The Muslims of Sri Lanka: The Maldivian Connection
Author(s)
Mahroof, M. M. M.
Abstract
Sri Lankan Muslims have had a long connection with the Maldives, an archipelago located southwest of Sri Lanka. The people of the Maldives speak Divehi, which appears to be a Sinhalese dialect that is written in Arabic script. In the 14th century Ibn Battutah identified the area as an Islamic state. While the Maldives enjoyed an Arabic-oriented Islamic orthodoxy that was Shafeite, the Muslims of Sri Lanka were influenced by the Sufi brotherhoods of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North India. In the 20th century English has served as the language of communication between the Maldivians and Sri Lankan Muslims and has facilitated the development of trade between them. Sri Lankan Muslims have found employment in the Maldives in education, medicine, and other professions.
