Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique

Mujaddid-e-Zamān Amīr-e-Sharīʿat
Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique
Pīr Ṣāḥeb Furfura
Shrine of Abu Bakr Siddique
Shrine of Abu Bakr Siddique
Personal
Born(1845-04-15)15 April 1845
Furfura, Hooghly district, Bengal Presidency
Died17 March 1939(1939-03-17) (aged 93)
Resting placeFurfura Sharif
ReligionIslam
Children5 sons
Parents
  • Abdul Muqtadir Siddique (father)
  • Muhabbatun Nisa Begum (mother)
DenominationSunni
JurisprudenceHanafi
Notable work(s)Ilm Ma'refat and Service of Shari'ah
Alma materHooghly Madrasah
RelativesAbbas Siddiqui (great-grandson)
Nawsad Siddique great-grandson)
OrderFurfura Sharif
Muslim leader
TeacherJamaluddin, Bilayet, Amin Ridwan
SuccessorAbdul Hai Siddique
Disciple ofFateh Ali Waisi
Disciples
Students
Influenced by

Moḥammad Abū Bakr Ṣiddīque al-Qurayshī (15 April 1845 – 17 March 1939) was a Bengali Islamic scholar and the inaugural Pir of Furfura Sharif in West Bengal.[2] He is regarded by his followers, who are scattered across eastern India and Bangladesh,[3][4] as a mujaddid (reviver) of Islam in the region, due to his significant contributions in religious propagation via the establishment of mosques and madrasas, publication of newspapers and education development in neglected areas.[5] He was the founding president of the sociopolitical Anjuman-i-Wazin-i-Bangla organisation,[6] which advocated for causes such as the Khilafat Movement and Pakistan Movement.[7][8] Siddique died in 1943, and his shrine is greatly venerated as one of West Bengal's most prominent Sufi centres.[9][10]

Early life and family

Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique was born on 15 April 1845, to a Bengali Muslim family in the village of Furfura, located in Hooghly district.[11] His father, Haji Abdul Muqtadir Siddiqui, was a mawlana. The family was believed to have been descendants of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam and a member of the Banu Taym clan, part of the Arab tribe of Quraysh.[12] Their ancestor, Mansur Baghdadi, left Baghdad in the Abbasid Caliphate in 741 AH (1340 CE) and settled in a village now known as Mollapara in Hooghly district, in the erstwhile Sultanate of Bengal. Mansur's descendant, Haji Mustafa Madani, pledged bay'ah along with Emperor Aurangzeb to Masum Sirhindi, the third son of Ahmad Sirhindi. Some letters of correspondence between Madani and Sirhindi are preserved in the Maktubat-e-Masumia in Rauza Sharif, Sirhind, and were published by Abdul Halim Arambagi in his biography of Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique. In 1667, Emperor Aurangzeb gifted Madani tax-free land and an estate which included a mosque, and the area was named after him as Madanipur (Midnapore).[13]

Siddique's father died when he was nine months old, and so he was raised by his mother, Mohabbat-un-Nesa Begum.[13]

Education

His childhood education started at home around 1850. After learning basic Islamic knowledge, he enrolled in a local primary school and intended to begin teaching non-islamic subjects including English. One night as a child, he dreamed that the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, was advising him to abandon this teaching.[14] He then left this education and joined Sitapur Madrassah, an ancient educational institution (established in 1772) near Furfura. After completing his primary education here, he took first place in the then highest Jamaat-e-Ula class from Mohsinia Madrasa in Hooghly city.[15][16]

The Nakhoda Mosque of Kolkata, where Siddique studied.

Then went to Calcutta city and enrolled in Jamaluddin Education Center in the then Sinduria Patti Masjid (now Kalutla, Kolkata). There, Hafez studied Hadith, Tafsir and Fiqh under Jamaluddin Mungeri. Hafez Jamal Uddin was the caliph of Syed Ahmad Barelvi.[17][18][19] He then studied Hikmah and philosophy under Nazar Shah Belayati from Firangi Mahal.[20][15] He stayed at the Nakhoda Mosque while studying with Belayati.[21]

After completing his formal education, he researched various aspects of Islam for 18 years.[22][23] During this time he established his own library, where there were many rare books.[24] The library is currently attached to the Furfura title madrasa he founded.[25] In 1892 he traveled to Mecca and Medina. During his stay in Medina, he obtained the certificate of 40 Hadith books from the Muhaddith Syed Mohammad Amin Ibn Ahmad.[26][24][27][28]

Contribution to education

He established 1100 madrassahs and 700 mosques.[7] The Madrassahs he established in his village became one of India's leading educational institutions, and even Haji Shariatullah, the founder of the Faraizi movement in East Bengal, came to this village to learn Arabic and Persian.[3] He was a member of the managing committee of Calcutta Alia Madrassah in 1928.

Hadith studies

M. Obaidul (1903-1984), principal of Feni Alia Madrassah in Bangladesh, said about him,

"ইলমে জাহের ব্যতীত আল্লাহ তাকে ইলমে লাদুন্নিও (আল্লাহ প্রদত্ত বিশেষ জ্ঞান) প্রদান করেছিলেন। তিনি ফলে কুরআন, হাদিস ও ফিকহের, ও ইসলামের মারেফতি শিক্ষার গভীরে জ্ঞান অর্জন করেছিলেন। বিশেষ করে তিনি হাদিস শাস্ত্রে অভূতপূর্ব জ্ঞান অর্জন করেছিলেন, যার জ্ঞান সারা উপমহাদেশে ছড়িয়ে পরেছে।

In addition to ilme jahr, Allah also bestowed upon him ilme ladunni (special knowledge given by God). He consequently acquired profound knowledge of the Qur'an, hadith and jurisprudence, and the teachings of Islam. In particular, he acquired an unprecedented knowledge of hadith, the knowledge of which spread throughout the subcontinent.

— M. Obaidul, From a biography of Abu Bakr Siddique[29]

During his lifetime there was no teaching of Hadith in Alia Madrassah. He introduced this system, the practice of this system started in 1902 by teaching hadith in Kolkata Ghaspatti Mosque.[30] Shamsul Ulama Shah Safiullah was appointed to this mosque to teach hadith on a salary of 20 rupees.[31] He himself used to teach hadith in this mosque.[32]

He acquired special erudition on hadith scriptures, his nephew Abu Jafar Siddique obtained the certificate of 20 hadith books from him. Maulana Mansoor Hussain, one of his relatives of Furfura village, received from him the recitation and attestation of the hadith book Musnad Abu Hanifa. Also many scholars learned hadith from him.[33]

Spiritual experience

Abu Bakr Siddique imbibed two methods of attaining nearness to Allah namely jizba and suluk. Much is said about his spiritual state during his student days at the Hooghly Madrassah, a four-way connection with his heart most nights. When this connection was associated with the Tariqa, he would eagerly chant that Tariqa. Also many times his apada-masat would be covered by a light and his self-forgetfulness would occur.[34]

He was a khalifah of Fateh Ali Waisi.[35]

Influence

At the end of the 19th century, when the intensity of the Faraizi and Tariqa-e-Muhammadiyah movements subsided, the Muslims were also somewhat weak.[34] There were many divisions among the Muslims, Abu Bakr was worried when the Muslims adopted different religions in different places.[36] He was determined to work for the unity of the Ummah, and tried to eliminate shirk, Bid'ah, superstition etc. from the two Bengals.[37] Among the scholars who helped him in this work were Shamsul Ulama Ghulam Salmani (1854 – 1912), Allama Lutfur Rahman Burdwani (d. 1920), Allama Ishaq Burdwani (d. 1928), Belayat Hussain Birbhumi (1887), Abdul Wahid Chatgami (d. 1910), Muhammad Mangalkoti Burdwani (d. 1907) is notable.[38][39][40] Abdul Awwal Jaunpuri and Karamat Ali Jaunpuri also helped in spreading various ahadith. Both of them were influential writers.[41][42]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Afaz Uddin, Muhammad (2012). "Enayetpuri, Ahmed Ali". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  2. ^ "International Seminar on Pir Abu Bakar Siddique and the Socio-Religious Reform Movements in South Asia". Muslimmirror.com. 14 January 2017. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b MA Rahim (1994). বাংলার মুসলমানদের ইতিহাস [History of Muslims of Bengal] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Ahmad Publishing House. p. 74.
  4. ^ Amlendu Dey 1991, p. 46.
  5. ^ "প্রসঙ্গ ইসলাম ॥ ফুরফুরা শরীফের যুব সংস্কারক" [The topic is Islam ॥ Furfura Sharif's youth reformer]. Janakantha (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  6. ^ "যুগসংস্কারক মওলানা আবু বকর সিদ্দিকী (রহ)" [Reverend Maulana Abu Bakr Siddiquie (RA)]. Ittefaq (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b "জাতীয় জাগরণে পীর আবু বকর সিদ্দিকী (রহ.)-এর অবদান" [Contribution of Pir Abu Bakr Siddique (R.H.) to National Awakening]. Inqilab (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  8. ^ Amin 2014, p. 04.
  9. ^ Shri Sudhir Kumar Mitra (1991). হুগলি জেলার ইতিহাস ও বঙ্গসমাজ [History and Bengali society of Hooghly district] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Mondal Book House. p. 1301.
  10. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 02.
  11. ^ Syed Bahauddin (2002). বাংলার ইতিহাসে ফুরফুরা শরীফ [Furfura Sharif in the history of Bengal] (in Bengali). Hooghly: Hazrat Pir Abu Bakr Islamic Research Centre. pp. 77, 80.
  12. ^ "আল-জামেয়াতুস সিদ্দিকীয়া দারুল উলুম মাদরাসা" [Al-Jamayats Siddiquiya Darul Uloom Madrasa]. Furfura.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  13. ^ a b Shahidullah, Muhammad (February 1963). "হজরত মৌলানা শাহ সুফী মুহম্মদ আবূ বকর সিদীকী (রঃ)". ইসলাম প্রসঙ্গ (in Bengali) (1 ed.). Dacca: Mawla Brothers.
  14. ^ Amin 2014, p. 14-15.
  15. ^ a b বাংলাদেশের পীর আউলিয়া গান [Pir Auliya songs of Bangladesh] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Medina Publication. 2008. p. 59.
  16. ^ Amin 2014, p. 15.
  17. ^ Amin 2014, p. 14-16.
  18. ^ Abu Fatema, Muhammad Ishaq (1980). ফুরফুরার পীর হযরত মাওলানা আবু বকর সিদ্দিকী [Furfura Pir Hazrat Maulana Abu Bakr Siddique] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Ifa Publications. p. 9.
  19. ^ Makki, Muhammad (1972). The Muslim Digest. South Africa: International monthly of Muslim affairs. p. 72.
  20. ^ Maulana Kutub Uddin (1995). ফুরফুরা বিজয়ী ও মোজাদ্দেদে জামান [Furfura Winner and Mojadde Zaman] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Sufi Press. p. 24.
  21. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 07.
  22. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 08.
  23. ^ Dr. Khandaker Abdullah Jahangir (2009). Abu Jafar Siddique (ed.). আল-মাওজুআত, একটি বিশ্লেষণাত্মক পর্যালোচনা [Al-Mawju'at, An Analytical Review] (in Bengali). Jhenidah: Usama Khandaker, As-Sunnah Publications. p. 29.
  24. ^ a b Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 08,09.
  25. ^ Abu Fatema, Muhammad Ishaq (1980). ফুরফুরার পীর হযরত মাওলানা আবু বকর সিদ্দিকী [Furfura Pir Hazrat Maulana Abu Bakr Siddique] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Ifa Publications. p. 10.
  26. ^ Muhammad Shahidullah (1963). ইসলাম প্রসঙ্গ [Islam context] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Mawla Brothers. p. 107.
  27. ^ Amin 2014, p. 16-17.
  28. ^ Dr Syed Abul Hossain (1924). মোসলেম পতাকা "তারীখুল ইসলাম" [Muslim flag "Tarikhul Islam"] (in Bengali). Vol. 2. Kolkata: Darbar Press. p. 803.
  29. ^ Abdus Sattar (1939). মোহাম্মদ আবু বকর (জীবন চরিত) [Muhammad Abu Bakr (Biography)]. Dhaka: Abdullah Printers and Publishers. p. 36.
  30. ^ Muhammad Shahidullah (1986). জীবন চরিত [Biography] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Bangla Print. p. 27.
  31. ^ Maulana Mumtaz Uddin (2004). মাদ্রাসা আলিয়ার ইতিহাস [History of Madrasa Alia] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Islamic Foundation Bangladesh. p. 58.
  32. ^ Abdul Wahab MA (1979). হযরত মাওলানা সাফিউল্লাহ [Hazrat Maulana Safiullah] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Society for Pakistan Studies. p. 407.
  33. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 11.
  34. ^ a b Wakil Ahmad (1983). উনিশ শতকে বাঙালি মুসলমানের চিন্তা-চেতনার ধারা [Thoughts of Bengali Muslims in the 19th century] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Bangla Academy. pp. 1–50.
  35. ^ Siddiqi, K. S. (6 January 2017). "বিস্মৃত মাওলানা কারামত আলী এবং উপেক্ষিত মাওলানা শাহ ইয়াছীন". Daily Inqilab (in Bengali).
  36. ^ Amlendu Dey 1991, p. 119.
  37. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 23.
  38. ^ Maulana Noor Mohammad Azami (1997). হাদিসের তত্ব ও ইতিহাস [Theory and History of Hadith] (in Bengali). Delhi: Bengal Islamic Academy. pp. 1–50.
  39. ^ মুসলিম মনীষী (সংকলন) [Muslim Sages (Collection)] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Bangladesh Islamic Foundation. 2001. pp. 315–341.
  40. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 24.
  41. ^ Syed Md. Bahauddin 2017, p. 28.
  42. ^ Muhammad Abdullah (1995). মাওলানা আব্দুল আওয়াল জৌনপুরী [Karamat Ali Jaunpuri] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Bangladesh Islamic Foundation. pp. 7, 26.

Bibliography

  • Amin, Maulana Ruhul (2014). বিস্তারিত জীবনী [Detailed biography] (in Bengali). Bashirhat: Navnoor Computer & Press.
  • Amlendu Dey (1991). বাঙালি বুদ্ধিজীবী ও বিচ্ছিন্নতাবাদ [Bengali intellectuals and separatism] (in Bengali). Kolkata: West Bengal State Book Board.
  • Syed Md. Bahauddin (2017). যুগ প্রবর্তক শাহ আবু বকর সিদ্দিকী [Shah Abu Bakr Siddique was the initiator of the era] (in Bengali). Hooghly: Syed Mohammad Hamzah.


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