Sayed Muhammad Ishaq

Syed Muhammad Ishaq (; 1915–1977) was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, author, mufassir, debator and educationist. He was a disciple of Muhammad Ibrahim of Ujani. Ishaq was the inaugural Pir Saheb of Charmonai, having founded the Charmonai Darbar Sharif and Jamia Rashidia Ahsanabad in 1924, one of the largest Islamic institutions in South Bengal. He was succeeded by his son, Syed Fazlul Karim, and became posthumously known by his followers as Dada Huzur. Early life and family Ishaq was born in 1915 to a Bengali Muslim family of Syeds in the village of Pashurikathi in Char Monai, located to the east of the Kirtankhola river in Backergunge District, Bengal Province. His father, Syed Amjad Ali, traced his lineage to Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam. His great great grandfather, Syed Ali Akbar, migrated from Baghdad to Bengal, settling in the village of Pashurikathi in Barisal. Akbar's younger brother, Syed Ali Asghar, founded the Syed family of Laktia, located west of the Kirtankhola. Education Ishaq started his primary education under his uncle Syed Muhammad Abdul Jabbar of Charmonai. He then became a student of Muhammad Ibrahim of Ujani at the Jamia Islamia Ibrahimia in Kachua, Chandpur, where he furthered his Qur'anic studies. After completing the seven qira'at under his teacher, he enrolled at the Bhola Darul Hadith Alia Madrasa in Bhola Island where he passed his jamat-e-ula. Ishaq then moved to India to study at the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in Saharanpur. Career After returning to Bengal, Ishaq dedicated his life to teaching the Islamic sciences. In 1932, he founded the Charmonai Ahsanabad Rashidia Madrasa and Lillah Boarding (Orphanage) from his own home. It was named after his uncle Syed Ahsan and the Deobandi jurist Rashid Ahmad Gangohi respectively. He independently taught the Dars-i Nizami syllabus, before retiring in 1947. After 1947, through the efforts of Muhammad Esmatullah and his son-in-law Delwar Husain, the institution became an alia madrasa. Among his students were Syed Fazlul Karim, Muhammad Abul Bashar of Shahtali and Azharul Islam Siddiqi of Manikganj.