Ahmed Ali Badarpuri

Ahmed Ali Badarpuri
احمد علی بدر پوری
Predecessor	Noor Ali Badarpuri
Successor	Maulana Abdul Haque ; ;
Born	1915
Born	Badarpur, Sylhet district, British India
Died	Template:Death date and age
Place of death	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India ; ; ; ;
Children	Yahya
Alma mater	Template:Ubl ; ;

Ahmed Ali Badarpuri (1915–11 June 2000), also known as Ahmed Ali Banskandi and Ahmed Ali Assami, was an Indian Islamic scholar, a Sufi, a freedom fighter, and a teacher. He was the president of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind for 44 years.

Early life and education

Ahmed Ali Badarpuri was born in 1915 into a Sufi family in Badarpur, Assam, then located in the Sylhet district of British India.Template:Sfn He was a descendant of Munawwar Khadim Yemeni, who was an attendant of Shah Jalal Mujarrad's authorised disciple, Sikandar Khan Ghazi.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Badarpuri received his primary education in Badarpur and then enrolled at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrasah for further studies from 1938 to 1940 and graduated in dars-e-nizami. He subsequently joined Darul Uloom Deoband to study the courses again but could not continue due to certain health complications. In 1950, he attended the Deoband seminary once more to study the courses of Daura-e-Hadith (The last year in dars-e-nizami) and Daura-e-Tafsir (specialisation in the exegesis of the Quran), and completed his studies by the next year. At that time, he memorized the Quran in a period of two and a half months. His teachers included Hussain Ahmad Madani, Abdus Samī' Deobandi, Izaz Ali Amrohi, Fakhrul Hasan Muradabadi, and Abdul Ahad Deobandi.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn He was an authorised disciple of Madani in Sufism.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[1]^[2]^[3]

Career

Badarpuri started his career as a teacher at Darul Uloom Banskandi. In 1955, Hussain Ahmad Madani sent him there without any invitation from the institution. The madrassa authority refused to appoint him as a teacher. However, they later accepted him after they obtained a letter from Madani.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

In 1957, Madani appointed him to the post of Sheikh al-Hadith and entrusted to him the charge of the institution. He retained his position until his last breath. Thus, his teaching career lasted for over 45 years.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn He associated himself with the Indian independence movement.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

In 1957, he was elected president of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind. Before it, he had worked as a secretary and convener. He carried out his leadership responsibilities by facing the Pakistani Deportation Movement, also known as the Bongal Kheda Movement, which intensified in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s and 1980s.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

He raised a voice against the then-Chaliha government and forced it to stop inhumane violence towards minorities in the name of foreigners. He opposed the Assam Movement, which peaked with the Nellie massacre. He forced Hiteswar Saikia, law minister Abdul Muhib Mazumdar, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to provide some special protections for minorities. The result was the IMDT Act of 1983.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

In the early 1990s, Badarpuri had to face another movement known as the Bodo Movement, which created a cruel massacre in lower Assam. He raised a strong demand with the government for the security and rehabilitation of the victims. Shouldering the burden of 600 homeless orphans affected by this movement, he sheltered them in Banskandi Madrasa. Thus, he fought against any kind of injustice and finally against some communal remarks made by the government in arranging a historical Jamiat meeting at Guwahati on 1 April 2000.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Badarpuri participated in the freedom struggle being inspired by his teacher, Hussain Ahmad Madani. He was arrested and imprisoned several times for anti-British activities. He worked in support of the Jamiat and opposed the partition of India. He took a bold step to get Sylhet into India during the Sylhet Referendum held in July 1947.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[4]

He founded thousands of mosques, madrasas, and khanqahs, and finally the Gauhati Khanqah, where thousands of people visit every year seeking spiritual guidance. He opposed the hypocrisy and deviance of the Qadianis. He even wrote a book in Bangla, named Khatme Nabuwwater O Qadianiater Gumrahir Akatya Dalil Samooh (Template:Translation.Template:Sfn^[5]Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[6]

Honours and positions

After the demise of Badarpuri, the Tarun Gogoi government started the Ahmed Ali Banskandi Award in his honor.Template:Sfn^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10] Since 1990, he has also served as the Amir-e-Shariat of Northeast India until his death.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[11]

Literary works

Badarpuri wrote a number of books in Bengali, Assamese, and Urdu. These include:Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[12]

Alam-e-Barzakh (Bengali and Assamese; Template:Translation)
Pabitra Haram Trayer Itihas (Bengali; Template:Translation)
Jamiat-er Mul Katha (Bengali; Template:Translation)
Elme Ma'rifater Bishista Bahantray O Mashaekh Charit (Bengali; Template:Translation)
Fazail-e-Shaban, Ramadan O Fazail-e-Nafil Roja (Assamese; Template:Translation)
Khatme Nabuwwater O Qadianiater Gumrahir Akatya Dalil Samooh (Bengali; Template:Translation)
Zuhur-e-Mahdi O Nuzool-e-Isa (Urdu and Bengali; Template:Translation)
Salasil-e-Tayyiba (Bengali; Template:Translation)
Fuyūz-e-Madani (Urdu translation of Ahmed Ali's book Salasil-e-Tayyiba, written in Bengali)Template:Sfn

Death and legacy

On 11 June 2000, Badarpuri died in Mumbai. His body was flown to Assam. On 13 June, he was buried on the campus of Darul Uloom Banskandi. His funeral prayer was attended by several hundred thousand people.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn^[4]Template:Sfn He is survived by his son, Muhammad Yahya.^[13]^[14] Many individuals expressed condolences upon the demise of Badarpuri. As'ad Madani termed his death one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century. Sonia Gandhi called him a freedom fighter who always tried to maintain peace and social harmony among the different sections of people. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the then chief minister of Assam, called him a symbol of peace, love, and social harmony. Santosh Mohan Dev opined that his death was a loss to the whole country.Template:Sfn^[4]

References

↑ Shaikhul Islam Number (A special issue). Al-Jam'iyyat Weekly({Template:Date).
↑ Shaikhul Islam Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani: Ek Sawanihi O Tareekhi Mutala'a{{#if:Al-Wahidi|, Al-Wahidi}. Qaumi Kitab Ghar(1991)
↑ Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: South Asia{{#if:Hanif|, Hanif}. Sarup and Sons(2000). ISBN 9788176250870
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 [{{{url}}} চিরনিদ্রায় মৌলানা আহমেদ আলি...](12 June 2000).
↑ Khanqah–A brief introduction{{#if:Ali|, Ali}. Sayid Yasin Ali(1998)
↑ فضيلة الشيخ أحمد علي رحمه الله وجهوده التربوية والإصلاحية بولاية "آسام" الهندية؛ بقلم فريد الدين أحمد. Al-Daie({Template:Date).
↑ Ahmed Ali Baskandi Award presented. www.sentinelassam.com. The Sentinel(2 March 2016). Retrieved 6 July 2023.
↑ Assam revives awards in the name of historic Muslim personalities, Khosa, Aasha. www.awazthevoice.in. Awaz The Voice(3 July 2022). Retrieved 6 July 2023.
↑ CM presents Ahmed Ali Baskandi Award. assamtribune.com(2010-09-15). Retrieved 2024-03-19.
↑ Assam govt institutes award in name of journalist killed by ULFA rebels, Kashyap, Samudra Gupta. The Indian Express(10 March 2015). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
↑ Darul Uloom Deoband Ki Jame O Mukhtasar Tareekh{{#if:Qasmi|, Qasmi}. Shaikhul Hind Academy(October 2020)
↑ Mausoo'a Ulama-u- Deoband{{#if:Mubarakpuri|, Mubarakpuri}. Shaikhul Hind Academy(2021)
↑ Khanquah{{#if:Qasmi|, Qasmi}. Khanquah Shaikhul Hadith Hazrat Maulana Ahmad Ali(2016)
↑ Markazul Maarif Mumbai Holds its 18th Convocation. deoband.net(7 April 2013). Retrieved 6 July 2023.

Bibliography

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Sheikh Moulana Ahmed Ali, Jeevan Aru Karma{{#if:Qasmi|, Qasmi}. Mufassil Ali(January 2010)
Qutub-e-Aalam Hazrat Maulana Ahmed Ali Sahab: Hayat Aur Karname{{#if:Assami|, Assami}. Mumtaz Book Depot(January 2016)
Pabitra Haram Trayer Etihas{{#if:Badarpuri|, Badarpuri}. Jamia Islamia Jalilia(January 1997)
Salasil-e-Tayyibah{{#if:Badarpuri|, Badarpuri}. Mufassil Ali(1992)
Fuyudh-e-Madani{{#if:Badarpuri|, Badarpuri}. Mufassil Ali(1996)
Chirag-e-Madani{{#if:Ahmed|, Ahmed}. Md Ahmad Hussain(November 2000)
Hazrat Sheikh Maulana Ahmed Ali er Smriti patra{{#if:Islam|, Islam}. Darul Uloom Baskandi(2000)
A special issue containing life story of Hazrat Moulana Sheikh Ahmed Ali. Jnyan Sambhar({Template:Date).
Darul Uloom Banskandi{{#if:Qasmi|, Qasmi}. Darul Uloom Banskandi(2000)
Khatme Nabowater O Kadianiater Gumraihir Akatya Dalil Samooh{{#if:Badarpuri|, Badarpuri}. Sayid Yasin Ali(1998)
Purba Bharater Oli-e-Kamil{{#if:Raghibi|, Raghibi}. Markazul Maarif(1994)

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