The Prophet’s uncles Saad ibn abi Waqqas and Amir Hamza brought Islam to Manipur
By DR. SYED AHMED
A book titled “Manipuri Muslims: Historical Perspectives 615-2000 CE,” authored by Farooque Ahmed, released at Imphal recently, claims that Islam arrived in the region in the early 7th century through the Prophet’s uncles Saad ibn abi Waqqas and Amir Hamza.
Farooque writes that Aribam, a Muslim clan (sagei) in Manipur traces its biological ancestry to Amir Hamza and Saad ibn abi Waqqas: “It is an accepted fact that the Aribam section of Manipuri Muslims traces its biological ancestry to Hamza (567-625 CE), the paternal uncle of the Prophet and Saad ibn abi Waqqas (d. 647 CE), the maternal uncle of the Prophet.” He also cites a theory that the term “Aribam” is believed to have been derived from the Arabic word “Aribah” meaning “pure Arabs”.
Farooque also writes that Hamza reached Manipur before 610 CE and “Waqqas was among the three sahaba who reportedly left Abyssinia by sea on way to China in 615 CE and reached Manipur via Chittagong port in that year itself.”
He further notes that Muhammad Hanifa, the eldest of the two sons born to Caliph Ali and his second wife Khawla bint Jafar, fled to Arakan in 680 CE after he lost the struggle for Caliphate and founded an Islamic community. Muhammad Hanifa paid a visit to Manipur and met the local Muslims, he adds.
Farooque believes that the Muslim saint (Pangal Musalman Guru) who preached in Manipur during King Nawphangba’s reign (594-624 CE), as mentioned in the local archaic texts, could have been either Waqqas or Hamza. He writes: “Evidences indicate that this “guru” was a saintly man. Yet if the Manipuri king reined till 624 CE, this saint could have been either Saad ibn abi Waqqas or Hamza, both of whom were uncles of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Amir Hamza whom the Prophet addressed as ‘the Lion,’ later went back to Arabia where he was ultimately martyred in the Battle of Uhud in 625 CE during the lifetime of the Prophet. If the mentioned saint could be Saad ibn abi Waqqas, he could have arrived in Manipur by the sea (Bay of Bengal) around 615 CE and then left for home and returned for a second time after 27 years and landed on the Chinese coast, bringing with him a copy of the Holy Qur’ān. According to Hui records, Saad ibn abi Waqqas was the progenitor of the Hui (Chinese Muslims) who claim that his tomb is still preserved there. Actually, Saad ibn abi Waqqas died in 674 CE at the age of eighty and was buried there. The mentioned Canton tomb is believed to be that of the son of Waqqas who arrived in the area and probably married a local wife.”
Farooque notes that Muslims from Arabia, Persia and Turkey used to go to China via Silk route passing through Assam and Manipur that reached Yunan and elsewhere.
He also claims that Muslims from various parts of mainland India also immigrated to Manipur from time to time: “The Bengali…Muslims…came and settled [down] since the time of King Nawphangba. Pathans…came as traders, adventurers and soldiers, etc. The Suri Pathans came when Sher Shah Suri was ruling Bengal till 1564. Some Gujarati Pathans also emigrated to Manipur in 1688…” However, he added, the largest immigration of Muslims in Manipur took place in 1606 when a large number of Muslim troops brought from Taraf (in Sylhet) by a Manipuri Prince were taken captive and made to settle in the valley of Manipur.
The event is detailed thus: “Over the petty issue of a broken boat, Prince Sanongba had a grudge against King Khagemba, fled to Cachar and with a Cachari (Hindu) force invaded Manipur in which Sanongba was defeated in 1604 CE. Even then Sanongba was not deterred, went back again and could contact some (Pangal) Muslim troops from Taraf (in Sylhet). Now it became a combined Muslim-Cachari-Sanongba force led by one Senapati Parshyam. The troops invaded Manipur in 1606 CE…..the Meities captured Pangals and Mayangs numbering up to 1,000 persons…then the Mayangs and Pangals were later settled in Manipur by the king by giving them wives and lands.”
Farooque also claims that Shah Shuja, the son of Shah Jahan, who was chased by his brother Aurangzeb, entered Manipur. He narrates: “Most notable was the coming of Prince Shah Shuja in 1661-62 and Prince Mirza Baisanghar (alias Lakhayarful, son of Prince Danial, son of Emperor Akbar) in 1679 as they lost the wars of succession in the Mughal imperial household. Assam and its territory Naga Hills were added to the Mughal empire according to the January 1663 treaty after the Mughals led by Mir Jumla, ably assisted by Diler Khan defeated the Ahoms in 1661…The Mughal frontier of NE India was known to the Meities as Makak, and so the Mughal imperial outpost in Makokchung (Nagaland) were called Makak emigration to Manipur. The Makak battalion led by Baisanghar (Lakhayarful) was sent to Makokchung in 1663 to administer the region of Naga Hills. When the Mughal power waned in the region (Assam) due to rains and sustained Ahom resistance, Lakhayarful and his men chose to move southward in Manipur valley, as they knew prince Shah Shuja too was already in Manipur. Lakhayarful called up Prince Shah Shuja from Ukhrul Hill, then in hiding from Aurangzeb’s men and Shah Shuja came to be called Sunarful as he had led the elephant entourage as Sunan-i-phil on their arrival in Manipur valley in 1769.” These Mughals had separate office, called Mangol Sanglen, in the royal palace, and their descendants are known as Makakmayum clan, he added.
The book-release function was held on May 17, 2011 at Classic Hotel at Imphal. Chairperson of Manipur State Minorities Commission, Halim Chowdhury, IAS (Retd.), researcher and writer Md. Riyajuddin and Editor of Delhi-based fortnightly English newspaper The Milli Gazette, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan graced the function as Chief Guest, Guest of Honour and President respectively.
The book was published by Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd, Abu Fazl Enclave, Jamia Nagar, N. Delhi.
The author, Farooque Ahmed, a resident of Lilong, Manipur, had his graduation from Jamia Millia Islamia, N. Delhi, and MA and M Phil degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University, N. Delhi. He is currently a Senior Researcher at Manipur University.