{{Short description|Bengali Islamic scholar, poet and activist (1872–1931)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox Muslim leader | honorific_prefix = [[Shah]] | name = Muhammad Ibrahim Ali<br>Tashna | birth_date = 1872 | birth_place = [[Kanaighat]], [[Sylhet District]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1931|9|11|1872||}} | death_place = [[Kanaighat]], [[Sylhet District]] | religion = [[Islam]] | school_tradition = [[Sunni]] | Maddhab = [[Hanafi]] | main_interests = [[Hadith]], [[poetry]] | works = [[Agnikuṇḍa]] | relatives = [[Ismail Alam]] (brother) | influences = [[Mahmud Hasan Deobandi]]<br>[[Ashraf Ali Thanwi]] | teacher = [[Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad]] | children = [[Oliur Rahman]] }}{{Deobandi}} '''Shāh Muḥammad Ibrāhīm ʿAlī''' ({{langx|bn|শাহ মোহাম্মদ ইবরাহীম আলী}}; 1872 – 11 September 1931) was a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] [[Islamic scholar]], poet and activist of the [[Khilafat Movement]]. He wrote poetry in the [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Urdu]] and [[Farsi|Persian]] languages under the [[pen name]] of '''Tashna''' ({{langx|fa|{{Nastaliq|تشنه}}}}). His [[magnum opus]] ''[[Agnikuṇḍa]]'' is a compilation of his writings during his imprisonment.<ref name="madina">Laskar, Mahmud, ''Monthly Madina'', February 2009 (in Bengali)</ref>
== Early life and family == Shah Muhammad Ibrahim Ali was born in 1872, to a [[Bengali Muslim]] family in the village of Batiail in [[Kanaighat Upazila|Kanaighat]], [[Sylhet District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kanaighatup.sylhet.gov.bd/bn/site/page/FWG7-%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE|title=এক নজরে ইবরাহীম তশনা|date=7 May 2020|website=Kanaighat Upojela|access-date=12 September 2021}}</ref> His father, Mawlana Shah Abdur Rahman Qadri, was a notable [[mufti]] by occupation.<ref>{{cite book|title=এক নজরে কানাইঘাট|trans-title=Kanaighat at a glance|language=bn|author=Dr Shamsuddin|page=67|date=15 February 1987}}</ref> His elder brother was [[Ismail Alam]].<ref>{{cite book|title=বাংলাদেশে উর্দু সাহিত্য|trans-title=Urdu literature in Bangladesh|language=bn|author=Bhuiyan, Zafar Ahmed}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=বাংলাদেশে আরবী, ফার্সী ও উর্দুতে ইসলামী সাহিত্য চর্চা|trans-title=The practice of Islamic literature in Arabic, Persian and Urdu in Bangladesh|language=bn|author=Abdul Baqi, Dr Muhammad|publisher=[[Islamic Foundation Bangladesh]]}}</ref> The family was descended from Shah Taqiuddin, a 14th-century [[Sufism|Sufi]] missionary and companion of [[Shah Jalal]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Mashayekhe Assam|language=bn|author=Ragbi, Abdul Jalil|publisher=Nuri Islamic Foundation|location=[[Nagaon]], [[India]]}}</ref><ref name="ib">{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[Islami Bishwakosh]]|volume=4|page=700|edition=2|date=June 2006}}</ref>
== Education == Ali initially studied at home with his father before enrolling at the [[Ajiria Madrasa]] in Fulbari, [[Golapganj Upazila|Golapganj]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|last=Choudhury|first=Mustansirur Rahman|language=bn|title=আঞ্চলিক ইতিহাস: ফুলবাড়ী আজিরিয়া আলিয়া মাদ্রাসা|trans-title=Regional history: Fulbari Aziriya Aliya Madrasha|date=November 1999}}</ref> After completing his education there, he studied at the [[Darul Uloom Deoband]] in [[North India]].<ref name="ragib">{{cite news|author=Chowdhury, Ragib Husayn|work=[[Sylheter Dak]]|language=bn|date=3 March 1994}}</ref> Ali spent nine years in [[Deoband district|Deoband]], studying under the likes of [[Fazal Haq Deobandi]], [[Muhammad Munir Nanautavi]] and [[Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad]].<ref name=shahid>{{cite book|title=স্মৃতির পাতায় জালালাবাদ|author=Chowdhury, Shahid|publisher=Jalalabad Forum|location=[[Japan]]|year=1994|language=bn}}</ref>
He was married to Asiya Khatun, and had several children including [[Oliur Rahman]].<ref name="ReferenceAb">[[Sylheter Dak]], 16 January 2009, page 8</ref>
== Career == Returning to his country, Ali began his career in the sector of [[Islamic studies|Islamic education]]. In addition to the [[Imdadul Uloom Umarganj]] in [[Kanaighat Upazila|Kanaighat]] (est. 1899), Ali established multiple educational institutions such as Sarakerbazar Ahmadiyya Madrasa.<ref>{{cite book|language=bn|title=কানাইঘাটের উলামায়ে কেরাম|volume=1|author=Abdur Rahim, Muhammad|publisher=Pandulipi Prakashan|date=March 2018}}</ref> At this time, the teaching of ''[[tajwid]]'' was not prevalent in the Jaintia plains, and so Ali began a ''tajwid'' initiative at his madrasa in [[Umar Ganj, Ghazipur|Umarganj]].<ref>{{cite book|language=bn|title=হায়াতে তাইয়্যিবা|author=Rahmatullah, Mohammad|year=1985}}</ref>
In 1902, Ali set off towards [[Delhi]] in [[North India]] for second time, along with his students. He completed [[Hadith studies]] for two years under [[Nazir Ahmad Deobandi]].<ref name="ragib"/> His teacher noticed his thirst for seeking ''[[Ilm (Arabic)|ilm]]'' and thus gave him the [[epithet]] of '''Tashna''', meaning thirsty in [[Farsi|Persian]]. It is from this period that he became recognised as Ibrahim Ali Tashna.<ref name="ib"/>
Tashna played a significant role in popularising Islamic gatherings (''jalsa'') in the erstwhile [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet district]].<ref name="ragib"/> His first mass gathering event in northern Sylhet took place in 1906, and had tens of thousands of attendees.<ref name="kanaighatnews">{{cite web|url=http://www.kanaighatnews.com/2021/09/blog-post_86.html?m=1|language=bn|date=September 2021|author=Sharma, Nandalal|title=মরমি কবি ইবরাহীম তশ্না|trans-title=Mystic poet Ibrahim Tashna}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=সিলেটের একশত একজন|author=Rahman, Fazlur|language=bn|trans-title=Sylhet's one hundred and one personalities}}</ref> A popular folk saying emerged as result of the popularity of Tashna and his accomplice's religious gatherings: {{Quote|text=ত্রিশ চল্লিশ হাজার লোক হয় এই মহফিলের মাঝে trish chôllish hazar lok hoy ei môhfiler majhe<br> ইসলামের ডঙ্কা বাজে- হায় হায়<br> islamer dôngka baje - hay hay<br> রঙ্গে ঢঙ্গের ওয়াজ করে কত রঙ্গের উলামায়। rônge dhônger waz kôre kôtô rônger ulamay.}}
== Imprisonment and activism == Under the instructions of [[Mahmud Hasan Deobandi]], Tashna became actively involved with the [[Khilafat Movement]] which sought to restore the [[Ottoman Caliphate]]. Tashna used to give public speeches in Bengali and Urdu,<ref name="ib"/> and gained this skill through giving ''[[khutbahs]]'' (Friday sermons) at the [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]] of [[Delhi]].<ref>{{cite book|language=bn|title=উদাসী তশ্না|author=[[Oliur Rahman]]|year=1992}}</ref> As a result of his association with this movement, the [[British Empire|colonial authorities]] imprisoned Tashna.<ref name="madina"/>
On 23 March 1922, the Kanaighat Islamia Madrasa set to host their annual [[jalsa]] (presided by Tashna) but the [[British Raj]] had outlawed it and declared [[Section 144]] throughout Kanaighat. Tashna and his committee were not fussed by the ban and subsequently violated Section 144 by continuing the jalsa. J. E. Webster, the Commissioner of [[Sylhet Division|Surma Valley]], sent a police force to the jalsa at 12pm, who began shooting at the masses.<ref>{{cite book|language=bn|title=Jaintia Darpan|author=Rahman, Fazlur}}</ref> The armed British were able to conduct a swift victory, by shooting down six people dead and injuring 38 others.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hasnat, Abul|url=https://bd24report.com/bangla/2019/03/09/%e0%a6%ac%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%9f%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b6-%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b0%e0%a7%8b%e0%a6%a7%e0%a7%80-%e0%a6%86%e0%a6%a8%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a6%e0%a7%8b%e0%a6%b2%e0%a6%a8%e0%a7%87/|title=ব্রিটিশ বিরোধী আন্দোলনে কানাইঘাটের অবদান|trans-title=Kanaighat's contribution to the anti-British movement|date=2019-03-09|website=bd24report.com|language=bn|access-date=2021-09-09|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826095053/https://bd24report.com/bangla/2019/03/09/%e0%a6%ac%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%9f%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b6-%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b0%e0%a7%8b%e0%a6%a7%e0%a7%80-%e0%a6%86%e0%a6%a8%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a6%e0%a7%8b%e0%a6%b2%e0%a6%a8%e0%a7%87/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Works == Tashna wrote several books in [[Urdu]] such as ''Tajvid'', ''Sharh Kafiyyah'' and ''Sharh [[Usul ash-Shashi]]''.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite book|title=মরমি কবি ইবরাহিম আলী তশনা ও অগ্নিকুণ্ড গানের সংকলন|author=Faruqi, Sarwar|publisher=Madina Publications|year=2009|location=[[Ekushey Book Fair]]|language=bn|trans-title=Mystic poet Ibrahim Ali Tashna and compilation of the Agnikunda song}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Bismil, Mohammad Abdul Jaleel|language=ur|title={{Nastaliq|سلہٹ میں اردو}}|trans-title=Urdu in Sylhet|location=[[Karachi]]|year=1981|publisher=[[Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu]]|url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/salhat-mein-urdu-mohammad-abdul-jaleel-bismil-ebooks}}</ref> He is described as a natural poet,<ref>{{cite book|language=bn|title=বাংলাদেশের সূফী সাধক|author=Saqlain, Ghulam|publisher=[[Islamic Foundation Bangladesh]]|location=[[Dhaka]]|pages=111–114}}</ref> and has written many poems and ''[[qasida]]''s in Urdu and [[Farsi|Persian]], which gained him repute in [[North India]]. His writings were regularly published in various periodicals published from North India at that time, and [[Akbar Allahabadi]] was among his fans.<ref name="madina"/>
It was the period after his imprisonment in which he left the political field to live a more spiritual and secluded life. During this time, Tashna began to write a lot of mysyic poetry in his mother-tongue, Bengali.<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite book|title=লোকসংস্কৃতি : সিলেট প্রেক্ষিত|language=bn|author=Sharma, Nandalal}}</ref> The ''Nurer Jhangkar'' magazine was published by his son from 1934.<ref>{{cite book|title=বাঁশির সুরে অঙ্গ জ্বলে|trans-title=The limbs burn to the tune of the flute|language=bn|author=Sharma, Nandalal}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=আসাদ্দর রচনা সমগ্র|language=bn|volume=2|page=35|date=21 February 2003|publisher=The Ethnic Minorities Original History and Research Centre|location=[[London]], [[United Kingdom]]|trans-title=Asaddar's entire composition}}</ref> ''[[Agnikuṇḍa]]'' was a compilation of songs relating to the longing and love of the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]], and is regarded as Tashna's [[magnum opus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://northamerica.prothomalo.com/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8|title=সিলেটের মরমি গান|trans-title=Mystic songs of Sylhet|work=[[Prothom Alo]]|language=bn|access-date=2021-09-09|archive-date=9 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909133558/https://northamerica.prothomalo.com/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Death == Tashna died in his own home at [[Kanaighat Upazila|Kanaighat]] at the age of 61, on 11 September 1931.<ref name="ib"/> He left behind four sons and one daughter.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
== See also == * [[List of Deobandis]]
== Further reading == * {{cite book |title=বাংলাদেশে হাদিস চর্চা উৎপত্তি ও ক্রমবিকাশ |trans-title=Origin and development of Hadith practice in Bangladesh |author=Sayed, Dr. Ahsan |year=2006 |publisher=Adorn Publications |location=[[Dhaka]] |pages=173 |isbn=9789842005602}}
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Hanafi scholars}} {{Islam in South Asia}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Tashna, Ibrahim Ali}}
[[Category:Deobandis]] [[Category:Urdu-language poets]] [[Category:Persian-language poets]] [[Category:1872 births]] [[Category:1931 deaths]] [[Category:People from Kanaighat Upazila]] [[Category:20th-century Bengali poets]] [[Category:19th-century Bengali people]] [[Category:Darul Uloom Deoband alumni]] [[Category:Sunni Sufis]] [[Category:Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam]]