Mohammad Eyakub Ali Chowdhury, commonly known as the literary Eyakub Ali Chowdhury, was a writer and journalist in the Bengali language. He dedicated his life to the betterment of the backward Muslims through education and literature. Islamic philosophy and culture were the main sources of his writings. His anthology is particularly respected for its strength of speech, depth of language, and thought. He believed that Hindu-Muslims could live in harmony. In the early twentieth century, he sided with the Bengali language in the debate over whether the mother tongue of Bengali Muslims should be Bengali or Urdu. He was also famous as an eloquent speaker. As a powerful artist in Bengali prose, he writes mainly about Islamic philosophy and culture.
Early Life
Eyakub Ali Chowdhury was born in 1888 in the village of Maguranyanga, Panga, Rajbari district. His father was a police officer, Enayetullah Chowdhury. He passed the entrance exam at Panga High School and Suryakumar Institution, Rajbari. Although he was admitted to Presidency College in Kolkata, he had to quit studying due to deteriorating eyesight during his BA class. He was a powerful artist in Bengali prose.
Career
From childhood, Eyakub Ali Chowdhury was religious and thoughtful. There was a literary environment within the family. He received inspiration for literary discussion from his elder brother, Roshan Ali Chowdhury. When he was a student in the entrance class, he wrote a book called ‘Dharmer Kahini’. His literary life was initiated through the ‘Kohinoor’ magazine edited by his elder brother. His published books are a special asset in Bengali literature. Especially ‘Manab Mukut’ and ‘Nurnabi’ are unique in modern perspective and beauty of language. In the book ‘Shantidhara’, he gives a philosophical explanation of the basic principles of Islam in extraordinary language expression. In the book ‘Manab Mukut’, he has viewed the life of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) based on ordinary human qualities devoid of supernaturalism. During his studies at Presidency College, when his elder brother Roshan Ali Chowdhury, the editor of the monthly literary magazine Kohinoor (1305–1308; 1311–1313; 1318–1319; and 1322), fell ill and became incapacitated, he took over the responsibility of editing the magazine. He was also famous as a journalist, and at this time he was associated with various newspapers and literary societies.
In 1914–15 AD, he taught at Jorowarganj High School in Mirsarai Thana, Chittagong district. After that, he joined as a teacher at Suryakumar Institution, Rajbari. In 1914, Eyakub Ali Chowdhury started teaching at Jorowarganj High English School in Chittagong. His acquaintance with the literary Dr. Lutfar Rahman happened here. That acquaintance later turned into a deep friendship. After teaching here for some time, he came to Suryakumar Institution in Rajbari. After that, he also taught at Panga High School for some time. Alongside teaching, Eyakub Ali Chowdhury also got involved in politics. In 1920, he joined the Non-Cooperation Movement at the call of Mahatma Gandhi and the Khilafat Movement in 1921. He was imprisoned during the Khilafat Movement. After being released from prison, he could not return to his previous job. As a result of his direct participation in politics, his teaching career ended. Then he came to Kolkata. There, he joined journalism with his brother, Aulad Ali Chowdhury. His communication with the Bengali Muslim Literary Society increased after returning to Calcutta. He was also the editor of this society for some time.
As the mouthpiece of this society, a magazine named ‘Sahityik’ was published in the month of Poush in 1333 under his and poet Golam Mostafar’s joint editorship. He also served as the editor of this society for several years. The monthly magazine of the society, Sahityik (1926), was published for one year under the joint editorship of Eyakub Ali Chowdhury and poet Golam Mostafar. But after a while, two of his brothers, Roshan Ali Chowdhury and Aulad Ali Chowdhury, died prematurely; therefore, Eyakub Ali had to take over the responsibility of their family. He fell victim to severe financial hardship and tuberculosis and spent the last four or five years of his life in a lifeless state at his village home. He died on December 15, 1940, during his stay in Faridpur.
Publication
Bāngālī Musalmāner Bhāshā O Shāhitya The Kohinoor (Jan./Feb. 1914)
Dharmer Kāhinī (1914) [Religious instruction for Muslims]
Nūrnabī (1918) [Book on the life of Muhammad for children]
Shāntidhārā (1918) [Essay on the Glory of Islam]
Mānab Mukuṭ (1926) [Book on the life of Muhammad’s life and teachings]