Culture & Heritage

In 851 AD, an Arab merchant, called Soleyman, wrote an account of his travels to the island of Serendib. Impressionistic but insightful, it records the earliest known engagement of a Muslim with Sri Pada, also known as Samantukuta. Soleyman does not refer to Sri Pada as “aadam malayi”, the name we see in later Muslim reconstructions of the peak. Instead …

It was while researching the genealogy of my maternal ancestors that I stumbled upon a burgher lady named, Ms Pompeus, who was supposed to have been the Governess who taught English, Reading, and Piano, to my maternal grandma’s father, MLMH Shareef, and his siblings, Sakeena and Haseena. The Marikar Haji family members belonged to the “Jemmi” ootar (family group) in those …

For centuries, the Vikings were renowned for roaming the world and covering large distances.. Evidence pertaining to the Vikings converting was recorded by the 16th century geographer Amin Razi. Speaker: Dr. Umar Faruq

Remembering Senator Azeez on his 110th birthday- 4th October 2021- brings memories of a great Muslim visionary. He was a great intellectual, an able administrator, an erudite scholar and an accomplished educationist whose multiple services to the nation and to the Muslim community in particular, are well documented. His life provides stimulating examples of challenges and successes in varied areas …

  Granada, the word in Spanish means pomegranate, a fruit brought to Spain by Moslem tribes from North Africa, in the 8th century. They were known as the Moors and they came to Europe from what is now known as Morocco. For nearly 800 years the Moors ruled in Granada. And for nearly as long in a wider territory of …

Naleem Hajiar was one of the noble personalities who worked for the national interest of Sri Lanka. Born in 4th April 1933, to Muhammad Ismail and Sharifa Umma of China Fort, Beruwala, Naleem Hajiar was raised in a very poor family background, due to which he was only able to continue his schooling up to the fifth grade, and was …