Nagore Esmail Mohammed Hanifa (25 December 1919 – 8 April 2015) was a Tamil Muslim lyricist, playback singer and politician.

Esmail Mohammed Hanifa, born on 25 December 1919 in Vellipattinam, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu.

his maternal great-grandfather Muthu Rowther was a Armory Custodian and Guardian of the Kingdom of Ramnad.

[4][5] Hanifa, who spent his early childhood in his mother’s hometown of Ramanathapuram, later went to work for his paternal uncle Abu Bakr Rowther in Tiruvarur.

It was during this period, in his early teenage years, that he struck up a friendship with Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who was gaining a reputation for oratory even as a schoolboy[6][5] Nagore Hanifa penned many devotional songs independently which are widely used in Tamil Nadu, during festivals and marriages.