Amimul Ehsan Barkati

Sayyid Muḥammad ʿAmīmul Eḥsān al-Barkatī (19111974, , ) was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar who served as the third Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

Early life

Sayyid Muhammad Amimul Ehsan was born on 24 January 1911 in his maternal grandfather's house located in the village of Pachna in Munger district, Bihar. His family claimed to be descended from Husayn ibn Ali, and that their ancestors migrated from Medina, eventually reaching the Indian Subcontinent, his purported lineage is as follows; Sayyid Muhammad Amimul Ehsan, son of Sayyid Abd al-Mannan, son of Sayyid Nur al-Hafiz, son of Sayyid Mir Shahmat Ali, son of Sayyid Mawlana Mir Muzaffar Ali, son of Sayyid Mir Sabir Ali, son of Sayyid Mir Ghulam Ali, son of Sayyid Mir Wahid Husayn, son of Sayyid Dhi Ragh Shah, son of Sayyid Rukn al-Din, son of Sayyid Jamal al-Din, son of Sayyid Ahmad al-Jajniry, son of Sayyid Badar al-Din al-Madani, son of Sayyid Ali Mas’ud al-Madani, son of Sayyid Abu al-Fath Muhammad Ibrahim, son of Sayyid Muhammad Farash, son of Sayyid Abu al-Farra’, son of Sayyid Abu al-Hasan al-Faris, son of Sayyid Muhammad Akbar, son of Sayyid Amr Ali Adan, son of Sayyid Ashraf al-Din Yahya al-Sharif, son of Sayyid Imam Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, son of Imam Sayyid Abu al-Hasan al-Zayd al-Shahid, son of Imam Sayyid Ali Zayn al-Abidin, son of Imam al-Husayn. However, there is an observed issue with the lineage claimed by the biographer, in reality Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya was a Hasanid, son of Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Muthanna and not son of the Husaynid Zayd al-Shahid. Ehsan was second child of Hakeem Sayyid Abul Azeem Muhammad Abdul Mannan and Sayyida Sajida, among his four brothers and three sisters. His father relocated to Calcutta, where Ehsan spent his childhood.

He was also from Feni.

Education

He received his primary Islamic education from his paternal uncle Sayyid Abdul Dayyan. Later on, he had gained the knowledge of Tasawwuf from the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Sufi Shah Syed Abu Barkat Ali Shah. As he had become a murid of him, he added the title Barkati to his surname.

Barkati acquired his academic learning from the famous Calcutta Aliah Madrasah in 1926.

Career

In 1934, Barkati was appointed as the Imam and teacher of Calcutta Nakhoda Masjid. In 1935 he also got the responsibility of Head Mufti of that madrasa's Darul Ifta. In 1943, he joined Calcutta Aliya Madrasah. In 1971 he became the khatib of Baitul Mukarram, later the national mosque of Bangladesh. He held that position until his death in 1974.

Works

Barkati's works include:
#''Fiqhus-sunan wal Asar''
#''Qawa'idul-Fiqh''
#''Fatwae Barkati''
#''Adabul Mufti''
#''Al-Usool-ul-kargee''
#''Usolul masailut iktilfat''
#''At tasruf li Adabit Tasuuf''
#''At-tanjed fe tawhid''
#''At tanver fe usole tafseer''
#''Tariqe Islam''
#''Tariqe Ilme Haddes''
#''Tariqe Ilme Fiqh''
#''Sirajum munira Milad nama (سراجا منير)''
#''Tarikae Hajj''
#''Lubbul Usol''
#''Maske Fariez''
#''Minnatul bari''
#''Mijanul Akbar''
#''Miyarul Asar''
#''Wasiyatnama''
#''hadiyatul Musallin''

Personal life

Barkati married Maymuna, daughter of his mentor and a Sufi saint Abu Muhammad Barkat Ali Shah. after death of Maymuna, he married Fatima and they have a son, Munim, and a daughter, Amina. Munim died when he was a child. His second wife died in 1937. He married Khadija and lived with her until his death. Among all the children of Barkati, only her youngest daughter Sayyeda Amina Khatun was alive during his death. She died in 1990. Barkati performed Hajj three times: in 1954, 1958 and in 1971.

Death

During 1973–74 Barkati's health started to deteriorate. In the year 1974 the committee of Baitul Mukarram had some issues with him to which he decided to not go again in Baitul Mukarram for further Juma prayer. He returns the key of his room and said, "I will not be coming next week". He died on 27 October 1974, 10th Shawwal 1394 Hijri. Next day on 28 October his funeral prayer was held at Baitul Mukarram.

Recognition

''Daily Inqilab'' says he has been recognised as a Grand Mufti of Kolkata by Calcutta government of British India in 1935.

''Alokito Bangladesh'' says he had received gold medal and certificates in 1974 for his contribution towards Islamic missionaries from Bangladesh Government.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barkati, Amimul Ehsan
1911 births
1974 deaths
20th-century Indian Muslims
20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
People from Munger district
Bangladeshi imams
Khatib of the national mosque of Bangladesh
Bangladeshi Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
Hanafi fiqh scholars
Bangladeshi people of Bihari descent