Muhammad Ishaq


Muhammad Ishaq was an Islamic scholar and Sufi from Bengal.

Biography

Ishaq was born in the year 1883 CE, in Feni. He received his primary religious education from the local religious institution. Then he got admitted into an 'alim course in Comilla. Later, he travelled to Makkah where he got admitted into the Madrasah as-Sawlatiyah. He studied Islamic studies and Arabic for eleven years in that institution, under Shaykhu'd-Dal'ail Abdul Haqq Muhajir Makki who treated him like his adopted son. Later, he was appointed as a teacher of that madrasa. He got khilafat from his teacher and returned to his own country.
After returning to Bengal, Ishaq also involved in sufistic practices. It is said that he had karamat. People began to approach him for spiritual guidance. He travelled to Comilla, Noakhali, Barisal, Hatiya and Sandwip. In these places many people became his murids. Later, he renewed his bay'at at the hands of Abdur Rabb who was the grandson of Karamat Ali Jaunpuri. After that he began to be influenced by Jaunpuris.
Ishaq established an orphanage in 1936. He donated all of his immovable properties for this orphanage. The orphanage is called "Ishaqiya Yatimkhana". It is situated in Daganbhuiyan, Feni. He also gave financial help to establish mosques, eidgahs and madrasas.
Ishaq wrote an Urdu book titled Ta'lim-e-Haqqani Wa Fuyud-e-Ishaqi. In that book he described about Sufi problems, zikr and mediation. He kept himself away from active politics but supported the independence movement of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Ishaq died on 18 November 1938.