Sadeq Ali
Munshi Muhammad Sadeq Ali, born as Sri Gaur Kishore Sen, was a prominent Bengali Muslim writer, poet and district judge from 19th century Bengal. He is considered to be the most well-known writer to have used the Sylheti Nagri script and this is due to his magnum opus, Halat-un-Nabi, which gained immense popularity in the Sylhet region and would later be transcribed in the Bengali script.
Early life
Muhammad Sadeq Ali was born in a Bengali Baidya family around 1800 as Shree Gour Kishore Sen.In August 1818, he was taught the basics of Islam by Maulvi Muhammad Yusuf. Sadeq grew an interest in the Arabic and Persian languages, and so he studied under Mir Munshi Abul Fazl, a detective of the Hingazia thana.
He formally accepted Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Sadeq Ali. He also mentions that he was a follower of the Hanafi madhhab.
Career as a writer
Sadeq Ali decided to take a reformist stance against the common Bengali Muslim literature of Sylhet which had used religious syncretism with Hinduism, in particular Vaishnavism, and Sufi Baul elements. Sadeq Ali then published his Mahabbatnama based on the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha taking inspiration from the earlier version by Shah Gharibullah of West Bengal. He also wrote Hashor Michhil, which also remains in circulation, continuing to be sold in shops in both Sylheti Nagri and Bengali scripts. as well as Radd al-Hind, Kashf al-Bid'ah, Pandenama, Dafeh al-Hujat, Hushiarnama and Rahasatul Islam.Sadeq Ali later composed another puthi about the prophetic biography called Halat-un-Nabi in 1855, focusing more on scripture rather than more popular folk beliefs. It became a household item in every Bengali Muslim homestead in Greater Sylhet and Cachar, making it the most popular and widely printed book in the Sylheti Nagri script. Sadeq Ali wrote Radd-i-Kufr in 1874.