Sufi Azizur Rahman | |
|---|---|
সুফি আজিজুর রহমান | |
 Sufi Azizur Rahman inIslamic calligraphy | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1862 Babunagar,Fatikchhari,Chittagong District |
| Died | 1922 (aged 59–60) |
| Children | Harun Babunagari |
| Notable work(s) | Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Al-Jamia al-Arabia Nasirul Islam Nazirhat |
| Alma mater | Mohsinia Madrasa |
| Relatives | Muhibbullah Babunagari (grandson) Junaid Babunagari (great grandson) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Ṣūfī ʿAzīzur Raḥmān (Bengali:সুফি আজিজুর রহমান; 1862–1922) was aMuslim theologian, teacher and reformer. After being influenced byAbdul Wahid Bengali in his student life, he became associated with the spread of theDeobandi movement intoBengal. In 1896, he co-foundedAl-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam.
Azizur Rahman was born in 1862 to aBengali Muslim family in the village of Babunagar inFatikchhari,Chittagong District. The family traced their ancestry to CaliphAbu Bakr. In his childhood, he was noted for his cleanliness and humbleness and was nicknamedSufi Saheb.[citation needed]
His education began in Babunagar, and he later enrolled at theMohsinia Madrasa inChittagong. While studying for Jamat-e-Ula, he was introduced toAbdul Wahid Bengali. He was inspired after hearing Bengali's recitation of theQuran, and began regularly reciting the Quran to him. Abdul Wahid subsequently took him to Abdus Samad Pandit for religious homeschooling. Ultimately, Azizur Rahman gained the highest mark in his Jamat-e-Ula exam.[1][2]
In response to topping the Jamat-e-Ula exams, the Mohsinia Madrasa staff requested Azizur Rahman to remain in the madrasa as a teacher. However, he did not take up this role, as he did not want a job dependent upon the British government.[3] Instead, he joined the anti-colonialDeobandi movement under his mentorAbdul Wahid Bengali. The two joinedHabibullah Qurayshi andAbdul Hamid Madarshahi to establishAl-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam inHathazari. Two to three years after its establishment, Azizur Rahman began teaching at the institution and remained in this role for ten to fifteen years.[4]
Azizur Rahman noticed the lack of religious education facilities inFatikchhari. As a solution, he establishedAl Jamiatul Arabia Nasirul Islam inNazirhat Bazar. A few years later, he entrusted the madrasa to Nur Ahmad and left for his ancestral village in Babunagar. His plan was to establish a madrasa in Babunagar.[citation needed]
Azizur Rahman died in 1922, before he could establish the madrasa of Babunagar. He left behind four children, includingHarun Babunagari, who establishedAl-Jamiatul Islamiah Azizul Uloom Babunagar in his father's owned land. Harun's son isMuhibbullah Babunagari, the incumbent Amir ofHefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. Azizur Rahman's granddaughter, Fatima Khatun, was the mother ofJunaid Babunagari, former Amir ofHefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.[citation needed]