Abu Saeed Muhammad Omar Ali (; 1 October 1945 — 14 August 2010) was a Bangladeshi

Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

, author, teacher, and translator. As a member of the Islamic Foundation's encyclopedia project's board of directors and editing board, his most notable works are ''

Islami Bishwakosh ''Islami Bishwakosh'' () is an encyclopedia published by the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh. It is of 25 volumes and also a concise version. The project's leading founder was Abdul Haque Faridi, a Bangladeshi educator and scholar. History The f ...

'' (25 volumes), ''Sirat Bishwakosh'' (14 volumes) and ''Al-Quran Bishwakosh.'' He was also the editor of the ''Hakkatha'' and ''Islamic Foundation Magazine.'' Ali became acquainted with

Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (also known as Ali Miyan; 5 December 1913 – 31 December 1999) was a leading Indian Islamic scholar, thinker, writer, preacher, reformer and a Muslim public intellectual of 20th century India and the author of ...

after translating his books, and later became one of his senior disciples and his principal

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

commentator.

Early life and education

Ali was born on 1 October 1945 to a

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work./ref> are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ...

family of

Mandals A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ce ...

in the village of Qabilnagar in

Chuadanga Chuadanga () is a city in western Bangladesh. It is the headquarters of Chuadanga Sadar Upazila and Chuadanga District. Located on the Mathabhanga River, Mathabhanga river, Chuadanga was the first capital of Bangladesh. It was the sub-district of ...

, then under the

Nadia district Nadia () is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. It borders Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Purba Bardhaman to the west, and Murshidabad to the north. Nadia district is highly influe ...

British Bengal The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal until 1937, later the Bengal Province, was the largest of all three presidencies of British India during Company rule in India, Company rule and later a Provinces o ...

. His mother, Nekjan Nesa, was housewife. Ali's father, Mufazzal Husayn Mandal, was enthusiastic about Islamic education and enrolled him at the local Qabilnagar Nasrul Uloom Madrasa after spending some years at the Taluqkarra Primary School. Ali then became a student at the Quwwatul Islam Alia Madrasa of

Kushtia Kushtia () is a city located on the banks of the Gorai River in Bangladesh. It serves as the headquarters of Kushtia District and is considered the cultural capital of Bangladesh. The city is known for its Tiler Khaja (sesame sweets), kulf ...

where he passed his ''fazil'' certificate in 1965. He then proceeded to study at the Pabna Alia Madrasa where he graduated with a ''kamil'' in

Hadith studies Hadith studies is the academic study of hadith, a literature typically thought in Islamic religion to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Muhammad as transmitted through chains of narrators. A major area of inter ...

in 1967. He then completed a BA in political science in 1974 and MA in 1975 from the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

. During his student life, he was associated with the

Tamaddun Majlish The Tamaddun Majlish (), formerly Pakistan Tamaddun Majlish, is an Islamic cultural organization in Bangladesh, established in 1947 by Principal Abul Kashem in the former East Pakistan. It was one of the founding organizations of the Bengali Lan ...

Career

After completing his Islamic education in 1967, Ali began his career as a teacher at the Barishkhali High School and Pardakhalpur K. B. Academy in Harinakunda,

Jhenaidah Jhenaidah () is a city in the Khulna Division of south-western Bangladesh. Jhenaidah is the headquarters of Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila and Jhenaidah District. The city has a population of about 140,000, making it the 34th largest city in Banglades ...

for two and a half years. He then joined the Abudharr Ghifari College in

Malibagh Malibagh or Malibag () is a neighbourhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It holds the distinction of being one of the oldest and most traditional neighbourhoods in the city. Considered one of the most populated areas in Dhaka, the area falls under the preci ...

serving under

Dewan Mohammad Azraf Dewan Mohammad Azraf (; 1908–1999) was a Bengali philosopher, teacher, author, politician, journalist and activist. In 1993, he was honoured as a National Professor in Bangladesh. He was also a supporter of the Bengali Language Movement. For ...

for 10 months. After that, he returned to his former school, the Qabilnagar Madrasa, where he served as principal for a short while. Following his graduation from Dhaka University in 1975, Ali joined the Islamic Foundation. After that, he served as a professor at

Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani (12 December 1880 – 17 November 1976), also known reverentially as Maulana Bhashani, was a Bangladeshi politician and statesman who was one of the founder of the Awami League, the oldest and main political party in B ...

's Santosh Islamic University in

Tangail Tangail (, ) is a city of Tangail District in central Bangladesh. A significant city in Bangladesh, Tangail lies on the bank of the Louhajang River, northwest of Dhaka, the nation's capital. Etymology ''Tangail'' originates from the Beng ...

. During that time, he was also the editor of the ''Hakkatha'' magazine in 1978. After that, Ali returned to Dhaka and continued to work at the Islamic Foundation and be the

khatib In Islam, a khatib or khateeb ( ''khaṭīb'') is a person who delivers the sermon (''khuṭbah'') (literally "narration"), during the Friday prayer and Eid prayers. The ''khateeb'' is usually the prayer leader (''imam''), but the two roles can ...

of Abudharr Ghifari Complex Jame Mosque. He has also led

Eid prayers Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid (), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with family and the larger ...

at the

Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Baitul Mukarram (), officially Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, is the national mosque of Bangladesh. It is located at the center of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The mosque was completed in 1968.Thariani and Co: Architects and Engineers. B ...

and established numerous mosques and madrasas in the country. Ali used to regularly give

dawah ' (, , "invitation", also spelt , , , or ) is the act of inviting people to Islam. The plural is () or (). Preachers who engage in dawah are known as da'i. Etymology literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation". Gramma ...

to Islam and appear on radio and television since 1990.

As Nadwi's Bengali commentator

Ali became acquainted with Indian Islamic scholar

through his translation of Nadwi's work into Bengali with the title ''Iman Jokhon Jaglo.'' The book's sophisticated language and lofty thinking had an effect on him. After publishing it, Ali translated another book of Nadwi's, '' Saviours of Islamic Spirit'', which was published by the Islamic Foundation as ''Islami Renesãr Ogropothik.'' In 1984, Nadwi visited

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 ...

and Ali pledged

bay'ah ''Bayʿah'' (, "Pledge of allegiance"), in Islamic terminology, is an oath of allegiance to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Bedouin culture it was a procedure for choosing the leader of the trib ...

to him. He also spent

iʿtikāf (, also or ) is an Islamic practice consisting of a period of staying in a mosque for a certain number of days, devoting oneself to during these days and staying away from worldly affairs. The literal meaning of the word suggests sticking an ...

with Nadwi during

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

. This is how Ali became one of the senior disciples of Nadwi and his principal Bengali commentator. Along with '' Islam and the World'', he translated many of Nadwi's books whilst preserving the original essence and accurate expressions of Nadwi's emotions.

Works

Ali was the editor of the ''Hakkata'' and ''Islamic Foundation Magazine.'' Although he has many of his own books, he is best known as a translator due to his proficiency in

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and Urdu. His literary career began with the translation of

Mushahid Ahmad Bayampuri Mushahid Ahmad Bayampuri (, ; 1907–1971) was a late-twentieth century Bengalis, Bengali Islamic Hadith scholar, teacher, writer, jurist, orator and politician. Often described by Bangladeshi scholars as the Muhammad al-Bukhari, Bukhari of Beng ...

's al-Fatḥ al-Karīm fī Siyāsah an-Nabī al-Amīn'' from

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

to Bengali. His most notable works are the 25-volume

, 14-volume Sirat Bishwakosh and Al-Quran Bishwakosh which were published by the

Islamic Foundation Bangladesh Islamic Foundation Bangladesh () is a government organization under the '' Ministry of Religious Affairs'' in Bangladesh working to disseminate values and ideals of Islam and carry out activities related to those values and ideals. The head offic ...

. He has translated 15 books and written two children's books. Some of his translated works are: # ''Musôlmander Pôtône Biśśô Kī Haralo?'' (What did the world lose in the fall of

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

?) # ''Īman Jôkhôn Jaglo'' (When

Faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

Awakened) # ''Nôbīye Rôhmôt'' ( Prophet of Mercy) # ''Sôngramī Sadhôker Itihas'' (History of Struggling Saints) # '' Islamer Raśṭrīyô O Ôrthônoitik Uttôradhikar'' (Islam's political and economic inheritance) # ''Môhanôbī (S.) Er Prôtirôkkha Koushôl'' (Self-Defence Technique of the Great Prophet Sw) # ''Khālid bin Walīd'' (

Khalid ibn al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arabs, Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career ...

) # ''Muḥammad bin Qāsim'' (

Muhammad ibn al-Qasim Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī (; –) was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (and Punjab, part of ancient Sindh), inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His military ...

) # ''Amar Amma'' (My Mother) # ''Sīrate Rasūle Akram'' (Biography of the Noble Prophet) # '' Sīrate Soiyôd Ahmôd Shôhīd'' (Biography of

Sayyid Ahmad Shahid Syed Ahmad Barelvi, also known as Sayyid Ahmad Shahid, (1786–1831) was an Indian Islamic revivalist, scholar, and military commander from Raebareli, a part of the historical United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (now called Uttar Pradesh) ...

) # ''Praccer Upôhar'' (Gift of the Orient) # ''Islam Dhôrmô Sômaj Sôngskriti'' (Religion of Islam is Reformation of Society) # ''Hôzrôt Abu Bôkôr Siddīq (Ra.) Jībôn O Sôngram'' (Life and Struggles of Hazrat

Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...

Siddiq Ra)

Death and legacy

Ali died on 14 August 2010 during the month of

. His

janaza Islamic funerals () follow fairly specific Ritual#Islam, rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial of the body as soon as possible. T ...

was performed the next day, and he was buried next to the Qabilnagar Mosque which he had established. Ali was married to Begum Zaibunnesa, with whom he had four daughters and one son.

References