Thangals

The Thangals (also spelled Tangals) are a social group[3] among the Muslims of Kerala, south India.

[1] The Thangals are often regarded as roughly equivalent to the more general Sayyids or Sharifs, or descendants of Muhammad, of the wider Islamic culture.

[4][5] The Thangal families are numerous in Kerala, all receive recognition, but some are considered as saints.

[2] The Thangal identification brings much 'reverence and attention' in the Kerala Muslim community (which predominantly identifies with Shafi'i madhab).

[3] Shihab, Mashoor, Hirdh, Bafaqi, Jifri, Jamalullayli are some of major Thangal families have many gradations of status on social and economic scale.