Abdul Wahid Bengali
Shaykh al-Kul Abdul Wahid Bengali | |
|---|---|
| Title | Munazer-e-Islam, Mujahid-e-Azam, Olikul Shiromoni |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1850 Kharandwip,Boalkhali,Chittagong District |
| Died | 1905 (aged 54–55) |
| Resting place | Munshipara, Kharandwip,Boalkhali |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
| Main interest(s) | Hadith,fiqh,tasawwuf |
| Notable work(s) | Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam |
| Alma mater | Darul Uloom Deoband |
| Muslim leader | |
Students | |
Influenced | |
| Arabic name | |
| Personal(Ism) | ʿAbd al-Wāḥid عبد الحميد |
| Patronymic(Nasab) | ibn Zīnat ʿAlī بن زينة علي |
| Epithet(Laqab) | Shaykh al-Kul شیخ الکل |
| Toponymic(Nisba) | al-Bangālī البنغالي |
| Part ofa serieson the |
| Deobandi movement |
|---|
 |
| Ideology and influences |
| Founders and key figures |
|
| Notable institutions |
| Centres (markaz) of Tablighi Jamaat |
| Associated organizations |
ʿAbd al-Wāḥid Bengālī(Bengali:আব্দুল ওয়াহেদ বাঙ্গালী;c. 1850–1905) was a 19th-century Muslim theologian, teacher and social reformer. He was one of the initiators of theDeobandi movementintoBengal,and co-foundedAl-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islamin 1896.
Early life and family[edit]
Abdul Wahid was born in 1268Hijri(1851—1852 CE), to aBengali Muslimfamily in the village of Haola in Kharandwip,Boalkhali,Chittagong District,Bengal Presidency.His father,ShaykhMoulviZinat Ali, was amunsef(local judge) at a court in Kaukhali,Rangunia.[2][3]Ali was fluent in Bengali, English,Arabic,PersianandUrdu.[4]
Education[edit]
Abdul Wahid initially studied with his father, Zinat Ali, before joining the Sarwatali High School. In addition to Bengali, he became proficient in Urdu too. He stayed in this school until class 8, when he realised the importance of studying theQuran,Hadithand the Arabic language after reading a book in Urdu. Instead of proceeding with the colonial education system that taught English, Abdul Wahid turned towards Arabic. In response, people close to him began to mock him. However, he was certain in his goals and left his village forCalcutta,where his father's friend lived. He expressed his desire of learning Arabic to his father's friend. The man then wrote a letter to Zinat Ali of his son's situation and desire and Abdul Wahid was subsequently enrolled at theMuhsinia MadrasainChittagong.[2]
In Deoband[edit]
His neighbours continued to criticise the fact that the son of a judge was studying Arabic. Eventually, Abdul Wahid set off forNorth Indiawithout telling anyone and joined theDarul Uloom Deoband.In Deoband, he dedicated his time to religious studies to such a level that he would often not reply to letters that he received from home.[citation needed]
He had enrolled at the prestigious seminary only 5–6 years after its establishment. He was one of the only two students ofQasim NanautaviandYaqub Nanautawithat were from eastern Bengal at the time.[5]The other student was Ubaydul Hakim, who also belonged to the village of Kharandwip. After 14 years at Deoband, Abdul Wahid graduated from the Faculty of Hadith (Masters).[6][7]
After both of them completed their formal education at Deoband, the two expressed their desire to studytasawwufunder Qasim Nanautavi. Nanautavi instead directed them towardsImdadullah Muhajir Makki.However, after he migrated toMecca,they pledgedbay'ahtoFazlur Rahman Ganj-e-Muradabadi.They spent an additional two years under him, eventually gainingkhilafah(spiritual succession). At that time Abdul Wahid received a letter from his mother mentioning that his father had died. His mother urged him to return home, thus Abdul Wahid returned to Bengal after 16 years.[8]
Personal life[edit]
His mother arranged for a marriage fearing that Abdul Wahid might move abroad again. He was engaged to a noblewoman from Kadalpur inRaozan.In this marriage, Abdul Wahid had one daughter, Shakirah Khatun, and two sons, Sulayman and Ayyub. However, Abdul Wahid felt that his wife was not religiously devoted. After he failed in repeatedly trying to persuade her to become more practicing, he returned her to her parents' home. From there, he did not return to his home but rather set off to the home of his close friendSufi Azizur Rahmanin Babunagar,Fatikchhari.[9]
Abdul Wahid's second marriage occurred through the assistance of Sufi Azizur Rahman. He married a woman fromNazirhatand temporary leased some land from a man to the west of the Dhurang canal in Babunagar. He had a daughter with this wife.[8]
Career[edit]
After returning to Bengal, Abdul Wahid started atupibusiness inChittagong.[5]He also began teachingIslamic studiesin the village ofBabunagaralong withSufi Azizur Rahman.In 1896, the two co-foundedAl-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul IslaminHathazarialong withHabibullah QurayshiandAbdul Hamid Madarshahi.Abdul Wahid became a teacher oftajwidat the madrasa. In 1908, he began teachingKutub al-Sittahat the madrasa.[8]
Death and legacy[edit]
He died in 1905, at the age of 55. Hisjanazawas performed by Habibullah Qurayshi and he was buried in his paternal graveyard (now known as al-Maqbarah al-Wahidiyyah) in Munshipara, Kharandwip. To the east of his grave, amadrasawas established in his name as Wahidia Madrasa. Among his biographers, Mawlana Jafar Sadiq is notable.[13]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^al-Kumillai, Muhammad Hifzur Rahman (2018).كتاب البدور المضية في تراجم الحنفية(in Arabic).Cairo,Egypt:Dar al-Salih.
- ^abHafiz, Ahmadullah; Hasan, Ahmad (May 2016).Alhillul Mufham Asshahihu limuslim - Allama Mufti Hafej Ahmodullah Sahebমাশায়েখে চাটগাম — ১ম খণ্ড[Great sheikhs of Chittagong Volume 1] (in Bengali) (3 ed.). Ahmad Prakashan. pp. 29–68.ISBN978-984-92106-4-1.
- ^Islam, Amirul (2012).সোনার বাংলা হীরার খনি ৪৫ আউলিয়ার জীবনী[Golden Bengal's mines of diamonds 45 biographies of holy men] (in Bengali). Kohinur Library. pp. 205–213.
- ^Ubaydul Haq, Muhammad (2017).বাংলাদেশের পীর আওলিয়াগণ[Saints and holy men of Bangladesh] (in Bengali). Madina Publications. p. 39.
- ^abMawlana Nur Muhammad Azmi. "2.2 বঙ্গে এলমে হাদীছ" [2.2 Knowledge of Hadith in Bengal].হাদীছের তত্ত্ব ও ইতিহাস[Information and history of Hadith] (in Bengali). Emdadia Library. p. 24.
- ^Nizampuri, Ashraf Ali (2013).The Hundred (বাংলা মায়ের একশ কৃতিসন্তান)[The Hundred (100 glorious children of Mother Bengal)] (1 ed.). Salman Prakashani. pp. 19–23.ISBN978-112009250-2.
- ^Babunagari, Junaid(2003).দারুল উলুম হাটহাজারীর কতিপয় উজ্জ্বল নক্ষত্র(in Bengali) (1 ed.). Bukhari Academy. p. 10.
- ^abcBijnuri, Azizur Rahman (1967).তাজকিরায়ে মাশায়েখে দেওবন্দ[Remembrance of the scholars of Deoband] (in Bengali). Idara-e-Madani Darut Talif; Maktaba-e-Taha. pp. 111–127.OCLC19927541.
- ^Jafar, Abu (2017).ভারতীয় উপমহাদেশের সুফি-সাধক ও ওলামা মাশায়েখ[Sufi saints and scholars of the Indian subcontinent] (in Bengali). Mina Book House. p. 68.ISBN9789849115465.
- ^Kabir, Humayun (December 2009). "Replicating the Deobandi model of Islamic schooling: the case of aQuomi madrasain a district town of Bangladesh ".Contemporary South Asia.17(4): 415–428.doi:10.1080/09584930903275884.S2CID145197781.
- ^Singh, Nagendra Kr., ed. (2003).Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh(1st ed.). New Delhi, India: Anmol Publications. p. 259.ISBN8126113901.
- ^"NBR Reports"(PDF).
With its impeccableDeobandicredentials, Hathazari madrasa ranks among the top ten madrasas in thesubcontinentin terms of its academic standards and reputation.
- ^Attar, Fariduddin (2013).তাযকিরাতুল আউলিয়া[Remembrance of the holy men] (in Bengali). Siddiqia Publications. pp. 478–481.ISBN978-9848910559.