The following is a summary of what is known from Maldivian historical sources about the liberation of the Maldives from Portuguese rule by Muhammed Thakurufaanu of Utheemu.

After capturing Malé, the Portuguese sent missions to various parts of the archipelago. Portuguese rule was brutal and repressive. The looting of property of Maldivians became rampant. The debauchery of the Portuguese became widespread. Devout Muslims in the country were put to death. After years of such oppression, with the grace of the Almighty Allah, Muhammed Thakurufaanu, son of Utheemu Hussain Katheeb Thakurufaanu, resolved to overthrow the Portuguese and liberate the Maldives from the infidels. Thus he consulted his half brother, Ali Thakurufaanu, and his own younger brother, Hassan Thakurufaanu, and the three brothers decided to start a guerilla campaign against the Portuguese and to free the country. Therefore, they built a swift sailing ship, secured weapons and provisions and sailed to Minicoy with their wives and children, and kept their families away from Portuguese clutches. At Minicoy, the three brothers met two masters of martial arts renowned in the use of the spear. They were two Maldivian brothers by the name of Ali Haji and Hassan Haji. When the three brothers from Utheemu shared their ambition with the Haji brothers, they agreed to make common cause with them. They pledged an oath in the name of the Almighty Allah to fight the Portuguese to the end, under the leadership of Muhammed Thakurufaanu. Thereafter, the five of them returned to the Maldives to start their campaign against the Portuguese.

The group led a hit and run guerilla campaign against the Portuguese. They would come ashore at various islands under the cover of the dark, attack and kill the infidels on the islands and leave with provisions before the break of dawn. On one of these raids, while the group was at Thakandhoo, Ali Thakurufaanu fell asleep at his wife's house and failed to join the others when they left just before dawn. In the morning, the Portuguese captured Ali and beheaded him and sent his severed head to Andhiri Andhirin in Malé. His corpse was buried at Thakandhoo. Muslims at Malé somehow stole the martyr's head and buried it at Funadhoo.