கவி கா.மு.ஷெரீபின் ‘நபியே எங்கள் நாயகமே! ’ - சதக இலக்கியமா? “Sathakam or Eulogy? A Critical Study of K.M. Sheriff’s Nabiye Engal Nayagame”

Abstract

This article examines the structure and literary classification of K. M. Sheriff’s Tamil work “Nabiye Engal Nayagame!” with particular attention to its relationship to the Islamic satakam tradition. The study first outlines the general features of satakam literature, a minor literary genre conventionally associated with a composition of one hundred verses organized around a central subject and often marked by a recurring refrain. It then considers the author’s background and the religious and ethical concerns expressed in the work. The text praises Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), presenting episodes from his life and teachings alongside Islamic beliefs, duties, and moral values. The section titled “Nannabi Vazhthup Pamalai” consists of one hundred verses, composed in the same metrical form and linked by the recurring concluding phrase “Vazhiyaro Vazhi.” The article also notes that the complete work contains 114 verses, including additional material beyond this hundred-verse section. Although the work shares certain formal features with satakam literature—such as its central subject, verse count within a section, and refrain—the article argues that the whole composition does not fully conform to the conventional structural requirements of a satakam. It therefore concludes that “Nabiye Engal Nayagame!” is more appropriately understood as a work of praise dedicated to Prophet Muhammad than classified simply as a satakam. Through this structural examination, the article highlights the importance of genre criteria when classifying Tamil Islamic literary works.

Keywords

• K.M. Sheriff
• Nabiye Engal Nayagame
• Tamil Islamic Literature
• Satakam Literature
• Prophet Muhammad
• Literary Structure
• Genre Classification
• Islamic Ethics