Panakkad Muhammad Ali Shihab Thangal

Sayed Muhammad Ali Shihab Thangal (Malayalam: സയ്യിദ് മുഹമ്മദലി ഷിഹാബ് തങ്ങൾ) (4 May 1936 – 1 August 2009) was an Indian Islamic scholar, community leader, and politician from Kerala. He is sometimes regarded as "the most important Mappila leader" of modern Kerala.

Born in the Hadhrami-origin Thangal Pukkoya family of Panakkad. Shihab Thangal also functioned as the president of the Kerala state committee of the Indian Union Muslim League (1975 - 2009).

Shihab Thangal had his primary education at Panakkad and at M. M. High School, Kozhikode (matriculation).

Higher education in Egypt In 1958, Shihab Thangal left for Egypt for further studies and obtained his master's degree in Arabic Literature from Al-Azhar University in 1961.

Shihab Thangal was well versed in English and French. On return to Kerala, the thangal married Sharifa Fatima Beevi, daughter of Sayed Ba Faqih Thangal. He was behind the proposal to start another campus of Aligarh Muslim University in Kerala. thumb Shihab Thangal died on 1 August 2009 following a cardiac arrest.