Calicut – The famous peace preacher and writer Riyaz Musa Malabari popularly known as “Riyalo” passed away on Sunday evening in Pachattiri suburb of south-Indian state of Kerala.
Riyalo was born in 1942 in Kannur’s Peringadi village to MK Musa and Mrs. Ayesha. He began his professional career in Kuwait, and by 1980 he returned to India permanently.
He was known for his revolutionary work in the field of “Islamic Dawah”, a missionary activity to present Islam’s true interpretation and clear its misconstrued image among the followers of other religions.
During 1980s, he became an active member of various socio-religious Muslim organizations in Kerala to serve the community, and published variety of articles on the topics of inter-faith and community building.
Around 1992, especially after Babri Mosque demolition in India, when communal disharmony surged, Riyalo started Dawah to engage Muslims and non-Muslims into inter-faith dialogue, and to promote tolerance, peace, and harmony.
Riyalo trained more than 200 teachers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, for the purpose of Dawah.
His interactions with non-Muslims attracted them to read Islam’s holy books, and thousands of them, eventually, embraced Islam.
DailyHunt reported that some of the notable south-Indian figures who were influenced by Riyalo’s efforts were: popular Indian English Poet and Novelist Late. Kamala Surayya aka Madhavikutty of Kerala, South Indian Poet and Journalist Abdullah Adiyar from Tamil Nadu, Former District Secretary of the Communist Party of India Kodikkal Chellappa, who later influenced other prominent figures.
Riyalo authored variety of books on self-purification and spirituality.
Among his famous books was “Ek Khuda Insan Bangaya” – “God who became man”. The book speaks about a former Buddhist monk Swami Ananda Bhiku, who converted to Islam after intense research and self-pondering. He changed his name to Mohammed Muhibullah.
Jamia Darussalaam, an Islamic seminary of Oomerabad district of Tamilnadu, introduced a full-time degree course in Islamic Dawah under the supervision of Riyalo.
Later, Moulana Kalim Siddiqui from north-India’s famous Darul-Uloom Deoband, invited Riyalo to introduce a full two-years course in Islamic Dawah in the seminary’s curriculum.
On Monday, Riyalo’s body was shifted to Karaparamba suburb of Khozikode district of Kerala, where his other relatives and family members were expected to join his funeral.
