History has shown that Malay Nationalism originated during the three decades of the 20th. Century and that it was rooted in Islamic teaching.

During this period of almost 30 years, many young Ulamaks received Islamic education in the Middle East and were influenced by the Islamic Revival there. In Malaya, through writings based on religion but also critical of society, they sowed the ideas and the sprit of revivalism ( particularly among conservative Ulamaks ), and spread noble Islamic teachings, principaples and faith. Into this same context, they planted the ideas of patriotism, raised the spirit of opposition to the shackles of foreign colonialism, struggled for the emancipation of women and called on Malays to acquire knowledge, to be aware and work hard to improve economic conditions to the level enjiyed by Non - Malays, which existed then and which were considered obstacles to the mental development of Malays in this country.

The official mouth - piece of their struggle was the magazine AL- IMAM.

The religious revivalists among the youths had a progressive revolutionary and liberal outlook. Among their leader's ware men like Sheikh Tabir Jalaluddin Al - Falaki, Syed Sheikh Al - Hadi, Sheikh Muhamad Salim Al - Khalili, Syed Muhamad Ibnu Akil, Sheikh Awad bin Saedan dan Haji Abbas bin Mohd. Taha.

The struggle they waged through their writings, which shaped and planted the seeds of nationalist spirit among the Malays, were extremely important for the development and the changes which occurred in national politics during the decades leading to independence.