A page from the Dhoo(n)deyre manuscript          

Yoosuf Gadir and his family arrived in Meedhoo on the 17 Ramadan, 519 A.H. [October 1125]. They stayed in the houses of Elhai Haaru Dhoraaboo and Kalhai Haaru. At that time the island was Buddhist.

Dhoraaboo, the headman of the house where the Gadir family was staying, had travelled to the countries of the world and knew the Arabic and Farsi languages.

He had also become a Moslem at the hands of Al-Hafiz Amir the son of Yasir Al-Namrizi of Nimrooz of Persia, although he kept this secret.

From discussions with Dhoraaboo , Yoosuf heard that in the capital Malé a virgin was being sacrificed to the Ocean Goddess, Rannamakaaru Devi, on the fifteenth night of the lunar month.

Cemetery in Addu Meedhoo

'Gracious Allah,' Yoosuf exclaimed, 'what a crime! But before we go there, we must begin our work here, where we are now. When the people of this island have been enlightened, then we will go to the other places.'

Yoosuf's work led to the conversion of Chandu Haaru, the son of the island's Buddhist priest, Kalhai Haaru. Chandu Haaru joined Yoosuf's campaign and decided to smash the statues in the temple during the month of Rajab. The people of the island were angry and complained, but Kalhai Haaru kept things under control because his son had led the attack.

The Kalhai Haaru family were originally from India:
Kadu Kumar a man from Pataliputra in India married a Meedhoo woman called Kaman Haaru who was a high level member of the Buddhist religion. Their children were:

1. Elhai Haaru
2. Kalhai Haaru
3. Kudai Haaru

Elhai Haaru's child was Dhoraaboo, who married Kudai Haaru's Neele Haaru. Their daughter was Rehendhi Haaru.

Kalhai Haaru's children were:

1. Chandu Haaru, who married Kudai Haaru's Tuttu Haaru.
2. Tuttu Haaru, who married Salim son of Shuraid es-Salimi, the younger brother of Nuseibah, the wife of Yoosuf Gadir ul-Yamani. (Descendants of this couple still exist, but cannot be clearly traced now).
3. Mathoo Haaru, who married Kudai Haaru's Maali Haaru.

Kudai Haaru's children were:

1. Tuttu Haaru
2. Maali Haaru
3. Neele Haaru

All these people converted to Islam except Elhai Haaru, Kaman Haaru, and Kadu Kumaru, who died before the conversion campaign.
However, two days after the statues were smashed, on the 27 Rajab 521 A.H. [August 1127 A.D.], Kalhai Haaru embraced Islam.

Addu Meedhoo lagoon

Because Dhoraaboo was the translator of the conversion arguments of Yoosuf Gadir, he was given the title of Abu-el-Lisan.
At that time the name he was using before referred to the name of town of the person who had originally converted him to Islam, Yoosuf Al-Namrizi.

Time went by, and in 538 A.H. [1143/44 A.D.] Nuseibah passed away.
In 539 the two Yoosufs set out for Malé and other places. During this journey Yoosuf el-Namrizi (Dhoraaboo) died, and Yoosuf Gadir returned during Ramadan, 561 A.H. [July, 1166 A.D.]. He passed away on the night of 9th Zulhajja.

As the islands embraced Islam; Gan was the last island in Addu atoll to be converted. It was accomplished by Yoosuf Naib. This saint's birth was in 640 A.H. [1242/43 A.D.], and his son Hassan's birth was in 680 A.H. [1281/82 A.D.]. It is stated that this Hassan came from the continent in 711 A.H [1311/12 A.D.]. Yoosuf Naib died in 715 A.H. [1315/16 A.D.].

Al-Muhadhdhis Hassan's son by a Yemeni woman was Eesa Fan'diyaaru who came to the Maldives ten years after this. This man became the government judge. It is known his grandfather, Yoosuf Naib, had also been to Arabia to study. Al-Sheikh Al-Hafiz Al-Muhaddhis Al-Khatheeb Hassan had also studied in Mecca and Medina, in Sanaa, and in Syria. From this family came the judges of Maldives.

Al-Sheikh Al-Gazi Mohamed Al Muballiu had learned astronomy, the science of primogeniture, and Arabic from his learned mother and learned men from her family, and later studied Shafi doctrine from the learned man who lived in Vaadhoo. During this time Al-Sheikh Mohamed taught Arabic to the learned man's other pupils.

Al-Sheikh Mohamed compiled a separate book on each aspect of Islam. Among his sons, Al-Gazi Hussein and Allamah Mohamed also compiled books. Allamah Ahmed wrote 20 books on medicine, navigation, astrology, the science of primogeniture, and knowledge of antiquity.

A well-known book was The book of ancient Meedhoo history. This book described the genealogy of Yoosuf Gadir thus:
Al-Fageehu Al-Hafiz Yoosuf Gadir Al-Sanaani Al-Yemeni (e-uge zaujaage) Nuseibah's younger brother Al-Shuraid Al-Suleimi, his son Suleiman Gadir married Rehendhi Haaru, who was the daughter of Elhe Haaru Dhoraaboo, later known as Abu-Al Lisaan, and their children were:

Tombstone inscribed in Arabic: Addu Meedhoo

1. Hamdhoon Gadir
2. Mahumoodh Gadir
3. Hameedh Gadir
4. Gadiree Kamana
5. Mohamed Gadir, later known as Sooru Gadir

Hamdhoon Gadir's children were:

1. Suleiman Gadir, whose children      were:
     a. Zaidh Gadir (died without            children)
     b.   Ali Gadir (died without children)
2. Yoosuf Gadir (died without children)
3. Mahumoodh Gadir, whose child was:
     a.   Zaidh Naib

Mahumoodh Gadir the son of Suleiman Gadir's child was:
Moosa Gadir (died without children)

Hameedh Gadir's children's names and number were unreadable in the book.

Gadiree Kamana married Dhon Hauru Kaleyge and their child was:
Hamdhan Gadir, whose children were:
     a. Eesa Naib
     b. Mohamed Naib
     c. Yoonus Naib

Mohamed (Sooru) Gadir, whose children were:

1. a daughter (died at a young age)
2. a daughter (died at a young age)
3. a daughter (died at a young age)
4. Ilyas Gadir, who went to Yemen, married, and has descendents     there.
5. Yooshau Gadir, who died without children in the Hithadhoo      battle.
6. Yoonus Gadir, or Gadiree Kaleygefaan, who died in Maradhoo     with no children.
7. Eesa Gadir, whose children were:
     a. a daughter (descendents exist)
     b. a daughter (descendents exist)
     c. a daughter (descendents exist)
     d. Yoonus Gadir, who died in Mulaku, no children.
     e. Ismail Gadir, who died in Gan.
     f. Yoosuf Gadir, later known as Al-Fageehu Al-Hafiz Yoosuf Naib.

Since Yoosuf Naib's two daughters and seven sons have already been written about, it is not repeated here. Though Al-Sheikh Mohamed's correct paternal lineage was not connected to Yoosuf Gadir, his correct maternal line indeed was. The learned author of later times, who was our great-grandfather, his correct paternal lineage connects with Al-Hafiz Zakariya Khatheeb the son of Al-Muhadhdhis Hassan. That was As..................


Pages 3 and 4

Old lady: Addu Meedhoo

He came to Meedhoo and married a daughter of his father's cousin. It is not known if they had any children. He had a son called Eesa Thakuru with the wife from his birthplace, and this Eesa was also called Administrator Thakuru. According to the writer's father, he was only 15 or 16 years old when he went to Hithadhoo. Though it is known that the government gave this Eesa the administrator's position when he was very young, it is not known at exactly what age.

According to the writer's older brother, Eesa's son Kuda Ali was conceived with his wife from the house called Rasgedhari. And according to father, that Meedhoo wife's son was the son called Ali Thakkan.

Among the possessions of Eesa Thakuru were teak timber and kandhu softwood and other things. He built a mosque of teak wood between the two islands. Later the timber from this mosque was taken to the Big Mosque, says Hussein Bey from this island, as related by Ismail Beybe.

In Eesa Thakuru's title deed for the mosque, his family's descendency was written this way:

Suleiman (who came from Arabia) Gadir's son was Sooru Gadir.
Sooru Gadir's son was Eesa Gadir.
Eesa Gadir's son was Yoosuf Gadir, later known as Al-Fageehu Al-Hafiz Yoosuf Naib.
Al-Fageehu Al-Hafiz Yoosuf Naib's son was Dhon Hassan Katheeb.
Dhon Hassan Katheeb's son was Idhurees Khatheeb.
Idhurees Khatheeb's son was Al-Hafiz Safwan Khatheeb.
Al-Hafiz Safwan Khatheeb's son was Sidhi Ahmed Naib Kaleyge.
Sidhi Ahmed Naib Kaleyge's son was Mohamed Adafi Kaleyge.
Mohamed Adafi Kaleyge's son was Keherithai Ahmed Naib Kaleyge.
Keherithai Ahmed Naib Kaleyge's son was Dhon Sidhi Kaleyge.
Dhon Sidhi Kaleyge's son (with the woman Zauja from Bodubee house) was Bodubeege Dharu Mohammaa Thakuru.
Bodubeege Dharu Mohammaa Thakuru's son was Ali Bodu Bandaara Thakurufaan.
Ali Bodu Bandaara Thakurufaan's son was Eesa Thakuru.

In this island and the two islands these two families are known. In the primogeniture book written by the writer's father, the family can be traced clearly.

The book the writer wrote, called Al Meeras, this has been transcribed in the same way.

In the book written by the writer's father, he transcribed from the document written by Moosa Fulhu:
'This document says Eesa Thakuru, (the son of Al-Sheikh Al-Hafiz Ali Bodu Bandaara Thakurufaan the son of Beege Dhari Mohamed Thakuru the son of Al-Hafiz Dhon Mahamood Sayyid Kaleyge son of al-Naib Kahrathee Ahmed Kaleyge son of al-Naib Mohamed Adafi Kaleyge son of al-Naib Ahmed Sayyid Kaleyge son of al-Hafid Safwan son of al-Hafid Idris son of al-Shaikh al-Hafid al-Muhaddith al-Khateeb Hassan son of al-Faqih al-Hafid Yoosuf Naib son of Eesa Gadir son of Soor Gadir son of Suleiman Gadir son of al-Faqih Yusuf Gadir of Yemen), from this Eesa Thakuru's possessions of gold and silver, Ali Thakkan will donate half the teak timber needed for maintenance of the mosque between the two islands.'

Believing that the keeping of genealogy was an important thing, the first person to begin assembling it was Dhon Hassan Khatheeb the son of Al-Naib Yoosuf. After that, as a result of his wishes expressed to his relatives, the record has been kept by the high-ranking people of Meedhoo until the present day.

The writer's father said that according to the writer's grandfather a person who does not keep his genealogy, will commit crimes without hesitation. A time when genealogy will be considered nothing is getting nearer. It is among the signs of the end of the world that people will dismiss their ancestry and womb relations, and turn away from mothers' faces. Also they will be looking at their neighbours with scowling expressions.

Matriarch veiled in the Islamic style and a future intellectual: Addu Meedhoo

The science of primogeniture will disappear completely and the wealthy will receive the alms. The rights of the poor will be violated, and wife and sons will receive equal shares of the husband's wealth. These are warnings that have come from grandfathers to our fathers. Some of these things we can see now with our own eyes!

The writer's father used to say the writer's grandfather said that when the end of time arrives, genealogical connections would have collapsed. Sons won't know who their mothers are, and will even marry them. Each couple will have an odi, and each house will have a shop. When the sun begins to rise in the west the people will be pre-occupied with trading. No one will have any idea about the attributes of the Almighty. Promiscuity will spill out onto the roads, and people will commit adultery in the streets. Islam will be practised only in name and the Word of Allah will be locked up in the big box. While human beings are in this condition Almighty God will reveal the Enlightened One.

The Dajjal will also appear during this period. Humans will be saved from the evilness of the Dajjal by Jesus, son of Mary. This is all found clearly written in the Hadith, which are sayings, acts and signs of the holy master.

After reading the Word of Allah, the Traditions of the Prophet should also be studied.

Even though we write and publish books, very few people read or think about them. This is the reason that the thirteen books written by the writer's great-grandfather and the three books written by the writer's grandfather were used as firewood for stir-cooked jaggery. It is the reason why the books and documents of Ismail Beybe were not there for Beybe later on. But give thanks that even now there are people who like books and protect them on this island.

The writer's father's Ali Didi is a learned person who has memorised the Koran, even though he doesn't write books. He preserves and transcribes them. He transcribed Elhegey Thuttu Didi's eye medicine book and sent it recently. If there's still time left in me I intend to write a book on the details of Judgement Day.

1328 A.H. [1910 A.D.]
Ahmed the son of Mohamed the son of the Chief Justice Ibrahim Majudhudheen

Translated into English from Divehi by Fareesha Abdulla and Michael O'Shea in Australia, in consultation with Majid. Manuscript supplied by Majid

See also Meedhoo Photo Album