YUSUF LEBBE IDROOS LEBBE MARIKAR Hajiar

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Yusuf Lebbe Idroos Lebbe Marikar Hajiar was General Merchant and Landed Proprietor. He was the Trustee of the Grand Mosque and had donated a valuable property in Pettah for the Mosque.

His male ascendants in reverse chronological order are:- Yusuf Lebbe (Jemmi) - Uduma Lebbe - Idroos Lebbe (Batiar) - Ismail Lebbe.

His ancestors migrated to Colombo from Weligama. He had four sons and one daughter as follows:- Idroos Lebbe Marikar Haji - Muhammad Lebbe Marikar Haji - Sinne Lebbe Marikar Haji - Marikar Haji - and Mrs. Wappu Marikar Haji.

Idroos Lebbe Marikar Haji had two sons and a daughter by his first marriage to Fathumuthu Natchia. They were, Noordeen Hajiar (Saapu Wappa), Mohideen Hajiar and Zulaikha. He also had four sons and two daughters by his second marriage to S.M. Assena Natchia. They were, Sulaima Lebbe Haji, YYusuf, Abdul Rahman, Abdul Hameed, Amsa and Safia.

I.L.M. Noordeen Hajiar succeeded his father Idroos Lebbe Marikar as Trustee of the Grand Mosque in 1900 and donated properties in Hultsdorf for the upkeep of the Mosque. he built the Hameedia School building, within the grounds of the Colombo Grand Mosque, at his own personal cost and named it after Sultan Hameed of Turkey. He took an active part in public life and was a member of the Fez Committee.

During the early stages of the first Great War (WW-I), 1914-1918, he would, with the aid of a wall map of Europe and Asia hung in his office room at "Muirburn", Turret Road, Colombo 3, where he lived with his son-in-law, S.L.Naina Marikar Hajiar, intensely follow the the fortunes of Turkey in the battle field.

Noordeen Hajiar had some knowledge of Unani medicine and would practice it on his family. There was a favourite decoction of his made from shoe flowers which was frequently given to the children.

He was stern disciplinarian who drilled in religion to his children and grand-children who invariably attained high proficiency in the recital of the Quran.

His eldest son, H.N.H. Jalaludeen Hajiar was one of the few Ceylon Moors who qualified as a Hafiz, at that time, and also accompanied his father on piligrimage to Makkah and at the Masjid-un-Nabaviya in Madinah where he had the rare privilege of reciting from memory, at a single stretch, the full thirty chapters of the Holy Quran. Jaludeen Hajiar was a bosom pal of Haji Muhammad Macan Markar Effendi and inspite of his illness worked actively and whole-heartedly in 1924 for the election of his friend as first member for the all-Island seat in the Legislative Council. His sons are Thahir, Maruzook, Mohideen and YYusuf and his daughters are Noorul Hidaya, Sithy Fathuma, and Ummul Khair.

The eldest daughter of Noordeen Hajiar - Zohara Umma - married S.L.Naina-Marikar Hajiar while the youngest daughter - Ummu Nafeesa - married N.D.H. Abdul Caffoor Hajiar and the intervening daughter - Ummu Su’ooda - married I.L.M. Abdul Cader. His youngest son, Mohideen married Haseena Umma, daughter of P.T. Meera Lebbe.

Noordeen Hajiar seemed to have known the exact moment of his death. He took his ablutions meant for prayer (Wudhu), prayed two rakaats and the laid himself to rest on his bed in the direction of the Ka’aba. He brought his arms across his waist in the position of prayer (Thakbir) while reciting "Allahu Akbar" before breathing his last.

I.L.M.H. Mohideen Hajiar was a full brother of Noordeen Hajiar. He was a crockery merchant, equally philanthrophic and pious. He was also the Trustee of the Colombo Grand Mosque. He married Safiya Umma - granddaughter of Sekadi Marikar Cassie Lebbe Marikar (Mudaliyar). He had five sons, Gheyas Mohideen, Ghouse Mohideen (also Trustee of Grand Mosque), Zahir, Lahir, Abdul Hai, and Idroos, His daughters were, Faleela (mother of Ummu Jamala), Jameela (mother of M.I.A.Azeez - Engineer, Electrical Department and A.A.M. Thowfeek), Juwaila and Hafila.Their sister, Zulaikha, who married S.L. Abdul Rahman, had five sons and three daughters, one of whom was Ummu Suroora, mother of Ahmed Salih Abul Mawahib.