Islamic education in southern Thailand has traditionally been based on the Kitab Kuning or Kitab Jawi (classical Malay religious literature written in Jawi script by Patani scholars), and “the ideas passed in these texts and explanation pursued orally by scholars have tremendous impact on their followers: for a simple reason, the widespread [sic] of their use and the nature of teacherstudent ties in religious circles”. These Kitab, authored by Patani scholars out of both Mecca and Patani in the nineteenth century, were written to provide instruction in Islamic subjects for students who were not conversant in Arabic. Because the standard of Arabic remains generally weak among the Muslim student population in southern Thailand, these texts remain in circulation today and form critical parts of the curriculum. From the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, Patani was an established centre for the dissemination of Islamic knowledge through the efforts of presses such as Patani and Nahdi Press. While their publishers’ output has declined somewhat over the years, some such as the Saudara Press continue to reproduce the writings and publications of prominent Pattani Islamic scholars.

The writings of traditional scholars such as Abu Hamid Muhammad Al- Ghazzali (1058–1111) and Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani (1230–1314) have long dominated Patani scholarship and instruction on fiqh (jurisprudence), aqidah (theology), tassawuf (spirituality), and ethics. Correspondingly, Patani ulama played an instrumental role in editing, translating, and authenticating these works for use in Islamic schools throughout Southeast Asia. Beyond this, prolific local luminaries such as Sheikh Daud Al-Fatani, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fatani, and Sheikh Wan Muhammad Ismail Al-Fatani were known also for their own works of Islamic scholarship which continue to be used in Islamic schools across the Malay world today. The more popular works from this genre include Faridatul-Fara'id (on Ash'arite theology) by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fatani, Aqidatul-Najin (on Ash'arite theology) by Sheikh Zain al-‘Abidin Al-Fatani, and several titles by Sheikh Daud Al-Fatani, namely Munyatul- Musalli (on fiqh concerning prayer), Furu’ al-Masa'il (on fiqh concerning advanced fatwa or legal opinion), Bughyatu't-Tullab (fiqh on Shafi'i spiritual devotions), and Kashf al-Litham (fiqh on Shafi'i jurisprudence).

As highlighted in the previous chapter, early reformist influence mostly centred on the works by Muhammad Abduh and Jamaluddin al-Afghani that became popular among the Patani ulama and Muslim intelligentsia in the early twentieth century.