Thangal was the president of Marqasu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya - a leading Islamic center of learning in Kerala - a position that he held for a long time and until his death.
He was also president of the state’s prominent Islamic bodies such as Maunathul Islam Sangham, Ponnani and Mishqal Masjid, and was associated with a large number of institutions, including the Kerala Haj Committee.
Born to Syed Mohammed Jifry Thangal in 1928, Syed Fazal had participated in India’s freedom struggle against British rule that ended in 1947.
His association with Sunni organizations in the area started as the city unit president of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham.
His ancestors migrated to Kerala from Hadhramaut in Yemen three centuries ago and played an important role in propagating Islam in south India. The family’s Jifry House functioned as the seat of the Sunni movement before establishing its headquarters in Kozhikode.
Syed Fazal died at around 4 a.m. at a private hospital. His funeral took place at a cemetery close to his ancestral home on Tuesday evening. He leaves behind a wife, seven sons and a daughter.
Leaders of the Sunni movement, including Kanthapuram AP Aboobakr Musliar, who cut short his visit to Cairo to return to India, reached Jifry House to pay their last respects.
