Khwaja Yunus Ali

Khwaja Yunus Ali, also known as Khwaja Enayetpuri after his birthplace of Enayetpur in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh),[1] was a prominent Sufi saint. He is considered the founder of Mujaddediya Tariqa in Bangladesh.

Personal life

Born on Zilhaj 11, 1303 (10 September 1886 AD), he studied from the age of 17 for 18 years under sheikh Syed Wazeed Ali in Calcutta.[2][3][1] He is believed to have been descended from Sayyids from Baghdad,[4][1] but the records were destroyed in a fire on Chaitra 26, 1330 (1924 AD).[4] Khwaja died in 1951.[1]

Teachings

Khwaja's teachings focused on Tajalli, divine illumination,[2] and his followers numbered in the hundreds of thousands.[5][1] Khwaja developed a tripartite teaching method, "by writing", "by lecture" and "by khanqah".[1] His tariqa (order) influences and is influenced by four Sufi orders - Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi and Mujaddediya,[3] with special influence from Naqshbandi and Mozaddediya,[1] and he is specifically credited with introducing the Mujaddediya order to Bangladesh.[6] A Sufi revival in then-East Pakistan is attributed to Khwaja's outreach to Muslims skeptical of Sufism, including his work reconciling Sharia and Sufism (tariqa).[1] He wrote two books, Shariyater Alo (The Light of Sharia) and Ganje Asrar (The City of Mystery), about Sharia and Tariqa (Sufism) respectively.[1]

Legacy

The institutions Khwaja Yunus Ali University[7] and Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College[8] are named after Khwaja. The institutions were founded by a follower and son-in-law of Khwaja's, Doctor M. M. Amjad Hussain,[9] with the location of the medical college having been purportedly selected by Khwaja during his lifetime.[10] A ro-ro ferry is also named after Khwaja, the M/F “ENAYETPURI”.

Khanqahs (Sufi centres) in Bangladesh dedicated to Khwaja Enayetpuri and established by his devotees include:[3]

  • The Enayetpur Darbar Sharif, the initial khanqah, established by Khwaja himself, and the largest of all khanqahs in Bangladesh. This Sufi Centre is widely known as "Biswa Shanti Manzil" (The World Peace Centre).[1]
  • The Shambhuganj Darbar Sharif in Mymensingh
  • The Biswa Zaker Manzil (The World Zaker Centre, established in Atroshi by the pir of Atroshi, and one of the largest khanqahs founded by Khwaja's disciples)[1]
  • The Chandra Para Darbar Sharif in Faridpur
  • The Paradise Para Darbar Sharif in Tangail founded by Mowlana Makim Uddin, one of the closest disciples of Khwaja Enayetpuri.
  • Murshidpur Darbar Sharif in Jamalpur

The Enayetpur Darbar Sharif khanqah is led by the spiritual leader, Khwaja Kamal Uddin (aged 94 in 2018), the third son of Khwaja Enayetpuri and the current sajjada nashin (Sufi master) of the khanqah.[1] Khwaja Kamal Uddin is an authority on the Naqshbandi and Mozaddediya orders. He succeeded his brothers Khwaja Hasim Uddin and Khwaja Mozammel Huq, former sajjada nashin at the khanqah.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dastagir, Golam (2006). The Biographical Encyclopaedia of Islamic Philosophy. Oxford University Press. pp. 79–80.
  2. 1 2 "Sufism Journal: Community: Sufism in Bangladesh". sufismjournal.org.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Khwaja Enayetpuri(r) and his Legacy". Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Life and Work". Khwaja Enayetpuri. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  5. ↑ Dastagir, Golam (June 2002). "Some Aspects of Khwaja Enayetpuri's Sūfism" (PDF). Copula. 19. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Dastagir, Golam. "Islam & Multiculturalism in Bangladesh: A Reflection" (PDF). International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "Background History". Khwaja Yunus Ali University. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "About Kyamc". Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "The Founder of KYAU". Khwaja Yunus Ali University. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "Our Vision, Our Mission". Khwaja Yunus Ali Nursing College. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
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