Syed Abul Fazal Sultan Ahmad


Syed Abul Fazal Sultan Ahmad, also known as Chandrapuri according to his birthplace, was a Bangladeshi Sufi saint, spiritual leader and Islamic scholar. He is most widely recognized as the founder of Chandrapara Pak Darbar Sharif in the Faridpur district and as the spiritual guide of the late Syed Mahbub E Khoda Dewanbagi, the founder of Dewanbag Sharif.

Titles

He is widely revered by his followers as Sultan al-Awliya and the Imam of the Sultania-Mujaddidi Tariqa.
His nisba al-Chāndrāpurī or Chandrapuri indicates his origin from Chandrapara village in Dhaukhali Union under Sadarpur upazila of Faridpur district.

Early life and education

Ahmad was born in 1909 in Chandrapara village of Faridpur District, Eastern Bengal and Assam, British India. His father was Syed Muhammad Qurban Ali Khan and his mother was Begum Khadiza Khatun. His maternal grand-father was Mohammad Amin Uddin Munshi.
His ancestors came to Bengal region from distant Arabia via Anatolia and first settled in Chittagong. Then they went to Faridpur and settled first in Kishtpur village and later in Dashajar village. Finally, they settled in Chandrapara village.
Ahmad studied at Rajachar Madrasa in Faridpur for 6 years. He then studied at Osmania Madrasa in Chandpur, Kamranga Madrasa in Matlab, and finally Hammadia Madrasa in Dhaka.

Religious leadership and teaching

Ahmad belonged to the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi spiritual lineage. He was a disciple of the renowned Sufi saint Khwaja Yunus Ali Enayetpuri of Sirajganj. He later introduced the Sultania-Mujaddidi order.
His teachings focused heavily on Tazkiyah-e-Nafs, Zikar-e-Qalbi, and the strict observance of Islamic rituals combined with spiritual devotion .

Career

He established the Chandrapara Pak Darbar Sharif in the Faridpur district. This institution serves as a center for spiritual learning and currently draws thousands of devotees, particularly during the annual Urs.

Personal life

Ahmad's first wife was named Chamirunnesa Khanom. They had five daughters. Their fourth daughter, Syeda Hamida Begum, was married to Syed Mahbub-e-Khoda, the chief caliph of Ahmad.
Ahmad's second wife was named Khodeza Begum. They had five daughters and one son. Their son Syed Qamaruzzaman is acting pīr of Chandrapara Pak Darbar Sharif.

Death and burial

Ahmad died in his Darbar Sharif on March 28, 1984. He was buried in the Darbar Sharif he established.

Writings and publications

Ahmad has authored books on Sufism in Bengali. Notable works include:

Books

Nurul Asrar Hakkul Yakin
  • ''Sultaniya Khabnama''

Legacy

His demise anniversary ' is a major event at the Chandrapara Darbar, usually celebrated in January each year, attracting a large number of followers from Bangladesh.
He is credited with spreading the teachings of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi order extensively in the region, emphasizing the "Dhikr" of Allah within the heart '. He is credited with being a "reformer of the age" in the context of Sufi traditions in Bangladesh. He later established the Sultania-Mujaddidi Tariqah.
His chief caliph and successor, Syed Mahbub E Khoda Dewanbagi, organized 8 World Sufi Conferences from 1989 to 1996 and 20 World Ashek-e-Rasul Conferences from 1997 to 2018 to commemorate his birth anniversary.

Naqshbandi Sufism

Naqshbandi Sufis claim that Sultan Ahmad is descended from a long line of "spiritual masters" which were claimed by the order:
  1. Muhammad, d. 11 AH, buried in al-Masjid al-Nabawī, al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  2. Abī Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, d. 13 AH, buried in al-Masjid al-Nabawī, al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  3. Salman al-Farsi, d. 35 AH, buried in Al-Mada'in, Iraq.
  4. Al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, d. 107 AH, buried in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
  5. Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, d. 148 AH, buried in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
  6. Bāyazīd Basṭāmī, d. 261 AH, buried in Bastaam, Iran.
  7. Abu 'l-Hassan Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Salmān al-Kharaqāni, d. 425 AH, buried Kharqaan, Iran.
  8. Abu ali Farmadi, d. 477 AH, buried in Tous, Khorasan, Iran.
  9. Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf al-Hammandinā, d. 535 AH, buried in Maru, Khorasan, Iran.
  10. Abdul Khaliq Ghijduwani, d. 575 AH, buried in Ghajdawan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  11. Khwaja Muhammad Arif Riwgari, d. 616 AH, buried in Reogar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  12. Khwaja Mahmood al-Anjir al-Faghnawi, d. 715 AH, buried in Waabakni, Mawarannahr, Uzbekistan.
  13. Azizan Ali Ramitani, d. 715 AH, buried in Khwarezm, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  14. Mohammad as-Samasi, d. 755 AH, buried in Samaas, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  15. Sayyid Shams ud-Dīn Amir Kulāl, d. 772 AH, buried in Saukhaar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  16. Imam Baha' al-Din Naqshband Bukhari, d. 791 AH, buried in Qasr-e-Aarifan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  17. Sayyid Alauddin Attar Bukhari, buried in Jafaaniyan, Mawranahar, Uzbekistan.
  18. Yaʿqūb ibn ʿUthmān ibn Maḥmūd al-Charkhī, d. 851 AH, buried in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
  19. Nāṣir ad-Dīn ʿUbaydullāh ibn Maḥmūd ibn Shihāb ad-Dīn Khwaja Ahrar, d. 895 AH, buried in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
  20. Muhammad Zahid Wakhshi, d. 936 AH, buried in Wakhsh, Malk Hasaar, Tajikistan.
  21. Khwaja Darwish Muhammad, d. 970 AH, buried in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
  22. Khwaja Muhammad Amkanagi, d. 1008 AH, buried in Akang, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
  23. Khwaja Muhammad Baqi Billah, d. 1012 AH, buried in Delhi, India.
  24. Imam Ahmad al-Farūqī al-Sirhindī Mūjaddīd al-Alf al-Thanī, d. 1034 AH, buried in Sirhindi, Punjab, India.
  25. Sayyid Adam Banuri, d. 1053 AH, buried in Jannat al-Baqī, al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  26. Sayyid Abdullah Akbarabadi, buried in Agra, India.
  27. ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi, d. 1131 AH, buried in Delhi, India.
  28. Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi, d. 1176 AH, buried in Delhi, India.
  29. Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi, d. 1239 AH, buried in Delhi, India.
  30. Sayyid Ahmad Shahid Barelvi, d. 1246 AH, buried in Balakot, Pakistan.
  31. Noor Muhammad Nizampuri, d. 1275 AH, buried in Chattogram, Bangladesh.
  32. Sayyid Fateh Ali Waisi, d. 1303/04 AH, buried in Kolkata, India.
  33. Sayyid Wazed Ali Mehedibagi, d. 1338 AH, buried in Kolkata, India.
  34. Khwaja Yunus Ali Enayetpuri, d. 1371 AH, buried in Sirajganj, Bangladesh.
  35. Imam Sayyid Abul Fazal Sultan Ahmad Chandrapuri, d. 1404 AH, buried in Faridpur, Bangladesh.

Controversies

Some critics of Ahmad have questioned certain aspects of his religious teachings and legacy. In writings circulated on Islamic commentary platforms, detractors have characterized particular doctrinal statements attributed to his followers as deviating from mainstream interpretations of Islamic theology, particularly regarding the nature of angelic beings and spiritual hierarchies; these critiques describe such views as inconsistent with orthodox Sunni belief, though supporters of Ahmad reject these characterizations and emphasize his role within the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi Sufi tradition.