Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Encyclopedia
Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari (September 23, 1892 - August 21, 1961), was an Indian Muslim scholar, religious and senior political leader from the Indian subcontinent
. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding members. His biographer, Agha Shorish Kashmiri
, states that Bukhari's greatest contribution had been his germination of strong anti-British feelings among the Indian Muslims.
, India
, in 1892, He received his early religious education in Gujrat
(گجرات ناگڑیاں شریف)and learned the Qur'an
by heart from his father Hafiz Syed Ziauddin at the age of 10 years. He migrated to Amritsar
in 1914 when he was 22 years old. He completed his early education here by subscribing to a purist view of Islam, and remained associated with the Deoband
School in Saharanpur
district. He believed in traditional Islamic, madrasa-based learning, and considered ‘teaching of English’ as irreligious; a commonly held view amongst his contemporary Muslims. Bukhari began his career as a religious preacher in a small mosque in Amritsar
, and taught the Holy Quran for the next 40 years. He became one of the best reciters of the Qur'an of his time.He shared friendship with a section of socialists and communists but did not accept their ideology completely, as to him the ultimate and only guide was the Quran and not materialism
. He was ‘imbued with a brilliant exposition of romantic socialism, and led Muslims to a restlessness activism’. He studied the Sahih Bukhari
in jail when he was imprisoned for an anti-government religious speech.
, Urdu
, Punjabi
, and Multani
. He graphically portrayed the sorrows and sufferings of the poor, and would promise his audience that the end of their sufferings would come about with the end of British rule. He was an exceptional leader who travelled across the length and breadth of the country yet never made any statements to the press. He had been greatly influenced by the Jallianwalla Bagh tragedy of 1919, which had intensified rebellious feelings within him, like many other of his generation. He delivered a stirring speech at the Khilafat Conference held at Amritsar in December 1919. As the first step of his political career, he began to participate in the movements of the Indian National Congress
in 1921 from Kolkata
and here again he delivered a very impressive and impassioned speech. Soon his popularity soared high, and turned him into a known leader, though he was arrested on 27 March 1921 because of that speech. Bukhari believed in attaining independence through non-violent and constitutional means, and as an active Indian National Congress
member, toured the country, often purporting to be an emissary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He combined his politics with missionary zeal, and followed the injunctions of Quran as a devotee throughout his life. He became an eyesore to the administration, and an official view about him said:
Ata Ullah Shah is a man, who it is better to lock up in jail, away from Congress leaders than to parley with. He has spent a considerable part of his life preaching sedition. He is an amusing apeaker, who can influence a crowd.His influence on a future generation of speakers and writers was immense, as was borne out by Agha Shorish Kashmiri
, his colleague and biographer, who himself turned out to be an activist of versatile dimensions and emulated Bukhari's style of oratory and writings. After Nehru report Bukhari created All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam with Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar
, Chaudhry Afzal Haq
, Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din
, Master Taj-uj-Din Ansari
and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan in December 29,1929. Due to his significant role in this movement the important religious figures choose him as the Ameer-e-Shariat in 1930. He was also the founding father of Majlis-e-Ahrar, Indian nationalist Muslim political movement in India. He led a movement against Qadianis and held a Ahrar Tableegh Conference at Qadian
in 21–23 of October 1934. Bukhari was a central figure in the Khatme Nabuwwat
Movement of 1953, which demanded that government of Pakistan declare the Qadianis as non-Muslims.
. He was also a poet and most of his poetry was in Persian
. His poetic verses was compiled by his eldest son Syed Abuzar Bukhari in 1956 under the name of Sawati-ul-ilham.
.
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding members. His biographer, Agha Shorish Kashmiri
Agha Shorish Kashmiri
Agha Shorish Kashmiri was a scholar, writer, debater, and leader of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam party. He was a figure of the freedom movement of undivided India. He was the chief editor of the weekly Chattan.-References:...
, states that Bukhari's greatest contribution had been his germination of strong anti-British feelings among the Indian Muslims.
Birth and education
Born in PatnaPatna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, in 1892, He received his early religious education in Gujrat
Gujrat
Gujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...
(گجرات ناگڑیاں شریف)and learned the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
by heart from his father Hafiz Syed Ziauddin at the age of 10 years. He migrated to Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
in 1914 when he was 22 years old. He completed his early education here by subscribing to a purist view of Islam, and remained associated with the Deoband
Deoband
Deoband is a city and a municipal board in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the upper Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. Deoband used to be surrounded by dense forests, and was believed to be the abode of the Goddess Durga, according to one tradition this is...
School in Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
district. He believed in traditional Islamic, madrasa-based learning, and considered ‘teaching of English’ as irreligious; a commonly held view amongst his contemporary Muslims. Bukhari began his career as a religious preacher in a small mosque in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, and taught the Holy Quran for the next 40 years. He became one of the best reciters of the Qur'an of his time.He shared friendship with a section of socialists and communists but did not accept their ideology completely, as to him the ultimate and only guide was the Quran and not materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
. He was ‘imbued with a brilliant exposition of romantic socialism, and led Muslims to a restlessness activism’. He studied the Sahih Bukhari
Sahih Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
in jail when he was imprisoned for an anti-government religious speech.
Religious and political career
He started his religious and political career in 1916. His speeches were entertaining, eloquent, lucid and full of witty anecdots and stories from Arabic, PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, and Multani
Multani
Multani may refer to:* Multani language, a language spoken in India and Pakistan* Multani , a raga in Indian classical music* Multani , a Muslim community found in the Gujarat state in India...
. He graphically portrayed the sorrows and sufferings of the poor, and would promise his audience that the end of their sufferings would come about with the end of British rule. He was an exceptional leader who travelled across the length and breadth of the country yet never made any statements to the press. He had been greatly influenced by the Jallianwalla Bagh tragedy of 1919, which had intensified rebellious feelings within him, like many other of his generation. He delivered a stirring speech at the Khilafat Conference held at Amritsar in December 1919. As the first step of his political career, he began to participate in the movements of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in 1921 from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and here again he delivered a very impressive and impassioned speech. Soon his popularity soared high, and turned him into a known leader, though he was arrested on 27 March 1921 because of that speech. Bukhari believed in attaining independence through non-violent and constitutional means, and as an active Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
member, toured the country, often purporting to be an emissary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He combined his politics with missionary zeal, and followed the injunctions of Quran as a devotee throughout his life. He became an eyesore to the administration, and an official view about him said:
Ata Ullah Shah is a man, who it is better to lock up in jail, away from Congress leaders than to parley with. He has spent a considerable part of his life preaching sedition. He is an amusing apeaker, who can influence a crowd.His influence on a future generation of speakers and writers was immense, as was borne out by Agha Shorish Kashmiri
Agha Shorish Kashmiri
Agha Shorish Kashmiri was a scholar, writer, debater, and leader of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam party. He was a figure of the freedom movement of undivided India. He was the chief editor of the weekly Chattan.-References:...
, his colleague and biographer, who himself turned out to be an activist of versatile dimensions and emulated Bukhari's style of oratory and writings. After Nehru report Bukhari created All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam with Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar
Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar
Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar was the leader of Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam and a political figure in the history of Sub-Continent India. He was also a founder of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam. He was elected three times to the Punjab Assembly, serving from 1924–26 and 1934–45. He also run the...
, Chaudhry Afzal Haq
Chaudhry Afzal Haq
Chaudhry Afzal Haq was a leader of Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam and a political figure in the history of Sub-Continent India. He was also a founder of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam. He founded Ahrar with Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari. He was elected for three times in Punjab Assembly. He was also a Member of...
, Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din
Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din
Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din was a figure in the history of Indian subcontinent and a leader of All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. After the partition of India he left politics and struggle for Khatm-e-Nubuwwat movement with Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari, chief of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Pakistan. In 1953 he...
, Master Taj-uj-Din Ansari
Master Taj-uj-Din Ansari
Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari was a figure in the history of Indian subcontinent and a leader of All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. After the partition of India he left politics and struggle for Khatm-e-Nubuwwat movement with Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari, chief of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Pakistan. In 1953...
and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan in December 29,1929. Due to his significant role in this movement the important religious figures choose him as the Ameer-e-Shariat in 1930. He was also the founding father of Majlis-e-Ahrar, Indian nationalist Muslim political movement in India. He led a movement against Qadianis and held a Ahrar Tableegh Conference at Qadian
Qadian
Qadian is a small town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur District, north-east of Amritsar, situated north-east of Batala city in the state of Punjab, India....
in 21–23 of October 1934. Bukhari was a central figure in the Khatme Nabuwwat
Khatme Nabuwwat
Khatim an-Nabuwwah , or Seal of Prophethood, is an Islamic belief unique to Prophet Muhammad. However, there is a difference of interpretation within Muslims; orthodox Muslims hold a consensus that this implies that prophethood came to an end after Muhammad, whereas other groups such as Ahmadiyya...
Movement of 1953, which demanded that government of Pakistan declare the Qadianis as non-Muslims.
Oratory and poetry
He became known for his oratoryOratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
. He was also a poet and most of his poetry was in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. His poetic verses was compiled by his eldest son Syed Abuzar Bukhari in 1956 under the name of Sawati-ul-ilham.
Death
Bukhari died on August 21 1961. A crowd of above 200,000 (two lac people) attended his Namaz-e-Janazah (funeral prayer) in MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
.