Do Islamic texts support caste stratification? Kafa’a and endogamy among Malabar Muslims

This article examines the intricate relationship between Islamic legal texts and the concept of kafa’a, or marital compatibility, within the Muslim community of Malabar, Kerala. Focusing on Fath ul-Mu’in, a seminal Shafiʿi text authored by Zainudin bin Abdul Aziz al-Malibari, the study argues that the uncritical application of kafa’a, particularly in a caste-stratified society, risks reinforcing occupational hierarchies and perpetuating historically dominant views of certain professions as ‘lowly’ or ‘impure’. The prevalence of kafa’a rules in Shafiʿi jurisprudence, especially as interpreted through widely revered texts like Fath ul-Mu’in, provides moral and religious justification for practices aligned with the sociological principle of homogamy. By interrogating these doctrinal foundations, the paper challenges the conventional perception of a ‘casteless’ Islam and calls for a more nuanced understanding of social stratification within Muslim societies through both religious and sociological lenses.