Ashraf Ali Bishwanathi (1928–2005) was a Bangladeshi

Deobandi The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...

Islamic scholar, educator, politician and religious writer. He was called "Baba-e Jamiat" in order to lay the foundation of

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh () is a Bangladeshi Islamic Party registered with Bangladesh Election Commission. It is the successor to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh was a member of the 20-Party alliance. It was a ...

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

and present day

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. He was also the president of the party for 2001 to 2005. He was also the founder of Jamia Islamia Darul Uloom Madania Bishwanath, Madania Qawmia Mahila Madrasa and the literary magazine ''Monthly Al Farooq''.

Biography

Ashraf Ali Bishwanathi was born in 1928 in a Muslim family in Ghargaon village under

Bishwanath Upazila Bishwanath () is an upazila of Sylhet District in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. History One of the palaces of Gour Govinda, the last Hindu ruler of Sylhet, was situated in present-day Bishwanath. Its ruins are still intact and is locally referre ...

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

. His father Jawad Ullah and mother Habibunnesa alias Jaitun Bibi. After studying at Ranaping Arabia Hussainiya Madrasa Dhaka up to Meshkat Jamat, he was admitted in

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Al-Jāmiʿah al-Ahliyyah Dār al-ʿUlūm Muʿīn al-Islām (), popularly known as the Hāṭhazārī Madrasah () or the Great Madrasah (), is a Qawmi institution of Hathazari, located in Bangladesh's Chittagong District. Established in 1901, it ...

. In 1949, he completed Dawra-e Hadith (Masters) from there. Among his teachers are Mufti Faizullah, Ahmadul Haq, Shah Abdul Wahhab. He started his career in 1950 by teaching at Darussalam Galmukapan Madrasa. He taught for 3 years at Jamia Tawakkulia Renga. In 1958, he taught at Parkul Madrasa for one year. In the same year, he reopened Bishwanath M.E. madrasa and was the principal until his death, whose present name is Jamia Islamia Darul Uloom Madania Bishwanath. He established Madania Qawmia Women's Madrasa as the women's branch of the Madania Bishwanath. He became active in politics from his student life. At his invitation, the journey of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Sylhet started in the East Pakistan on November 1, 1964, at the Hawapara Mosque. He was its general secretary. In 1975, he was elected its central vice-president. He became the party's executive president in 2000 and acting president in 2001, and permanent president in 2002. He died on May 20, 2005.

Literary works

He has been involved in writing since his student life. In 1998, he founded the monthly literary magazine ''Al Farooq''. His books include: * ''Islam vs Socialism and Democracy'' * ''Text List of Madrasatul Banat'' (1992) * ''A Brief Introduction to Jamiat Ulama Islam'' (1988) * ''First read of Maktab'' (1983) * ''Musafir's Prayers'' (1996) * ''Iraq in the Mirror of Memory'' (1995) * ''A Brief introduction of Edara'' etc.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishwanathi, Ashraf Ali 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Hanafi fiqh scholars Deobandis 1928 births 2005 deaths 20th-century Bengalis Bangladeshi Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Secretaries-general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh Darul Uloom Hathazari alumni People from Bishwanath Upazila

Biography

Literary works

See also

References