The reason, according to these sources, was that he was no ordinary run-of-the mill kateeb. He was a member of the Hilaaly family that still commanded immense prestige all over the Maldives. There is ample evidence in the oral tradition as related by Buraara, that the prestige and power enjoyed by the Thakurufans of Utheem were far beyond those of mere provincial officials. The following are some of the evidence. The following are some of the poits taken from Buraara.

1. The Thakurufans of Uteem seem to take precedence of order over the Viyazor, Andiri Andirin’s atoluverin in Baararh, the administrative capital of the four atolls to the North of Malé. For example when the atoluverin visited their residence in Uteem, his hosts did not stand up to receive him and was always offered the bodu-arhi and his hosts sat on the kuda-arhi.
   
   On the other hand when the Uteem Thakurufans called at the residence of the atoluverin, he always stood up to receive them and offered them the kuda-arhi.
   
   (In the traditional Maldives domestic reception room, there were three platforms. Looking from the outside door, along the right wall was the bodu-arhi, about 50 centimetres high. Along part of the left wall was the kuda-arhi, also about 50 centimetres high. Both had built-in storage under them and were overlaid with fine mats and sqwabs. Across on the far wall was a lower platform called the tiri-arhi, also overlaid with mats. On top of the tiri-arhi was a couch called dimaa-endu overlaid with a thick mattress, sqwabs, pillows and printed linen sheets. Between the tiri-arhi and the kuda-arhi were a table and a chair. The place of most honour was the dimaa-endu, which was seldom used, followed by the kuda-arhi and then the bodu-arhi.)
   
   
2. To the chagrin of officials in Malé, Andiri Andirin ordered the poll tax from the island of Utheem to be waived, as soon as he assumed the regency.
   
   
3. The Viyazor atoluverin was under strict orders from Andiri Andirin to entertain all requests of the Thakurufan brothers. Soon after Mohamed Thakurufan married Sitti Maavaa Rani Kilegefan he and his brothers were banned from entering Malé, even though their other privileges were not curtailed.
   
   The Viyazor atoluverin was married to Kambaa Aysha Rani Kilegefan, widow of Ali VI, aunt of King Manoel, and daughter of Mohamed the Black and Burecca. Sitti Maavaa Rani Kilegefan was her daughter from Ali VI. The ban from Malé was unlikely to be related to the fact that Mohamed Thakurufan was married to a daughter of the vanquished sultan.
   
   Andiri Andirin did not regard as threats, Sultan Ali’s son and two daughters from a commoner, who continued to live in Malé. Sultan Ali was not a Hilaaly. Although the realm was governed in the name of Manoel, who was a Hilaaly, the Uteem Thakurufans who were also Hilaalys were regarded as contenders to the throne and a threat to the security of the realm.
   
   It was unlikely that simple kateebs of far-flung islands would have been regarded as threats to the security of the realm.
   
   
4. While there were hardly any Moslems left in many of the neighbouring islands, no attempt was made to evangelise in Uteem. When the Uteem Thakurufans called on their father’s uncle, the Eduru Kaleygefan of Nolivaranfaru, the latter always told them to keep their voices down, as he and his wife were the only Moslems left on the island.
   
   
5. Prior to the Utheem brothers taking up arms against the regime in Malé, Thuffarhanaa Thakuru, son of Andiri Andirin’s treasurer Midu Thakuru, petitioned for the heads of Mohamed Thakurufan and his brother Hassan. Andiri Andirin ignored the petition for over a year before granting it.
   
   Clearly those in power in Malé regarded the Uteem Thakurufans as a real threat.
   
   
6. Long before his marriage to Sitti Maavaa Rani Kilegefan, Mohamed Thakurufan and many others believed that he had a right to the throne in Malé.
   
   His first marriage was to Rehendiya Goyye, daughter of Cat Fatima of Borhi Forest, a woman of immensely humble means from Baararh. On the night of the wedding, which took place in the woods of Baararh in secrecy, Rehendiya Goyye supposedly gave seven leaves of the betel vine to Mohamed Thakurufan, twelve leaves to the chief witness and thirteen leaves to the second witness.
   
   Mohamed Thakurufan commented to the witnesses that Rehendiya Goyye was making a statement with the numbers of leaves. Thirteen stood for thirteen thousand islands, the legendary number of islands in the Maldives. Twelve stood for twelve atolls and seven stood for the royal parasol – a symbol of the Maldive sovereigns in the same way as the crown is the symbol of the monarch in many other countries.
   
   The word for the royal parasol (haiy) is the same in Maldivian as that for the number seven.