Sufism:Dargahs and Mukams of Bam:

 Bam has the share of its Dargahs and Sufis. In the early part of last century one Rakhal Nath of Barjatrapur left his home and kith and kin and came to Charkisaha Mukam of Syedpur near Sonabarighat and followed Sufi way of spiritual pursuit and subsequently moved to Rajghat of Bam,made his Bhaitak at the residence of Suruj Ali and continued his Sufi way of spiritual pursuit and came to be known as Agunkhara Baba as he would eat red hot burning char coal as has been narrated t by  a first-hand witness. He died in 1929 and was buried in Islamic tradition. His mazar known as Agunkharar Mukam is situated at Rajghat ,37 km from Silchar on Silchar Aizawl NH 54 and people still visit the Mukam which is now managed by a regional Committee of social  workers of Bam.

Agunkharar Mukam -Bam, Rajghat-37 km from Silchar

  Another Sufi land mark of Bam is Panisagar Mukam in Loknathpur Village three KM from Dholaibazar in the Dolai –Loknathpur-Lailapur PWD Road. Legend has it that Pir Sahib of Panisagar Mukam used to be seen riding a tiger. The Panisagar Mukam is still active.

   Aam Aami Mukkam on the western bank of Rukni river at Bhagabazar was in existence since beginning of the present settlement of Bam though it is not connected with any known Sufi or Darbesh. Its situation at a high hill top and Rukni flowing bracing the rocky and stiff foothill of the Mukam as like Mukam of Longar Shah of Fulertol, gives it an aura of mystery and spiritual fervency.      

Mosques and Idgahs of Bam: In the Islamic world the Mosque is the measure of intellectual, spiritual, cultural and economic progress of the people to which it belongs. Bam with 45055 Muslim populations has more than fifty one mosques including panjegan and Jam-e Masjids and thirteen Idgahs for Id prayers in the open field. The Bhagabazar Jame Masjid considered to be one of the largest mosques in Assam,is virtually the Jam-e Masjid of Bam and in the centre of the religious, cultural and social life of Muslim Bamians-the people living in Bam. Designed by reputed design Engineer Dr.Burhanuddin Barbhuiya, former Principal REC Silchar now NIT Silchar, the reconstructed two storied Bhagabazar Jame Masjid draws appreciation and wonders of visitors for its aesthetically designed interior. The entire amount for reconstruction of the mosque has been generated through donations locally from Bam. Apart from regular prayers Bhagabazar Jam-e Masjid has become a rallying point for Bam Muslim Ummah for causes dear to them. On the day of Id ul Fitre 2016 on July 6 more than 15000 namajis of thirteen Idgahs of Bam after Id namaz joined a rally under the banner of Bhagabazar Jam-e masjid and took out a procession against act of terrorism in the name of Jihad.The distinguishing feature of Bhagabazar Jame Masjid of Bam is its modern library stocked with more than 350 volumes worth Rs.170000.00 (Rs.one lakh seventy thousand).The selection of the titles speaks volumes about liberal outlook of mosque management. Apart

                                                             (Click to enlarge)
                                  A section of interior of  Jame Masjid Bam Bhagabazar

                                                      (Click to enlarge)

                                          Frontal view of Jame Masjid ,Bam Bhagabazar

from normal Islamic theological books a mosque library is expected to have,Bhagabazar Jame Masjid library is well socked with literary works of Rabinranath Tagore,Sarat Chandra Chaterjee,Syed Mujtaba Ali; historical book like History of Saracens,Spirit of Islam,works of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,A.P.J.Abdul Kalam and others.Not stopping here the Mosque library has added Geeta and biographies of Hindu saints.It is open to all. Local Hindu IAS aspirants use the mosque library for IAS preparation.

Practicing Islam after coming to Bam: Consolidation

Islamic history shows that wherever Muslims go , settle and live the first thing they do is , establish a mosque for offering prayers five times a day in congregation   and centers for teaching tenets of Islam. The Bam Muslims did no differently. After coming to Bam from different places of Barak Valley the early Muslim settlers needed mosques for offering prayers and Imams to lead the congregational prayer in the mosques and to teach children the tenets of Islam in Sabahi Maktabs .But there was dearth of qualified persons among the new settlers to act as Imams and teach at Sabahi Maktabs. Munshi Kabir Muhammad Mazumdar of Hawaithang and Maulana Mashad Ali Barbhuiya of Islamabad were   first settlers of Bam   with  formal qualification in Islamic theology. Around 1912 there appeared Pir Khurshed Ali from Karimganj and he started to establish Islamic Institutions with missionary zeal.He established Dar-ul-Foyez the first madrassa in Bam in 1915(estimated) at Saptagram. The Madrassa functioned from Saptagram for two years.  Later in 1917 Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury and his cousin Maulana Abdul Hamid Choudhury of Rajghat Mufti Ghusti returned from Rampur, UP after obtaining Fazil Degree and devoted themselves in guiding the new settlers and help them lead the life in the way of Islam. At that period there were hardly 2000 Muslim population in Bam and it was difficult to sustain the Dar-ul Foyez Madrassa at Saptagram ensuring continuance of qualified teachers. The Darul Foyez Madrassa was shifted to the sprawling Rajghat residential campus of Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury in 1918 who also donated one bigha land as wakf to the madrassa. Soon the number of students increased. Subsequently the Madrassa was shifted to Bhagabazar and then finally in mid-thirties to its permanent site at Rajghat(Rangaut).Pir Khurshed Ali had also established Dholaibazar Mosque in 1915.After completing his mission in Bam he left for Makkah , settled and died there. The exact date of his leaving Bam is not certain. In Bam there was in circulation putti written in Syleti Nagri eulogising life of Pir Khurshed Ali and the history of Darul Foyez Madrassa. After 1968 nobody has seen it.

Rajghat Dar-ul-Foyez Madrassa

      Dar-ul-Foyez was the first Madrassa of Bam.The start of early theological education had its effect among Bam Muslims. Darul Foez Madrasa produced many Mullas,Munshis and other alumni who went to become Maulanas from Rampur,Deobond and Banshkandi . Habib Ali Munshi,Munshi ,Enayatullah Choudhury,Abdus Samad Laskar,Maulana Irfan Ali Laskar ,Maulana Ambar Ali Laskar,Rashid Ali (Fesai Mullah),Mashahiad Ali Choudhury,Maulana Hormuz Ali ,Maulana Abdul Bari ,Maulana Arjumand Ali were early alumni of Rajghat Darul Foyez Madrassa . Early Bam also produced many eminent Hafaze-Keram including Hafiz Arifuddin  and Hafiz brothers -Hafiz Abdus Salam Laskar and Abdul Latif Laskar of Bangram who taught at Bhagabazar Hafizia Madrrassa and in their life time produced many Hafaze-Keram..

   Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury also played a pioneering role in establishing Rajghat Pucca Masjid in 1929 and donated two bighas of land. Besides setting up mosque and madrassa Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury and Maulana Abdul Hamid Choudhury created an ambience of spiritual pursuit and discourses in Bam during first half of last century under the guidance of their Murshid ,Hajrat Nashakha of Rampur under Naqsbandi-Mazaddadi tradion and both of them attained Khilafat  but passed away in mid-forties of last century at a comparatively young  age closely following each other. Other Muslim Scholars and spiritual leaders of Barak Valley and Rampur used to visit Bam at that time and environment of religious discourses prevailed. After their death their well-wishers started  construction of Mazar at their graves but the project was abandoned after the plinth level work as a result of objection from  descendants  of both.           

 The Islamic education initiated in early Bam settlement helped development of sense of right and wrong through moral and spiritual values among the simple new settlers without much formal education.

    The early initiation of Islamic education gave Bam a tradition of Islamic education. It became a trend and since then many madrassas have been established. Since founding of Rajghat Dar-ul Foyez Madrassa the following Madrassas have been established in Bam and are imparting Islamic education now-Rajghat Pre Sr.Madrassa, Saptagram  Balika Hafizia   Madrassa, Islamabad Pre Senior Madrassa, Dar-ul-Islam Madrassa,Rajghat;Dar-ul-Foyez Hafizia Quariana and Darse Nizamia Madrassa,Bhagabazar; Dar-us-Salam Hafizia and Alia Madrassa, Hawaithang (North);Tafizul Quran Hafizia Madrassa ,Howaithang(West);Hafizia Madrassa,Jamalpur;Madrasatul Banat,Saptagram;Bam Senior Madrassa (Provincialized) Rajnagar, Rajghat ME Madrassa,Hazi Keramat Ali ME Madrassa.These madrassas have produced eminent Islamic scholars  and teachers who are rendering their services in Bam and outside of Bam .At present Bam  boasts of  dozens of maulanas,Fazil,MM,Hafaze-Keram,Mahaddis,Mudarris  .Setting a new trend Shamsuddin Barbhuiya of Hawaithang after completion of graduation from G C College and LLB from Assam University has joined Darul Ulum Debond for pursuing his Fazil Degree in Islamic theology . People of Bam are observing this development with keen interest.

 
NB:Next section -Mosques and Idgahs of Bam