Panakkad Syed Mohammedali Shihab Ba-Alawi Al-Hussainy (Malayalam: പാണക്കാട് മുഹമ്മദലി ശിഹാബ് തങ്ങള്) (May 4, 1936 – August 1, 2009) was a Muslim religious leader and politician from Kerala, and one of the most famous Islamic scholars from the Indian state of Kerala. He was the President of the Kerala state committee of the Indian Union Muslim League. Shihab Thangal was a member of the Thangal family, who are of Yemeni Arab lineage and are believed to be descendants of the Muhammad.
Shihab Thangal was born as the eldest son of Panakkad Syed Ahmed
Pookoya Thangal, who was a renowned Islamic leader of Kerala. He had his
primary education at the M.M. High School, Calicut.
He continued his religious education at Thalakkadathur and Kananchery
Dars under Ponmala Moideen Musliar. In 1958, he left for Egypt for further studies and obtained his master's degree in Arabic literature from Al Azhar University in 1961. He continued his studies in Cairo University and pursued a Doctorate in Arabic Literature in 1966.After spending about eight years in Egypt he returned home in 1966.
In 1967, Thangal married Shareefa Fathima Beevi, daughter of Syed Abdur Rahman Bafaqui Thangal, one of the founder leaders of the Muslim League.After her death in 2006, he married Aysha Beevi. Thangal had two sons: Syed Basheerali Shihab Thangal and Syed Munavarali Shihab Thangal and four younger brothers: Sayed Umerali Shihab Thangal, Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal, Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal and Syed Abbasali Shihab Thangal.
