Furfura Sharif, West Bengal: Sufi Saint Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique and Service to People*

Navrang India June 30, 2015
Furfura Sharif, also known as Furfura, is in  a village considered to be very holy by the Muslims. It is located in Jangipara community development block of Serampore  subdivision in Hooghly District in West Bengal. There are many villages in Furfura panchayat - Furfura, Purba Durgapur, Gopalnagar, Hosenpur, Dakshindihi, Rampara,etc.
 
Furfura Mazar. Furfura, W.B
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First built in 1375, by Muqlish Khan. the mosque serves as a holy place  for Muslim pilgrimage, especially during the Pir`s mela (fair). The mosque is also visited by thousands of pilgrims during Urs festival.
Furfura Darbar Sharif W.B.theprint.

Above Image: Furfura Darbar Sharif West Bengal  Every  year in the first week of May an important religious event takes place with fervor.  Over 50 lakh pilgrims from across the country converged at Furfura Sharif, a village at Jangipara,WB offering prayers and seeking blessings on the occasion of the three-day historic event called  Isale Sawab Mehfil. It  concluded in the early second week of May, 2025.This event is a unique one, preaching communal harmony, peace and brotherhood  cross the country..........
Furfura Mazar. Furfura, W.B
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The Muslims of this region, it is believed, were chiefly Ashrafs, the descendants of Muslims who invaded Bengal in the 14th century. The Bagdi king  was the ruler of this region then and he  was defeated by Hazrat Shah Kabir Halibi and Hazrat Karamuddin. Though both of them were killed in the battle, even today  both Hindus and Muslims visit their tombs here.

The Mazaar Sharif (Tomb) of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique(Rh) and his five sons, popularly known as the `Panch Huzur Keblah` is one the most significant place within Furfura Sharif. These tombs are visited by thousands of people from all over India come every year.

 Sufi Saint Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique, a direct descendant of the first Khalif of Islam, Syedena Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique RA. was instrumental in establishing the order of  Furfura-Sharif also called Silsila-e-Furfura Sharif. Born in 1846 in Furfura-Sharif,  was also the founder of the religious congregation, which is still observed on the 21st 22nd and 23rd of Falgun Bengali month every year by his grandsons. Belonging to the Ahle-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat school of thoughts,  Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique was a religious preacher as well as a Mujadded-e-Zaman or social and religious reformer.  He was better known by this title. Mujadded -e-Zaman Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique was born in Furfura-Sharif in the year 1845.
 
He was a great patriot and actively  involved in the freedom struggle of India. He was an ardent social worker  and worked hard for the progress of the masses and eradication of social evils from the society.  Several charitable institutes, orphanages and free health center for the poor masses in this region and elsewhere were started by him. As a true Musulman, he believed in ''service to people is service to the God Almighty ''Allah'' and strongly believed  that through education he can free the society of all evils and ignorance. Based on these principles he founded  schools and learning centers not only to impart the essence of religion but also the essentials of education, etc which are important for the progress of a society. Unlike many madrases, the unique feature about his religious schools is free boarding for the poor section of the population. This great visionary served a wide spectrum of people and till his death worked unselfishly for the upward progress  of  unprivileged  and unfortunate people in the society. He  boldly encouraged  female education by establishing a  school for girls in Furfura  Sharif. He passed away on 17th March, 1939  leaving  behind his five sons,

Mujadded-e-Zaman Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique ... an “illustrious, religious leader- fearless, God intoxicated and selfless as a preacher, he would never attack other religions.... and endeared himself to people from other communities and castes”.            

Journal  -- “The Muslim Digest”(from Durban S.Africa).

Furfura Sharif  Mujaddedia Saadat Mission founded 1997  by the Pir of Furfura Sharif, Hafez Maulana Md Sebgatullah Siddique s/o Sultanul Arefeen Hazrat Md Najmus Saadat Siddique (Rh), fourth son of Mujaddid Abu Bakr Siddique (Rh) of Furfura Sharif.  The motto of the organization is to serve the poor people in the society. An  important  tenet of Islam is  i.e. Zakāt, which makes helping the downtrodden people a mandatory duty for all Muslims. The organization is continuously seving the people of West Bengal,India and all over Bangladesh strictly following the principles of the first  founder of this organization. This organization carries out an array of social services to people such as financial help, self employment, distribution of free clothes, food, etc besides above social works.

Tit-bits

  01. Furfura High Madrasah, established in 1908, is the oldest high Madrasa in the district.

  02. Sk Md. Rofiqul Islam was Assistant Teacher and Teacher-in-Charge, Furfura Fatehia Senior Madrasa  won the National Award for Teachers in 2007.

 03. Since 1375, it has been a place of Pilgrimage for Muslims. Lots of  Hindus do visit this holy place.

Ref:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furfura_Sharif

Family Tree Of Hazrat Mujaddid Jaman Md.Abu Bakar Siddique(Rah.)". Furfurasharif.com. Retrieved 2012-02-05.

Furfurasharif.com. Retrieved 2012-02-05.

Shamsi, Mohammed Shafi. "Finally, Calcutta Madrasa gets status of college". Indian Express, 3 March 2006. Retrieved 2009-02-06.

https://wbtourism.gov.in/topDestination/details1?template_id=1&id=63d8fc5e6327ed072c056a3b

Author:K. N.Jayaraman

(Modified December 31,2025)