Muhammad Ishaq

Mawlana Muhammad Ishaq (Bengali: মুহাম্মদ ইসহাক) was an Islamic scholar and Sufi from Bengal.

Biography[]

Ishaq was born in the year 1883 CE, in Feni.^[1] He received his primary religious education from the local religious institution. Then he got admitted into an 'alim course in Comilla.^[1] Later, he travelled to Makkah where he got admitted into the Madrasah as-Sawlatiyah.^[1] He studied Islamic studies and Arabic for eleven years in that institution, under Shaykhu'd-Dal'ail Abdul Haqq Muhajir Makki who treated him like his adopted son.^[1] Later, he was appointed as a teacher of that madrasa. He got khilafat from his teacher and returned to his own country.^[1]

After returning to Bengal, Ishaq also involved in sufistic practices. It is said that he had karamat.^[1] People began to approach him for spiritual guidance. He travelled to Comilla, Noakhali, Barisal, Hatiya and Sandwip.^[1] In these places many people became his murids. Later, he renewed his bay'at at the hands of Abdur Rabb who was the grandson of Karamat Ali Jaunpuri.^[1] After that he began to be influenced by Jaunpuris.

Ishaq established an orphanage in 1936.^[1] He donated all of his immovable properties for this orphanage. The orphanage is called "Ishaqiya Yatimkhana".^[1] It is situated in Daganbhuiyan, Feni.^[2] He also gave financial help to establish mosques, eidgahs and madrasas.

Ishaq wrote an Urdu book titled Ta'lim-e-Haqqani Wa Fuyud-e-Ishaqi.^[1] In that book he described about Sufi problems, zikr and mediation. He kept himself away from active politics but supported the independence movement of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.^[1] Ishaq died on 18 November 1938.^[1]

References[]