My grandfather

 My grandfather Tuan Arifin Jayah: The Silent Architect of a Legacy  

Though he dwells in the shadow of his illustrious brother—Dr. T.B. Jayah, a revered national hero—Tuan Arifin Jayah stands not as a mere footnote in history, but as an unassuming yet foundational force, the quiet architect upon whose virtues a dynasty was built. His life, though sparsely chronicled, resonates through generations as a testament to the power of silent devotion.  

Born into a noble lineage, Arifin was the cherished son of Cassim Jayah, himself the direct descendant of Raden Thurtho Perma Jayah (Aide-de-camp to the King of Java and one of the 24 Noblemen deported by the Dutch Government to Ceylon in 1747)

 His mother, Sithy Maimoona Sourjah (Jayanona), nurtured the roots from which this remarkable family flourished.

 Through his union with Nona Sulaiya Packeer—the eldest daughter of Osman Packeer and Ayesha Joonus—Arifin cultivated a family whose legacy would endure beyond the confines of time.  

Though his professional life saw him as a respected Manager at Mackinon Mackenzie & Co. Ltd., it was within the sacred halls of Colombo’s Muslim library that his spirit found its truest sanctuary. He was a devoted seeker of divine wisdom, immersing himself in the boundless wealth of sacred texts, his piety a quiet yet unwavering beacon. Much of his personal narrative has faded with time, yet the Family Tree, painstakingly compiled by his son Murad, in the late 1965, stands as a bridge across the forgotten years, offering glimpses into his enduring legacy.  

The depth of Arifin’s influence is most profoundly revealed in the pages of his brother’s diary, where grief cascades through every line upon his sudden passing on King’s Birthday, the 2nd of June, 1943:  

"The shock of brother T.A. passing suddenly was received from Murad Jayah …. We all rushed in Dr Kaleel’s car. I felt it most. My early educational success was entirely due to him. He used to get up in the early hours of the morning and get me to work. It was all the more sad because there was some estrangement between the two families. Arrangements were promptly made according to Muslim requirements & news published through the radio, evening paper, messages & telegrams. It was a largely attended funeral & he found his last resting place at Jawatte” .The entry ends with a sad note “Poor Murad’s examination” because he was then reading for his B.Sc exam which was to be held about that time. 

Within these words lies the unspoken truth: Arifin was no bystander to greatness but its unseen, unsung architect—the silent dawn-watcher who nurtured his brother’s ascent, even as his own brilliance remained veiled in quiet dignity.  

Yet his truest legacy resides in the children and descendants who bore witness to his unwavering convictions. In his sons and daughters—Zahira, Rasheed, Rahila, Fareena, Hisham, Murad, and Chintaree—his devotion blossomed into an inheritance of faith, intellect, and integrity. 

His commitment to wisdom shaped their paths. His sons first embraced the sacred teachings of the Madarasas of Slave Island, under the guidance of erudite scholars such as Guru Noan Joonus Alim, before stepping into the halls of Zahira College, Maradana, where Dr. Jayah himself mentored them. His daughters, meanwhile, imbibed knowledge at the local Bilingual Missionary School, their education a bridge to both faith and intellect.  

From this foundation emerged a lineage of extraordinary achievement: six Hippocratic oath-takers, alongside engineers, lawyers, educators, and stewards of commerce. More profoundly, they became devoted preservers of sacred Quranic knowledge, adherents and seekers of prophetic emulation. Their lives bore testimony to his quiet yet indelible influence.  

In contrast to his brother’s public eminence—the statesman whose voice resonated in august forums—Arifin was the still, deep well, drawn more to the whispered wisdom of library scrolls than the clamoring pursuit of acclaim. He held no formal titles, yet his legacy is imprinted upon the very character of those who carry his blood—a generation distinguished by piety, wisdom, duty, loyalty, and honesty.  

His spirit lingers in the unity his children cherished—a tapestry of love woven through their homes in Maradana, Slave Island, Kolannawa, and Hunupitiya, where visits among siblings were constant and affectionate. It breathes in the fragrant steam of Nasi Kuning, rising from their annual Mawloods and Asurahs, where beneath Grand Dame Sulaiya’s presiding grace, the family gathered—siblings, spouses, and twenty-six grandchildren—to recite sacred verse and partake in a banquet of Nasi Kebuli, Daging Masak & Goreng, Kaliya, Kola Curry, Sukung Goreng, Achar, and Firni with Pisang Emas, a symphony of Malay tradition interwoven with deep Islamic reverence.  

It whispers in the names bestowed upon his descendants—Rasheed, Razack, Malik, Shafee, Khaliq, drawn from Allah’s Beautiful Names; Amina, Fathima, Ayesha, Sumaiya, Hamza, Hussain, Omar, Ousman, Hisham, Tariq echoing the Prophet’s household and valiant companions, Luqman, Sulaiman, Yakoob, Haroon,Yusoof, Imran, chosen from prominent characters in the Quran —a living testament to his enduring sanctity.  

Though time has altered the vibrant pulse of Saunders Court, Slave Island, the cherished cradle of Malay-Islamic heritage where his journey began, and though his expansive lineage—seven children, twenty-six grandchildren—finds fewer echoes in today’s more modest family structures, his essence remains undiminished.  

Tuan Arifin Jayah was the unheralded architect, the quiet gardener whose seeds of faith, integrity, and familial devotion blossomed into a forest of achievement and piety. His monument is not carved in stone, but inscribed in the noble lives of those who carry his values—an everlasting testament to the extraordinary legacy of a life guided by quiet purpose and profound, unyielding grace.