Shah Sufi Sharafatullah

Shah Sufi Sharafatullah
Entrance to the Shrine of Shah Sufi Sharafatullah
Personal life
BornSharafatullah
1816
Oskhain, Anwara, Chittagong, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died1864 (aged 47–48)
Oskhain, Anwara, Chittagong, Bengal Presidency, British India
Resting placeSouthern chamber of Ali Raza Dargah, Oskhain, Anwara, Chittagong
Parents
RegionChittagong
Main interest(s)Fiqh, Sufism, Tafsir, Hadith
Religious life
ReligionIslam
DenominationSunni
OrderChishti, Madariyya, Sabiriyya, Naqshbandi, Qadiriyya
PhilosophySufism
JurisprudenceHanafi
Muslim leader
PredecessorAli Raza
SuccessorShah Sufi Habibur Rahman
Influenced

Shah Sufi Sharafatullah, popularly known as Bura Miah, was a 19th-Century Sufi figure, linguist, and mystic poet from Chittagong, Bengal. He was the son of medieval poet Ali Raza (known as Kanu Shah).[1]

Birth and Family Background

Shah Sufi Sharafatullah was born in 1177 Moghi (1876 ) in Oskhain vullage, located in the Dayang Pargana of Chittagong (present-day Anwara Upazila). He was the youngest child of Ali Raza from his second marriage.[2]

Spiritual Life and Spiritual Practice

Sharafatullah was regarded by his followers as a spiritual figure within the Khidriyya tradition.[3] According to traditional biographical accounts describe him displaying spiritual inclinations from an early age and spending twelve years engaged in secluded devotion (Khalwa).[4][5] Local accounts also associated him with extensive fasting and nightly prayers during this period.[6]

Literary and Epistemological Contributions

He was knowledgeable in Arabic, Persian, Devanagari, and Bengali. His notable literary works include the spiritual text "Suratname-o-Amliyate La Sani" and over 500 compositions consisting of poems and ghazals set to various musical modes (rags).[7][8]

He also produced a handwritten manuscript of the Quran, which is preserved at the Buro Maulana Shah Jame Mosque in Raozan Upazila , Chittagong.

A manuscript of the *Suratnama* transliterated into modern Bengali.

Historical inconsistency regarding the year of birth

Discrepancies exist regarding Sharafatullah's birth and death dates in local historical literature. In "Deyang Porganar Itihas" (PP. 292, 297), it is stated that he died around 1850 at the age of 80, which would place his birth around 1770. However, as his father Ali Raza was borin in 1759, this timeline suggests an 11-year age gap between father and son, which researches view as improbable and attribute ti typographical or informant errors. Family tradition and local biographical consensus maintain his birth year as 1816 (1177 Moghi calendar).[9]

Succession and the Caliphs

Sharafatullah designated 35 deputies (khalifas) to spread his spiritual teachings and lineage. Among his notable deputies were: Haider Ali Shah (Kulalpara, Chandanaish Upazila ), Ashraf Ali Shah (Maheskhali), Belayet Ali Shah ( popularly known as HAri Fakir Shah), Ludi Fakir Hissein Shah, Ali shah, Abdul Hai Shah, Abdur Rahman Shah, Ebadullah Pandit, Azizur Rahman Shah, Alauddin Shah.

Following his death, he was succeeded as the head (gaddinashin) of his spiritual seat by his youngest son, Shah Sufi Habibur Rahman.

Death and Burial

Sharafatullah died in Oskhain village and was buried in a chamber on the southern side of the Shrine complex (Dargah) adjacent to his father Ali Raza's tomb. হয়।

References

  1. ↑ Al Quraishi, Maulana Muhammad Moinuddin Noori (2024). "Siddiquijader Itikatha". Mawaqiyun Nujum (in Bengali). Maktabate Sayadatuj Zohra. p. 16. ISBN 978-984-36-0214-5.
  2. ↑ "Ali Raza". Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  3. ↑ Akter, Maimuna (2 January 2022). "Kashf o Ilham Ki". Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Taher, Jawad (16 November 2022). "Nirjone Ekaki Allahr Ibadat". Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Sadia, Masuma. "Nirjonota : Allahr Sathe Shomporko Laver Opurbo Shujog". Monthly Al Kawsar (in Bengali). Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Al Quraishi, Maulana Muhammad Moinuddin Noori (2011). "Diwan-e-Khawaja Sheikh Sufi Ghouse-e-Azam Sharafatullah (RA)". Shoshtho Rotner Shahi Geeti (in Bengali). Maktabate Sayadatuj Zohra. p. 19. ISBN 978-984-35-8975-0.
  7. ↑ "Sufi Literature". Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  8. ↑ Al Quraishi, Maulana Muhammad Moinuddin Noori (2024). "Hazrat Kanu Shah (RA) er Shahityakorme Khawaja Darvesh Maula (RA) er Abodan (by Muhammad Arafat Bin Mustafiz)". Mawaqiyun Nujum (in Bengali). Maktabate Sayadatuj Zohra. p. 104. ISBN 978-984-36-0214-5.
  9. ↑ Al Quraishi, Maulana Muhammad Moinuddin Noori (2024). "Siddiquijader Itikatha". Mawaqiyun Nujum (in Bengali). Maktabate Sayadatuj Zohra. p. 17. ISBN 978-984-36-0214-5.