Literature, whether regional, national or global, always inspires us, energizes us and empowers us to see the great mysteries and miracles of life through its multifaceted diversity. It deepens the meaning of life in its colorful and painfully beautiful pages - splendor and glory, hope and longing, love and expectation, sorrow and tears, strength and endurance, death and destruction, disease and compassion, the courage and resilience of the ocean of humanity.
And the aim of Bengali Muslim literature is to provide humanity in general and Bengali Muslims in particular with the inner shadow of said life. In the aesthetic and idealistic sense, there can be no strict division between the so-called Hindu literature, Muslim literature, Christian literature, Jewish literature, etc. Literature is a constant attempt to achieve the essence of life. But from a practical point of view, the sectional diversity and multiplicity of literature have actually been fulfilling many of the desired and cherished goals and aspirations of the people of the chosen literature.
In fact, this plurality is an integral strength of literature too. If a community is unable to sustain and develop its own language and literature, then that community is bound to lose the brilliance of its unique life. In this context, the undeniable existence of Bengali Muslim writers and literati and their fascinating vision of the insightful and intellectual horizon of life from a distinct Bengali Muslim perspective becomes effective.
Shikha is the mouthpiece of the Muslim Literary Society established in Dhaka in 1926. Professor Abul Husain, Department of Economics and Commerce, Dhaka University, was the editor of the first issue of Shikha. Shikha was published once a year. The first issue was published in Chaitra 1333 (8 April 1927). The number of pages was 144, the price was eight annas, and the print run was 1000. The magazine was published by Abdul Qadir from Muslim Hall on behalf of the Muslim Literary Society and printed by Munshi Ahmad Ali from the Islamia Press of Sat Rawza (Dhaka).
Bengali Muslim literature has a rich tradition, including important
figures such as the first Muslim novelist Mir Mosharraf Hossain and the
"rebel poet" Kazi Nazrul Islam
Although the Muslim Sahitya Samaj was able to continue its activities of periodic and annual sessions for ten years, it was not possible to publish Shikha after five issues. The main reason for this was Abul Hussain's departure from Dhaka in March 1932. As editor, Abul Hussain was responsible for the overall publication of the magazine, regardless of whose name was printed in Shikha. The publisher of the second to fifth issues was Syed Imamul Hossain, his younger brother. Abul Hussain was also the founder of the publishing house of this magazine, Modern Library. He also bore a large part of the expenses of publishing Shikha. In short, Shikha was the mouthpiece of the Muslim Sahitya Samaj, but its main initiator was Abul Hussain.
Bengali Muslim literature has a rich tradition, including important figures such as the first Muslim novelist Mir Mosharraf Hossain and the "rebel poet" Kazi Nazrul Islam. The rise of feminist writing during the time of Begum Rokeya and the modern and post-independence contributions of poets like Shamsur Rahman and Al Mahmud, novelists like Humayun Ahmed and social realists like Kazi Imdadul Haque are highlighted.
The search for a Bengali Muslim identity that is not based solely on pure Islam or pan-Islam and this literature has no hidden purpose of forming a Muslim identity. It is mainly concerned with the search for the assimilation of Islamic ideas and concepts with their inherent Bengali identity in tribal places, colors and environments. Their writings border on the life of the marginalized poor rural Muslim population with all its ups and downs, pain and hunger, joy and sorrow, hope and despair, various nuances of inter-community relations. The strict theological ignorance of the mythological and mystical interpretation of Islam by the Pirs and Babas, combined with the beauty of the land and the poverty of the people, has created a permanent place of its uniqueness and individuality in the writings of the Bengali language and literature.
The writer is a contributor
