Abdul Latif Chowdhury Fultali

Abdul Latif Chowdhury was born in the village of Fultali, Zakiganj, Sylhet Division, Bengal Presidency (now Bangladesh), British India.[1][2]

Fultali was based upon the Jaunpuri silsilah. His lineage is the following: Abdul Latif Chowdhury, son of Abdul Majid Chowdhury, son of Shah Muhammad Hiron, son of Shah Muhammad Danish, son of Shah Muhammad Sadeq, son of Shah Muhammad Elahi Bakhsh, son of Shah Muhammad Ala Bakhsh.[1][3] Ala Bakhsh was a descendant of Shah Kamal Quhafah, a companion of Shah Jalal.[4]

Fultali received his basic education from his own family, he was taught by his cousin, Fatir Ali, while studying at primary school. He was then admitted to Fultali Alia Madrasah, where he studied qirat and tajweed. 1336 AH, Allama Saheb Qiblah Fultali enrolled in Rangauti Madrasah and studied there successfully finishing higher secondary education.[5]

1338 AH, he enrolled into Badarpur Senior Madrasah. For higher education he studied Fanunnat at Rampur Alia Madrasah in India and completed various Islamic sciences. He then enrolled into Matlaul Ulum Madrasah to specialise in Hadith. He studied there for a few years and obtained first class, first position in the final Hadith exam in 1355 AH. He also attained degrees in Tafsir and Fiqh.[5]

In 1355 AH, Fultali studied and obtained ijazah for Hadith after achieving outstanding results in the faculty of Hadith, he obtained first class honours. He also acquired masters in |Ilm-e-Tafsir and Ilm-e-Fiqh.[5]

By the age of 18, Allama Saheb Qiblah Fultali had ijazah in four tariqahs from his spiritual master Shah Muhammad Yaqoub Badarpuri, who was a disciple of Hafiz Ahmed Joinpuri. Allama Fultali studied the Quran with Tajwid (recitation) in Mecca.[4]

In 1940, Allama Saheb Qiblah Fultali founded the Darul Qirat Majidiah Trust and institutionalized his effort to teach the perfect recitation of the Quran. Now there are more than two thousand branches of the trust throughout the world engaged in educating people in the field of Tajweed.[3][6]

Nur Ali (1880-1963) of Gorkapon in Badarpur was a Mawlana who requested Abdul Latif Chowdhury Fultali to visit the mosque conjoined to Adam Khaki's shrine. In 1946, Fultali announced that he would be travelling to Badarpur to give a lesson on qira'at at Adam Khaki's mosque.[7] Abd an-Nur Gorkaponi and his students purchased a horse for the scholar to ride on so the journey could be easier.[8] Afterwards he joined the then Satpur Alia Madrasah and Isamati Alia Madrashah as a Muhadith and taught Hadith.[6]

Allama Saheb Qiblah Fultali was the best known and most influential spiritual leader among the British Bangladeshi community. He was based in Bangladesh, but made well-attended visits to the United Kingdom.[9] Among these visits, In 1978, he established Madrasah-e-Darul Qirat Majidiah UK, which has since vastly expanded (now known as Darul Hadis Latifiah) in London. He was a founder of numerous organisations related to religion, culture and education and a patron to a number of humanitarian and charitable organisations.[3][6][10]

• Darul Qirat Majidiah Fultali Trust
• Anjumane Al Islah, Bangladesh[11]
• Anjumane Al Islah, United Kingdom[12]
• Anjumane Al Islah, United States
• Bangladesh Anjumane Talamije Islamia
• Anjumane Madarise Arabia
• Darul Hadis Latifiah
• Darul Qirat Majidiah, United Kingdom
• Latifiah Qurra Society, United States
• Latifiah Qurra Society, United Kingdom
• Latifiah Qari Society, Bangladesh
• Latifiah Yatim Khana, Bangladesh[13]
• Ulama Society, United Kingdom
• Al Islah Youth Forum, United Kingdom
• Darul Hadis Latifiah North West United Kingdom[14]

On Thursday 16 January 2008 at 2:10 am, Allama Saheb Qiblah Fultali died in his home town of Sylhet due to natural causes. His janazah (Islamic funeral) took place the day after his death following Asr prayer led by his eldest son. Reports in Bangladesh estimate that between 2 and 2.5 million attended his janazah. It is also estimated that further hundreds of thousands of people joined the janazah across the Indian border.[2][15][16][17]

An urs and mehfil (gathering) is held on the anniversary of Allama Saheb Qiblah Fultali's death every year at his village in Fultali and many other places around the world by his students and followers.

• Al-Qawlus Sadeed fil Qir’at wat-Tajweed, a comprehensive guide to the rule of correct Qur'anic recitation. Composed originally in Urdu, it has been translated in Bengali and English.
• At-Tanweer ala at-Tafsir, an in-depth elucidation of Sura Al-Baqarah.
• Muntakhab-us Siyar, the biography of Prophet Muhammad in three volumes.
• Anwar-us-Salikeen, an Urdu work in the field of Tasawwuf, explaining the different stages of the path for the seeker, and elucidating on how to nurture oneself in preparation for the sacred path.
• Shajara-e-Tayyibah, the names of the spiritual masters of the Tariqahs Chisti, Qadiri, Naqshbandi and Mujaddidiyya.
• Al-Khutba tul Ya’qubiyyah, a compilation of khutbahs (sermons) in Arabic, including the khutbah for the two ‘Eids (Islamic festivals) and the khutbah for Nikah (marriage)
• Nala-e-Qalandar, an Urdu compilation of ode in veneration of the Prophet Muhammad and the Awliya.
• Nek A'mal, a work in Bengali, elucidating on good actions and the rewards gained for action upon them.[18]

• Tasawwuf
• Brick Lane Mosque
• Darul Hadis Latifiah

• Ahmad Hasan Chowdhury, Biography of Allama Saheb Qibla Fultali (R.A.)
• Mujahid Islam Bulbul, Biography of Allama Saheb Qibla Fultali (R.A.)
• Allamah Fultali Sahib Qiblah. Ahl-e Muhabba. 17 January 2010
• Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK
• Sociology of Diaspora: A Reader. Rawat Publications. 2007. p. 726. ISBN 9788131601020.