Sayyid Haidar Ali shihab was an abode where people flooded from all walks of life irrespective of religious and political affiliations to seek solace and consolation for tensed hearts - Dr Zubair Hudawi

Great leader Panakkad Sayyid Haider Ali Shihab Al Hussaini returns to Allah 

 

His was an abode where people flooded from all walks of life irrespective of religious and political affiliations to seek solace and consolation for tensed hearts, to reach amicable solutions for complex problems, to get a blessing, and for what not. 

He provided an integrated and comprehensive leadership for Kerala's muslim community. 

He stayed awake to preserve and strengthen the inter and intra community relations.

He headed several organizations and institutions. 

People searched his diaries to get a date and time to get him for housewarming, shop openings, nikah ceremonies, meetings and conferences.

Home or away, all of his time was spent for others. Mostly, he started early from his home for a pre-dawn housewarming in any of remote village, and reached back late in the night after attending tens of programs and meetings, only to start anew for another pre-dawn engagement. 

While at home, mostly on Tuesdays, people thronged early in the morning and continued coming till late in the midnight. Visitors of all kind from VVIPs to a very poor layman kept occupying all nooks and corners of his home to get a glimpse, have a word, be blessed  with a prayer, give or take a gift. 

Several organizations and institutions conducted their monthly meetings at his home to get their president's presence for the meeting. 

He led the largest and most popular Ulama Organization of the state ' Samastha ' as it's Vice President, and simultaneously headed Indian Union Muslim League. 

He was a Qazi for hundreds of villages, while he stayed at the helm of identity cum alliance politics. 

Even after going through hectic schedules, tense issues and  gruelling problems, you will never miss his smile, warmth and hospitality. 

He had been simply functioning as per the legacies and traditions set by his predecessors in Aal Shihab family, settled in Panakkad village of Malappuram district a couple of centuries ago.

We pray that we be blessed with the same blissful, warm, solacing and foresighted leadership and guidance by all Ali Shihabs.

Dr. Zubair Hudawi, Qurtuba Institute, Kishanganj, Bihar