Syed Syed may refer to: * Seyd, alternative for Sayyid (name) * Alternative for Sayyid, an honorific title * Ahsan Ali Syed (born 1973), Indian businessman * Ghulam Murtaza Syed (1904-1995), prominent Sindhi politician * Ibrahim Bijli Syed (born 1939) ...

Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri (; 1889–2001) was a

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

saint, author, scholar of

Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

and

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

, and

Muslim 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 ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

in Bangladesh. He was influenced by

Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi Ahmad Raza Khan Baraylawi (14 June 1856–28 October 1921), known reverentially as A'la Hazrat, (Grand Master), was an Islamic scholar, mufti, polymath, gnostic, poet from (undivided) India, he is considered as the founder of the Barelvi move ...

and his

Barelvi movement The Barelvi movement, also known as Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah (People of the Prophet's Way and the Community) is a Sunni revivalist movement that generally adheres to the Hanafi school, Hanafi and Shafi'i school, Shafi'i schools of jurisprudenc ...

. He also wrote Urdu ghazals, nazm, hamd and naat, his pen name being Fani. As a Sufi master, he was initiated in

Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...

Chishti The Chishti order () is a Sufi order of Sunni Islam named after the town of Chisht, Afghanistan where it was initiated by Abu Ishaq Shami. The order was brought to Herat and later spread across South Asia by Mu'in al-Din Chishti in the city ...

Naqshbandi Naqshbandi (Persian: نقشبندیه) is a major Sufi order within Sunni Islam, named after its 14th-century founder, Baha' al-Din Naqshband. Practitioners, known as Naqshbandis, trace their spiritual lineage (silsila) directly to the Prophet ...

, Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya,

Shadhili The Shadhili Order () is a tariqah or Sufi order. The Shadhili order was founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili in the 13th century and is followed by millions of people around the world. Many followers (Arabic ''murids'', "seekers") of the Shadhil ...

Uwaisi The Uwaisī (or ''Owaisi''; ) silsila (chain of transmission) or tariqa (pathway) is a form of spiritual transmission in the vocabulary of Sufism, named after Owais al-Qarani. It refers to the transmission of spiritual knowledge between two in ...

Qalandariyya The Qalandariyya (), Qalandaris or Kalandaris are wandering Sufi dervishes. The writings of ''Qalandaris'' are not merely celebrations of libertinism, but affirmations of antinomial beliefs. The first references are found in the 11th-century ...

, Saberiyya and Nizamiyya orders. His teachings stated that Islam was a unified whole of ''

sharia Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on Islamic holy books, scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran, Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' ...

t'' (exoteric path), ''

tariqa A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...

'' (esoteric path), ''

haqiqa Haqiqa (Arabic "truth") is one of "the four stages" in Sufism, (exoteric path), (esoteric path), (mystical truth) and (final mystical knowledge, ''unio mystica''). The four stages Shariat is Islamic law or Islamic jurisprudence as revea ...

t'' (mystical truth), and '' marefat'' (final mystical knowledge), and was incomplete without any one of these. He refused to depend on charity, and lived in Bangladesh almost incognito.

Parental lineage

Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri's devotees state that his maternal lineage goes back to Caliph

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 ...

, the first political successor of Islam, and his paternal lineage to

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

, the fourth political successor (caliph) of Islam. His grandfather had settled first in Noakhali, Bangladesh and then in Rangpur.

Encounter with fakir

Just forty days after his birth, a

fakir Fakir, faqeer, or faqīr (; (noun of faqr)), derived from ''faqr'' (, 'poverty'), is an Islamic term traditionally used for Sufi Muslim ascetics who renounce their worldly possessions and dedicate their lives to the worship of God. They do ...

came to their house and told his father that he had come under orders from Mohiuddin Abdul Qader Jilani to take the child. His father felt some kind of hesitation, but his mother, immediately agreed to the proposal and handed over the new born baby to the fakir. The fakir returned him after a year or so.

Education

His mother was his first teacher and instrumental in his religious education. When he was eighteen, he came to

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

with his maternal uncle and ''

murshid ''Murshid'' () is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher", derived from the root ''r-sh-d'', with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible, mature. Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Spiritual director, spiritual guide. The term is freque ...

'' Abdul Awwal Siddiqui Jaunpuri and stayed at 7 Jannagar Road,

Park Circus Park Circus is a neighbourhood of south Kolkata in West Bengal, India. Geography Police district Karaya police station is in the South-east division of Kolkata Police. Karaya Women Police Station, at the same address, has jurisdiction ov ...

, Calcutta. He was admitted to the

Calcutta Alia Madrasa Aliah University (AU; , ) is a Public university, public State university (India), state university in New Town, West Bengal, India. Previously known as Mohammedan College of Calcutta, it was elevated to university in 2008. History The Aliah ...

and passed his entrance and later F.A. examinations from this institution. He went to

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

for higher education, and studied

tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

and other Islamic studies at the

University of Al-Azhar The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...

. He came back to Kolkata after two years. When he was 35, he made a voyage to California, and studied homeopathy in Los Angeles.

Family life

When he was 20, he married one of his distant cousins, Syeda Shahnaz Begum who died in 1941 bearing one son and three daughters. None of his children were alive when he migrated to Bangladesh. In the mid-sixties he married Rabeya Khatun, an inhabitant of Ghoshpur of Howrah District, Kolkata. He built a small house in Mirpur Section 12, near Baitus Salam masjid. It was he who laid the foundation of this masjid. In his house, he set up a homeopathy medicine shop and started a practice, soon becoming well known in his neighborhood. Since his second wife Rabeya Khatun was barren, and he did not have any children by her, he married Aqia Begum, the daughter of Mohammad Shamsher Ali, of Genda, Savar in suburban Dhaka. He lived in this village for some time. He had one son and three daughters by his third wife. He adopted Helena Begum in 1965, an orphan, whose parents died of hunger in dire poverty. On 13 August 2001, he married Umme Kulthum Monowara Zerin, daughter of Sheikh Wajed Ali, who hailed from Howrah, Kolkata. They had no children and he died later in the year.

Spiritual quest

In his late teens Jaunpuri became a disciple of his maternal uncle Syed Abdul Awal Siddiqui Jaunpuri, a scholar of Islam and Sufism. He later studied with several other religious teachers, including Naim Ata Shah Bokhari, Syed Umar Uddin Multani, Syed Abu Nasr Madani, Syed Noor Mohammad Multani, Abdul Masjud Jabbalpuri, Shah Syed Sultan Ahmed Shahjahanpuri. From 1996 onwards, he performed

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

with his disciples and admirers. In Medina, they had their ancestral home in the south-west of the Haram Sharif. In the late 1980s he started to address the Friday congregation at Baitur Rahim Mosque as preacher (

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 ...

Travels and life in solitude

Jaunpuri traveled widely in North India. A book by one of his disciples states that he met 445 spiritual individuals over his travels. He lived for a while inside the

Sundarbans Sundarbans (; pronounced ) is a mangrove forest area in the Ganges Delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans the area from the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal ...

forest, seeking solitude.

Death

On 2 September 2001, he was hospitalized for a pain in his chest. His condition improved briefly before deteriorating again two days later. He was taken to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (Suhrawardy Hospital), where he died at 11 am on 5 September. According to his disciples, he was nearly 113 years old when he died.

Tomb

Jaunpuri was buried in a graveyard adjacent to the Baitur Rahim Masjid in Dhaka. Later, the tall minaret of the mosque was built over his grave.

Works

Jaunpuri was the author of four books on topics such as

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

, religion, and Islamic philosophy. M Harunur Rashid, who was a devotee of Jaunpuri, wrote a number of works based on his philosophy and vision. ;As Author * ''Sattyer Prokash'' (Revelation of truth), Published by Retd. Lt. Colonel Khandaker Ataur Rahman. Dhaka. 1994 * ''Istafsar wa Jawaab'' (A Book of Catechism), Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1997 * ''Quran, Hadith O Suiftatter Bhumika'' (Introduction to Quran, Hadith and Sufism). Syed Rashid Ahmed Mission Foundation. Dhaka. 2005. * ''Tariq Al-Haq'' (The Way of Truth), Syed Rashid Ahmed Mission Foundation. Dhaka. 2006. ;Works about Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri * ''Vruner Ma Manusher Allah Ebang Annanya Sanglap'' (Foetus's Mother, Man's Allah and Other Dialogues: A book of dialogues illustrating the Philosophy of Hazrat Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1996 * ''Niruddesh Nadi Antaheen Sagar O Annanya Sanglap'' (The Lost River, The Boundless Sea and Other Dialogues: A Book of dialogues illustrating the Philosophy of Hazrat Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaupuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1997 * ''Ichchaheen Ghare Ichchar Bashabash Ebang Annanya Sanglap'' (Desire in a Desireless Abode and Other Dialogues: A Book of dialogues illustrating the Philosophy of Hazrat Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaupuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1997 * ''Ma'Arefus Sunan'' by Maulana Muhammad Fazle Rab. Syed Rashid Ahmed Islami Academy. Dhaka. 1997. * ''Beduiner Lal Ut Ebang Annanya Sanglap'' (Bedouin's Red Camel and Other Dialogues: A Book of dialogues illustrating the Philosophy of Hazrat Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaupuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1997 * ''Jiboner Gandi, Mrityur Thikana Ebang Annanya Sanglap'' (The Bounds of Life, Death's Destination and Other Dialogues: A Book of dialogues illustrating the Philosophy of Hazrat Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaupuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1999 * ''Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri (RA) er Dharmadarshaner Bhumika'' (A Preface to the Religious Philosophy of Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 2004 * ''Dialogue on Islam: Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri on The Form and Spirit of Islam'' by M. Harunur Rashid. Lamisa Books. Dhaka. 1999. * ''Swapner Moroke Ichchar Basabas'' (Poems dedicated to Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri) by M. Harunur Rashid. Anupam Prakashani. Dhaka. 2002. * ''Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri (ra) Smarak Grantha'' (Memorial Volume) Edited by M. Harunur Rashid. Pathak Shamabesh. Dhaka. 2013. * ''Syed Rashid Ahmed Jaunpuri (ra) Sufi Tatta Bodhini Kathammrito Sagar'' (Lectures on Applied Sufi Lessons) by M. Harunur Rashid. Shamabesh. Dhaka. 2015

References

External links

Recording from Friday Sermon (YouTube)
* Friday Lessons at Mirpur Baitur Rahim Noorani Mosque (YouTube
Part 1Part 2

Friday Sermon (YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaunpuri, Syed Rashid Ahmed Bangladeshi Sufis Barelvis People from Jaunpur district Indian Sufi religious leaders Sufism in Bangladesh Sunni Sufis 1889 births 2001 deaths Bangladeshi Sufi religious leaders