Muhammad Ishaq (scholar)

Mawlana Muhammad Ishaq (Bengali: মুহম্মদ ইসহাক; 1883 – 18 November 1938) was a Bengali Islamic scholar, Sufi, author and philanthropist.

Ishaq was born in 1883 CE to a Bengali Muslim family in Feni, Noakhali District, Bengal Presidency.^[1] He received his primary religious education from the local religious institution. Then he got admitted into an 'alim course in Comilla.^[1] Later, he travelled to Makkah where he got admitted into the Madrasah as-Sawlatiyah.^[1] 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.^[1] Later, he was appointed as a teacher of that madrasa. He got khilafat from his teacher and returned to his own country.^[1]

After returning to Bengal, Ishaq was also involved in sufistic practices. It is said that he had karamat.^[1] People began to approach him for spiritual guidance. He travelled to Comilla, Noakhali, Barisal, Hatiya and Sandwip.^[1] In these places many people became his murids. Later, he renewed his bay'at at the hands of Abdur Rab Jaunpuri who was the grandson of Karamat Ali Jaunpuri.^[1] After that he began to be influenced by Taiyunis.

In 1936, Ishaq established the Ishaqiya Orphanage in Daganbhuiyan, Feni.^[2] He donated all of his immovable properties to this orphanage.^[1] Ishaq also gave financial help to establish mosques, eidgahs and madrasas.

Ishaq wrote an Urdu book titled Ta'lim-e-Haqqani Wa Fuyud-e-Ishaqi.^[1] In that book he described Sufi problems, zikr and mediation. He kept himself away from active politics but supported the independence movement of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.^[1]

Ishaq died on 18 November 1938.^[1]