FAMILY: He was the third child and second son in the family of five , the eldest being Mohamed Cassim Marikkar of Akurana. The other three were female.
EDUCATION: Seyed Abdul Cader received his education at Akurana Govt School in the Tamil Medium.Later he attended Sri Pushpadana Night school and studied English there. He possessed a very command of the Tamil language and was very proficient in English as well as in Sinhalese. He attended Quran Madhrasa and learnt to read the Holy Quran according to ' Thajweed ' system of recital. He also possessed a very good knowledge of the Islamic Law..
MARRIAGE:
He married Balkis Nachchiya the second daughter of Pangaragammanagedara Mahmud
Lebbe of Neerella, Melchenagama of Akurana.
CAREERS:
He successfully ran a textile
establishment. Along with this business he managed to open a Receiving Post
Office with the permission of the Postal Department. Since then he had been
known and called as
"Post
Master". After much persuasion and show of interest he made the Postal Dept
to upgrade the Receiving Office to the status of "B" Grade Sub Post
Office which was ceremonially declared open by Hon. Sir John Kotalawala at
Akurana town in 1940's. Thus M.A.S. Abdul Cader became the first Sub Post Master
of Akurana. Subsequently this Sub Post Office was upgraded to the "B"
level and then to "A" Grade Sub Post Office. He saw to it that
telephone facilities were provided to this Sub Post Office around 1952. The
people of Akurana as well as those of the surrounding areas appreciated his
services as the Sub Post Master. He was always helpful to the poor, the needy
and the sick.
HIS
CHILDREN: Six children were born of him and his
beloved wife Balkis Nachchiya. Four of them were boys and two were girls. He saw
to it that his children received the best of education. His eldest son Mohamed
Zubair passed out of the University of Ceylon in 1958 as an Electrical Engineer
- the first Engineer and Science Graduate of Akurana. Two of his other sons,
Mohamed Mubarak and Mohamed Zuhyle, obtained Degrees in Arts from the University
whilst the other, Mohamed Mohideen, passed out as a Specialist English Trained
Teacher in 1962 - the first such teacher of Akurana.
He
was an ardent follower of Prophet Muhammad's (S.A.W.) saying "EDUCATION IS
AN INDESTRUCTIBLE TREASURE". His endeavour to educate his own children had
a strong effect on the grand-children of his wife's sister - his immediate
neighbour. They were so influenced that one of these girls passed out as a Civil
Engineer and another as a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Ceylon.,
while others too pursued their studies upto the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) . While
attending to the welfare of his own family and the immediate relatives, he
played a vital role in social service in uplifting the conditions of the village
of Neerella and the villagers.
SOCIAL
SERVICE: With a view to providing the infrastructure
to the Neerella village,he contested Harispattuwa Village Council Elections for
the Neerella Ward in 1940's.He comfortably won the elections and was returned to
this Village Council as the member for Neerella. During his tenure of office, he
successfully argued his case at the Council for a permanent foot bridge to be
built across Pinga Oya at 6 3/4 mile post off the
Kandy-Matale Road at Akurana. He also saw to it that about a hundred yard long
flight of stone-steps was built from this bridge so that the people of Neerella
could use the road very comfortably. Along with these he told the Council that
proper drinking water should be provided to the people of Neerella and
identified two springs which always supplied water through out the year , even
during the severe drought season. Close to the foot bridge over the Piga Oya,
the necessity of building a small dam with sluice-gates was proposed at the
Council Meeting by M.A.Seyed Abdul Cader , the Member for Neerella. This
recommendation was accepted by the Council. So all these three important
proposals were accepted by the Council and the required funds allocated for the
construction of these work and they were completed within a short period of
time. The people of Neerella began to enjoy the fruits labour done by M.A.Seyed
Abdul Cader. He continued with his social service unabated
With
the noble mission of providing the long
felt need of a motorable and a school to
Neerella and Melchenagama, he formed an association called Neerella Rural Development Society in 1955. Through this Society he made contacts with the Ministries and higher authorities concerned. He was able to make this dream a great success. A Government school called the Neerella Muslim Vidyalaya was opened in mid-1960's and the Neerela-Dippitiya motorable road was opened up in 1962. These two achievements stand as monuments to Alhaj M.A.S. Abdul Cader's thirst for social service and service to society.
An incident can be quoted which served as the foundation to English Education at Akurana Government School.
As
there were no facilities or staff to impart English education to the students of
Akurana Government School, he made representations to the Department of
Education, in Kandy and requested them to
appoint an English Teacher to Akurana Government School . Promptly the
Department of Education, Kandy, responded by sending a Tamil Education Officer
to inquire into this matter. This Officer had met Abdul Cader and commended his
concern for the teaching of English at this school and had told him that he
would recommend appointing a teacher of English to this school. After a few
weeks, M.A. Seyed Abdul Cader had come to know to his dismay that the Education
Officer contrary to his verbal recommendation, had written to the Dept of
Education Kandy, that posting an English teacher to this school was not
necessary. This information astounded Seyed Abdul Cader and met a Higher Officer
at the Education Department Kandy, a Sinhalese gentleman - Mr. Weerakoon, who
took a personal interest in this matter because of
M.A.Seyed Abdul Cader's show of interest and on investigation found the
latter's intentions true and immediately posted an English Teacher to this
School. Thus started the English education at Akurana Government School.
He
also opened a branch of the Ceylon Moors' Association at Neerella. He came in
close contact with Sir Razik Fareed and was able to do lot of service to the
Moors of of Neerella.
Alhaj
Abdul Cader was very pious and was always in the forefront in religious matters
and activities. He had been serving on the Board of Trustees of Akurana
Grand Mosque and as the Trustee of Juffriyathul Quadiriya Thakkiya at Akurana
Town. He performed Haj in 1960.
When
he returned from Makkah after performing Haj he wanted to give vivid information
about performing Haj to would-be Haj pilgrims as to the manner in which they
should perform it. He brought out a book-let containing all the relevant details
in simple language so that anyone could understand it on reading it. He
distributed it free of charge.
One
Muslim who was past his 60's got one of these book-lets and read through it
thoroughly. He was so impressed by the contents that he immediately decided to
perform Haj the following year. He did go for Haj and returned despite his
infirmity and physical weakness. This inspiration of performing Haj, he got
after reading the book-let put out by Alhaj Abdul Cader.
Alhaj
Abdul Cader was very careful in his food habits and strictly followed the
Islamic Law when selecting food. Although he was not a qualified Moulavi, he
possessed a good knowledge of Islamic Law. He also had memorised
"Suras" from the Holy Quran.
As
Muslim ladies had no opportunity of going to the mosque for "Tharaweeh"
prayers he had been conducting these prayers at his home not only for his family
members but also to the families of the neighbourhood He had been conducting
these prayers for more than two decades.
Alhaj
Seyed Abdul Cader breathed his last very peacefully on 12th March
1996. MAY ALMIGHTY ALLAH GRANT HIM JENNATHUL FIRDHOUSE for guiding his children
in the right path and also for his yeomen service to his brethren ,AMEEN .
1 Seyed Abdul Cader Born: 1896at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Died: 1996 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Buried: at: Grand Mosque, Akurana, Sri Lanka + Balkis Umma, Born: at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Died: 27th May, 1998 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Buried: at: Grand Mosque, Akurana, Sri Lanka
2 M Mohamed Zubair, Born: 1933 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka + Fazeena,Born at Colombo, Sri Lanka
3 F Rukshana Zubair
3 F Roshana Zubair
3 M Rishard Zubair
2 M Mohamed Mohideen, Born: 1936 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka + Masooda, born at Galhinna, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 F Madeeha Mohideen, Born: 1971 at: Galhinna, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 M Muzny Mohideen, Born: 1972 at: Galhinna, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 M Muzahir Mohideen, Born: 1981
3 F Mafaza Mohideen, Born: 1983
3 F Maziya Mohideen
2 M Mohamed Mubarak, Born: 1940 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka + Sithy Zahira, born 1951 at Akurana
3 M Rafi Mohamed Mubarak, Born: 1972 at: Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 M Mohamed Rizan Mubarak, Born: 1973 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 F Fathima Ruzmina Mubarak, Born: 1976 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 M Ahamed Razmy Mubarak, Born: 1982 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 M Mohamed Shiham Mubarak, Born: 1985 at: Kandy, Sri Lanka
2 M Mohamed Zuhyle, Born: 1942 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka + Nazly, Born: at: Colombo, Sri Lanka
3 F Nazra Zuhyle, Born: at: Colombo, Sri Lanka
3 F Shazna Zuhyle, Born: 1982 at: Colombo, Sri Lanka
2 F Sithy Fathuma, Born: 1946 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka + Thaha
3 M Fayaz Thaha + Uzmila
3 M Fazil Thaha
3 F Fazeena Thaha
3 F Feroza Thaha + Shiraz Marzook (11)
3 F Fazliya Thaha
3 M Fazal Thaha
3 M Fazahir Thaha
3 M Fahim Thaha
2 F Sithy Zubaida, Born: 1948 at: Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka + Mohamed Hilmy
3 M Riyaz Hilmy, Born:1971 at Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 F Ruzaika Hilmy, Born: 1972 at Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka
3 M Rushdy Hilmy, Born at Akurana, Sri Lanka
3 M Raiz Hilmy, Born at Akurana, Kandy, Sri Lanka