Mangaluru: Panakkad Sayyid Nasar Abdul Hayya Shihabuddin Thangal Ba-Alavi, an Islamic scholar from Kerala, has been appointed the new khazi of Dakshina Kannada, succeeding the late Al-Haj Taqwa Ahmed Musliyar.The appointment was officially announced on Saturday by Yenepoya Abdullah Kunhi, president of the administrative committee of Zeenath Baksh Central Juma Masjid and Eidgah Masjid in Mangaluru.Thangal had conveyed his willingness to take over as the khazi of Dakshina Kannada a few days ago. Following this, his appointment was formally ratified at a meeting of representatives of several mosques convened on Saturday, under the leadership of the administrative committee of Zeenath Baksh Central Juma Masjid.Born on May 2, 1966, at Poovad near Panakkad in Kerala’s Malappuram district, Thangal began his religious education at an Othupalli before pursuing Islamic studies for 13 years through the traditional Pallidars system. He belongs to the Yemeni Sayyid lineage that traces its ancestry to the family of Prophet Muhammad.After completing his religious studies and receiving Sanad, or scholarly certification, he served as a khatib and mudarris at several mosques and Islamic institutions.Following his father’s demise, Thangal took over as khazi of the Andaman Islands. In 2009, he was appointed grand khazi of Kozhikode. He currently serves as khazi for more than 300 mahallas across Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Thrissur districts in Kerala.
