Yunus Ali


Yunus Ali, also known as Khawaja Yunus Ali Enayetpuri according to his birthplace, was an Islamic Sufi saint. He was one of the most influential Sufis in Bangladesh in the 20th century. His followers numbered in the hundreds of thousands. A number of khanqahs are operated by his successors, including Bangladesh's largest Khanqahs and also the Ajadia Pak Darbar Sharif, located in Sirajganj city.

Early life

Yunus was born on the 11th of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah in 1303 AH, 21st Kartik in 1293 BS and 10th September 1886 AD in Gregorian calendar. His father was Shah Abdul Karim and his mother was Tahmina Begum. He was the eldest among two brothers and one sister. He studied from the age of 17 for 18 years under Syed Wazed Ali in Calcutta. He studied from the age of 17 for 18 years under Syed Wazed Ali in Calcutta. He is believed to have been descended from Sayyids from Baghdad, but the records were destroyed in a fire on Chaitra 26, 1330.

Teachings

Khwaja's teachings focused on Tajalli, divine illumination, and his followers numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Khwaja Enayetpuri developed a tripartite teaching method, "by writing", "by lecture" and "by khanqah".
His Sufi order influences and is influenced by four other Sufi orders: Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi and Mujaddidi, with special influence from Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi sub-order and he is specifically credited with introducing the Mujaddidi order to Bangladesh. A Sufi revival in then-East Pakistan is attributed to Khwaja's outreach to Muslims skeptical of Sufism, including his work reconciling Sharia and Sufism. He wrote two books, Shariyater Alo and Ganje Asrar about Sharia and Sufism respectively.

Death

Yunus died on 2 March 1952 AD.

Legacy

The institutions Khwaja Yunus Ali University and Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College are named after Khwaja. The institutions were founded by a follower and son-in-law of Khwaja's, M. M. Amjad Hussain, with the location of the medical college having been purportedly selected by Khwaja during his lifetime. A ro-ro ferry is also named after Khwaja, the M/F “ENAYETPURI”.
Khanqahs in Bangladesh dedicated to Khwaja Enayetpuri and established by his devotees include:
  • The Enayetpur Darbar Sharif, the initial khanqah, established by Khwaja himself, and the largest of all khanqahs in Bangladesh. This Sufi Centre is widely known as "Biswa Shanti Manzil".
  • The Shambhuganj Darbar Sharif in Mymensingh
  • The Biswa Zaker Manzil
  • The Chandra Para Darbar Sharif in Faridpur
  • The Paradise Para Darbar Sharif in Tangail founded by Mowlana Makim Uddin, one of the closest disciples of Khwaja Enayetpuri.
  • Murshidpur Darbar Sharif in Jamalpur
  • Ajadia Pak Darbar Sharif
founded by Imamul Arefin Mawlana Syed Alawddin Al Ajadi Naqshabandi Mujaddedi, Shirajganj city .
Current teacher : Rehamnaye Tariqwat Mawlana Syed Abdur Rajjak Al Ajadi Naqshabandi Mujaddedi.
The Enayetpur Darbar Sharif khanqah is led by the spiritual leader, Khwaja Kamal Uddin, the third son of Enayetpuri and the current sajjada nashin of the khanqah. Khwaja Kamal Uddin is an authority on the Naqshbandi and Mujaddidi orders. He succeeded his brothers Khwaja Hasim Uddin and Khwaja Mozammel Huq, former sajjada nashin at the khanqah.

Naqshbandi Sufism

Naqshbandi Sufis claim that Yunus Ali 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
  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.