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Meherullah, Munshi Mohammad (1861-1907) poet, religious preacher and social reformer, was born in his maternal grandfather's home in Ghopegram under Kaliganj thana of jessore district. His paternal home was in Chhatiantala of the same district. Meherullah received his religious education from Moulvi Mosharuddin of Jessore, and from Moulvi Mohammad Ismail he learned
Arabic, Persian and Urdu. Though he did not go to any educational institution, he was deeply read in the Holy quran and hadith. After a short stint in government service, he received training in tailoring and started a tailoring shop in jessore. When Christian missionaries tried to malign Islam and hazrat muhammad (Sm), Meherullah protested through his speeches and writings. He engaged in a number of public debates with missionaries. Gradually he devoted himself to spreading the message of Islam and soon became popular as an orator.
Speaking on the glorious past of Islam at several religious
functions in Assam and Bengal, Munshi Mohammad Meherullah tried to inspire
the frustrated and morally debilitated Muslim society. He was able to
bring back to the fold of Islam many Muslims who had been converted to
christianity.
With a view to spreading the teaching of islam,
he established Madrasaye Karamatia and Islam Dharmottejika Sabha (1889)
in Manoharpur village in Jessore. He used to contribute regularly to newspapers
like the sudhakar
and the islam
pracharak published from Kolkata. His notable books on
religion and society are Khristiya Dharmer Asarata (The hollowness
of the Christian religion) (1887), Bidhabaganjana O Bisadbhandar
(Sufferings of Widows, 1894), Meherul Islam (1897), Hindu Dharma
Rahasya O Devalila (1898, two editions) and Mussalman O Christian
Tarkayuddha (Muslim and Christian Debates, 1908; two editions).
The government confiscated Bidhabaganjana O Bisadbhandar, which
described the sufferings of Hindu widows, and Hindu Dharma Rahasya
O Devalila, which criticised the various superstitions of Hindus,
on charges of indecency and communalism.
[Mohsin Hussain] |
