Imamul Aroos (1816–1898) also known Quthubu zamaan Mappillai Lebbai Alim was scholar, writer, poet, preacher and reformer.
[4] Imaul Aroos memorized Al-Quran before the age of ten and he studied Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Tasawwuf and Islamic history and other fundamental religious under his father.
Imamul Aroos inherited the Arusiyyah Madrasah (seminary) from his father-in-law, Shaikh 'Abd al-Qādir al-Kirkari, he renovated the library and amassed a wide collection of manuscripts.
[6] Imamul Aroos who had earlier visited to Sri Lanka as businessman was pained to see the pathetic condition in which the Muslims of the Island had been placed as a result of the oppressive rules of Europeans.
The display of oratorical and literary talents of a very high degree by this non-Arab, caused astonishment to the Arab intelligentsia.
[12] The people of Sri Lanka are well aware that traveling to the remote places such as Marichikkaddi and Karadikkuli even in these days with modern transportation is very tiresome and dangerous, as the area is infested with wild animals and the roads are very difficult to track through.
But, Imamul Arus managed to visit even such remote and dangerous areas 150 years ago and constructed mosques and schools in those desolate villages.