funds advancing the balance amount of Rs 14,126.44 required.
Prior to the purchase of these properties the Committee had paid
an advance for the purchase of Premises No 188, New Moor Street, a new house opposite the Mosque. In order to meet the
purchase price and costs of transfer, amounting to Rs
49,209.67, two sums of Rs 20,000 each were borrowed
from Mr AJM Ariff/Mr AJM Jabir and Mr MHM Yusuf,
who were very kind enough to accommodate the Mosque with these amounts. The
loan of Rs 40,000 has since been repaid from the
revenue of the Mosque.
The old ablution tank, which was in an insanitary condition, was
filled up and a new one built. This, together with the building and passage
leading to the Maligawatte Mosque Burial Grounds, was
erected at a cost of Rs 14,000 which was met by Al
Haj WM Abdul Jabbar, the Hony
Treasurer, in memory of his daughter, Ummu Mahbooba.
Properties Purchased:-
Property
Value
Transfer
Cost Total
186 New Moor Street Rs 10,000.00 Rs
200.00 Rs 10,200.00
188 New Moor Street Rs
47,292.50 Rs
1,912.17 Rs
49,204.67
176,180,182 Keyzer Str Rs
250,000.00 Rs
5,289.00 Rs 255,289.00
Total
Rs 317,207.67