Ahmad Jaunpuri | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1834 (1834) Calcutta, Bengal Presidency |
| Died | January 26, 1899(1899-01-26) (aged 64–65) (3 Rabi' al-Thani 1290AH) |
| Resting place | Chawkbazar Graveyard, Dhaka |
| Parent |
|
| Other names | Ahmed Jaunpuri |
| Occupation | Theologian |
| Relatives | Abdul Awwal Jaunpuri (brother) Abdul Batin Jaunpuri (nephew) Abdur Rab Jaunpuri (nephew) Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri (nephew) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Movement | Taiyuni |
| Muslim leader | |
| Predecessor | Karamat Ali Jaunpuri |
| Successor | Abdur Rab Jaunpuri |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
| Awards | Multiple testimonials from theBritish Raj |
| Islam in Bangladesh |
|---|
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Ideology/schools of thought |
Ḥāfiẓ Aḥmad Jaunpūrī (1834 – 26 January 1899) was anIndian Muslimscholar, religious preacher and social worker. As the son and successor ofKaramat Ali Jaunpuri,[1] he led the Taiyuni reformist movement inBengal.[2]
Ahmad Jaunpuri was born in 1834, in the city ofCalcutta,Bengal Presidency, to anIndian Muslim family that traced their ancestry to theArab tribe ofQuraysh. He was the 36th direct descendant ofAbu Bakr, the firstRashidun caliph. His father,Karamat Ali Jaunpuri,[3] migrated fromJaunpur inNorth India with the intention of reforming the Muslims ofBengal. Ahmad Jaunpuri's paternal grandfather, Abu Ibrahim Shaykh Muhammad Imam Bakhsh was a student ofShah Abdul Aziz, and his great-grandfather Jarullah was also ashaykh.[4]
Ahmad Jaunpuri completed hismemorisation of the Qur'an at an early age, which led to him earning the title ofHafiz. He proceeded to gained more knowledge inIslamic studies inLucknow andJaunpur.[5] Many of his family members were also Islamic scholars, for example, his youngest brotherAbdul Awwal Jaunpuri.[2]
He established numerousmadrasas and aneidgah inDaulatkhan inBhola Island. He also providedblack seed oil treatment to the locals. He represented the Taiyunis at a debate in 1879 inMadaripur against theFaraizis on the topic of the permissibility of theFriday prayer in British India. The Faraizis discarded Friday andEid prayers as they consideredBritish India as aDar al-Harb (house of war). Over five thousand people attended this event and it was dubbed byNabinchandra Sen as theBattle ofJumuʿah.[citation needed] In 1881,Nawab Abdul Latif gained permission for Jaunpuri to lead theEid prayer at theMaidan ofCalcutta. Over 70,000Muslims joined the congregation, making it the largest gathering in Calcutta.[6] He wrote a book on Hajera.[7]
Jaunpuri had a cordial relationship withMunshi Mohammad Meherullah.[8]
Jaunpuri contributed to the refurbishment of the Ebadullah Mosque inBarisal. On 26 September 1897, SirNicholas Beatson-Bell, the district commissioner ofBackergunge, organised a conference at theBarisal Zilla School in whichNawab Sirajul Islam and Hafiz Ahmad Jaunpuri delivered speeches on the importance of establishing the Bell Islamia Hostel.[9][10]
He set off to completeHajj in 1882. During his stay in theHejaz, he gained a great reception and was acclaimed as an orator.[2] He brought up his nephewAbdur Rab Jaunpuri, and Abu Yusuf Muhammad Yaqub Badarpuri ofSylhet was also hismurid and one of hiskhalifahs (successors).[11] Another successor was Abdul Latif Taluqdar ofMirsarai.[12]
Hafiz Ahmad Jaunpuri was affected by paralysis and was taken toDacca for treatment. He died on the way in a boat on 26 January 1899 inSadarghat. His body was washed in the boat, and hisjanaza was performed at theChawkbazar Shahi Mosque inOld Dhaka at the request of his disciple, Sheikh Faiz Bakhsh Kanpuri.[13] He was buried just south of the mosque.[2] His biography was written by his nephewAbdul Batin Jaunpuri.[5]
Jaunpuri had numerous spiritual successors (khalifas) including: