Faḍl al-Ḥaqq ibn Wājid ad-Dīn al-Amīnī ( ar, فضل الحق بن واجد الدين الأميني; 194512 December 2012), or simply Fazlul Hoque Amini ( bn, ফজলুল হক আমিনী) was an
Islamic scholar
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of reli ...
and politician from
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. He served as an
MP in the
Parliament of Bangladesh
The Jatiya Sangsad ( bn, জাতীয় সংসদ, lit=National Parliament, translit=Jatiyô Sôngsôd), often referred to simply as the ''Sangsad'' or JS and also known as the House of the Nation, is the supreme legislative body of ...
from 2002 to 2007. He was an expert in the fields of Islamic
jurisprudence
Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...
(
fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
),
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
and
tasawwuf
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
. He also held a number of positions on the boards of
qaumi
Qawmi Madrasah ( bn, কওমী মাদ্রাসা, ar, المدرسة القومية, al-Madrasah al-Qawmiyyah) is an adjective describing one of the two major madrasah educational categories in Bangladesh. The Qawmi madrasahs are not ...
madrasah
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s. He was also the
principal of
Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh
Al-Jāmiʿah al-Qurʼāniyyah al-ʿArabiyyah Lālbāgh ( ar, الجامعة القرآنية العربية لالباغ), better known simply as Lalbagh Madrasah ( bn, লালবাগ মাদ্রাসা), is a Qawmi madrasa providing hig ...
in Lalbagh,
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
, one of the largest
Deobandi
Deobandi is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam, adhering to the Hanafi school of law,
formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the name derives,
by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, R ...
Islamic schools of Bangladesh.
Early life and education
Fazlul Haque was born on 15 November 1945 in the village of Aminpur in
Brahmanbaria
Brahmanbaria ( bn, ব্রাহ্মণবাড়িয়া, Brāhmaṇabāṛiẏā) is a city of Bangladesh and the capital of Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila as well as Brahmanbaria District. It is the second largest city after Cumilla ...
,
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...
. His father was Alhaj Wajed Uddin.
He started his education in
Jamia Islamia Yunusia
Al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmiyyah al-Yūnusiyyah ( ar, الجامعة الإسلامية اليونسية), also known as ''Jamia Islamia Yunusia'' ( bn, জামেয়া ইসলামিয়া ইউনুছিয়া), is one of the Qawmi ...
at nine/ten years old before spending three years at Mustafaganj Madrasa in
Munshiganj
Munshiganj ( bn, মুন্সীগঞ্জ), also historically known as Bikrampur, is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District.
Geography
Total land area is 235974 acres (954 km2), ...
under Hafiz Muhsinuddin. His father then took him to Ashraful Uloom Bara Katara where he studied under Principal Pirji Huzur. Then in 1961, he enrolled at the
Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh
Al-Jāmiʿah al-Qurʼāniyyah al-ʿArabiyyah Lālbāgh ( ar, الجامعة القرآنية العربية لالباغ), better known simply as Lalbagh Madrasah ( bn, লালবাগ মাদ্রাসা), is a Qawmi madrasa providing hig ...
for
Hadith studies
Hadith studies ( ar, علم الحديث ''ʻilm al-ḥadīth'' "science of hadith", also science of hadith, or science of hadith criticism or hadith criticism)
consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in th ...
. In 1969, following the request of
Shamsul Haque Faridpuri
Shams al-Ḥaqq ibn Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Chirāgh ʿAlī al-Farīdfūrī ( ar, شمس الحق بن محمد عبد الله بن تشراغ علي الفريدفوري), or simply known as Shamsul Haque Faridpuri ( bn, শামসু ...
, Amini advanced his knowledge of
ahadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
and
fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
by going to
Jamia Binoria
Jamia Binoria Aalamia is an Islamic educational institute in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is regarded as one of the most modern madrassa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational ins ...
in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
for one year where he studied under
Muhammad Yousuf Banuri
Muhammad Yousuf Banuri (7 May 1908 – 17 October 1977) was a Pakistani Islamic scholar, founder of Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia and former President and Vice President of Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia, Pakistan from 30 May 1973 to 17 October 1977.
Edu ...
.
Career
Amini was the chairman of a faction of
Islami Oikya Jote
The Islami Oikya Jote ( bn, ইসলামী ঐক্য জোট, ''Islami Oikko Joţ'', "Islamic Unity Front") is a political party in Bangladesh and is allied with the Four Party Alliance.
History
During the legislative elections of 1 ...
(IOJ),
[ and also a leader of Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat. He was a former component of the BNP-led four-party alliance. In 1970, he became the ]Imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
and Khatib
In Islam, a khatib, khateeb or hatib ( ar, خطيب ''khaṭīb'') is a person who delivers the sermon (''khuṭbah'') (literally "narration"), during the Friday prayer and Eid prayers.
The ''khateeb'' is usually the prayer leader ('' imam''), ...
of Alubazar Jame Masjid in Old Dhaka
Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ ...
where he also founded a madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
. In the same year, he became a teacher at Hafezzi Huzur
Muḥammadullāh ibn Idrīs ibn Akram ad-Dīn al-Miyānjī ( ar, محمد الله بن إدريس بن أكرم الدين الميانجي; 1895 - 6 May 1987), commonly known as Hafezzī Huzūr ( ar, حافظجي حضور, bn, হাফেজ ...
's founded Madrasa Nuriya in Kamrangirchar, Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
and married Hafezzi's daughter. In 1972, he completed his hifz
Hafiz (; ar, حافظ, ḥāfiẓ, pl. ''ḥuffāẓ'' , f. ''ḥāfiẓa'' ), literally meaning "memorizer", depending on the context, is a term used by Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Quran. Hafiza is the female equiva ...
(memorisation of the entire Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
) in nine months. Under the leadership of Hafezzi Huzur, he was a member of the Antarjatik Shanti Mission (International Peace Mission) relating to the Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...
. He became a teacher and assistant mufti
A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important rol ...
at Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh
Al-Jāmiʿah al-Qurʼāniyyah al-ʿArabiyyah Lālbāgh ( ar, الجامعة القرآنية العربية لالباغ), better known simply as Lalbagh Madrasah ( bn, লালবাগ মাদ্রাসা), is a Qawmi madrasa providing hig ...
in 1975.
In 1984, he became the Chief Mufti of Lalbagh and later became its principal and Shaykhul Hadith in 1987 following Hafezzi Huzur's death. He also taught at Ashraful Uloom Bara Katara. In 1992, Amini organised a long march protest against the demolition of the Babri Masjid
The demolition of the Babri Masjid was illegally carried out on 6 December 1992 by a large group of activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied organisations. The 16th-century Babri Masjid in the city of Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, had ...
in Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.[ Amini was appointed as the guardian (Muhtamim and Mutawalli) of Ashraful Uloom Bara Katara in 2003.
In his home district of Brahmanbaria, he tackled certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In 1996, he stood up as a potential candidate for the ]Brahmanbaria-2
Brahmanbaria-2 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh since 2018 by Ukil Abdul Sattar Bhuiyan of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Boundaries
The constituency encompasses Ashuganj and Sarail upaz ...
constituency, as a part of the Sammilita Sangram Parishad party, however he was unsuccessful. He managed to become MP during the 2001 Bangladeshi general election
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 1 October 2001. The 300 single-seat constituencies of the Jatiya Sangsad were contested by 1,935 candidates representing 54 parties and including 484 independents. The elections were the second to be ...
as a part of the Islami Oikya Jote
The Islami Oikya Jote ( bn, ইসলামী ঐক্য জোট, ''Islami Oikko Joţ'', "Islamic Unity Front") is a political party in Bangladesh and is allied with the Four Party Alliance.
History
During the legislative elections of 1 ...
party, receiving over 55% of total votes. He was able to create a strong mass movement when the Bangladesh High Court
The High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh ( bn, হাইকোর্ট ডিভিশন) popularly known as the 'High Court' is one of the two divisions of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the other division being the Appellate D ...
ruled in early 2001 to ban the fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
.[ During the ]2008 Bangladeshi general election
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 29 December 2008. The two main parties in the election were the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia, and the Bangladesh Awami League Party, led by Sheikh Hasina. The Bangladesh Awa ...
, he stood up for the same constituency with IOJ party but was beaten by Md. Ziaul Haque Mridha
Md. Ziaul Haque Mridha ( bn, মোঃ জিয়াউল হক মৃধা) is a Jatiya Party politician and the former Member of Parliament from Brahmanbaria-2.
Early life
Mridha was born on 1 January 1952. He has a B.A. and a law degre ...
of the Jatiya Party.
Views
He spoke out against the Women Development Policy of 2011 and the Education Policy of 2012 formulated by the Awami League government after coming to power in January 2009, saying the proposed legal reforms were anti-Islamic. According to Rashidul Hasan, writing in '' The Daily Star'' in April 2011:
Islamic scholars and academics interviewed by ''The Daily Star'' disagreed with Amini, saying there was nothing anti-Islamic about the policies. They said Amini was misinterpreting the Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
out of ignorance, or was deliberately twisting its words for political gain.
At a gathering on 14 July 2011, Amini, speaking about the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which among other things restored the principle of secularism
Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on Secularity, secular, Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic considerations.
Secularism is most commonly defined as the Separation of church and state, separation of relig ...
and freedom of religion
Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
, said, "People will throw the constitution, from where the name of Allah has been dropped, into dustbin ". He was sued for sedition
Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...
for this remark, although he argued that it was a figure of speech.[ On 26 September 2011, the High Court ordered him to surrender to authorities immediately. He spent the remainder of his life under what he termed "]house arrest
In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...
", his movements confined by police to his home and the IOJ party office in Lalbagh Thana
Lalbagh ( bn, লালবাগ) is a neighbourhood of the Dhaka District in the division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Lalbagh is located at 23° 42' N, 90° 22' E. It was formerly larger, with a total area of . The district has since split, ...
, Dhaka.[
Amini's madrasa is now used as the Dhaka coordination office of Hefazat a Islam Bangladesh.
]
WikiLeaks cable
A WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks () is an international Nonprofit organization, non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous Source (journalism), sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activism, Internet acti ...
cable describing a conversation of Amini with Chammas, the US ambassador in Dhaka of 14 December 2004, reveals many unknown thoughts of the IOJ leader.
Chammas wrote to Washington in the summary: "At a chance encounter with polcouns, IOJ chairman Fazlul Haq Amini denounced Jamaat Islami as power hungry, criticized the BDG on several fronts, opposed the proposed USD 2 billion Tata investment in Bangladesh, indicated the Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
has offered him money to quit the ruling alliance, and described in general terms his vision for Bangladesh as a truly Islamic state. How, he asked, could IOJ could improve its image in the U.S. and why is the US Government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...
anti-madrassah?"
Death
He died in Dhaka on 12 December 2012 at 12:20 (GMT+6).
Following his death, his son, Abul Hasnat Amini, became actively involved with Hefazat-e-Islam.
Hefazat-e-Islam, led by Amini's teacher Ahmad Shafi
Shah Ahmad Shafi ( bn, শাহ আহমদ শফী) (1916 – 18 September 2020) was a Bangladeshi Sunni Islamic scholar, the chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari and also the c ...
, called for a 13-point movement against the government's policies and the demand of a blasphemy law.
See also
* Shah Ahmad Shafi
Shah Ahmad Shafi ( bn, শাহ আহমদ শফী) (1916 – 18 September 2020) was a Bangladeshi Sunni Islamic scholar, the chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari and also the c ...
- chief of Islamist group Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh
* Mufti Izharul Islam
Izharul Islam Chowdhury ( bn, মুফতি ইজহারুল ইসলাম) is the founder of Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar. He is the present executive president of Nizam-e-Islam Party and Nayeb-e-Ameer of Hefazat-e-Islam Bang ...
* Allama Junaid Babunagari
Muḥammad Junaid, popularly known as Junaid Babunagari ( bn, জুনায়েদ বাবুনগরী; 8 October 1953 – 19 August 2021), was a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, educator, writer, researcher, Islamic speaker and sp ...
* Allama Nurul Islam Ulipuri
Notes
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amini, Fazlul Haque
1943 births
2012 deaths
People from Brahmanbaria district
Sunni Islamic movements
Sunni imams
Deobandis
Sunni Islamists
Bangladeshi Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
Islamic education in Bangladesh
8th Jatiya Sangsad members
20th-century Bengalis
21st-century Bengalis
Jamia Binoria alumni
Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam