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{{Short description|Bangladeshi philosopher}}
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{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name = Aroj Ali Matubbar
| image = Aroj Ali Matubbar by Rahat.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|12|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Charbaria Lamchari]], [[Barisal District]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bangladesh]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|3|15|1900|12|17|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Barisal]], Bangladesh
| years_active =
| occupation = [[Rationalist]], self-taught [[philosopher]] and [[apostate]], and writer
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| citizenship = [[Bangladesh]]
| language = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| education = No formal institutional degree
| period =
| spouse =
| genre = [[Rationalism]], Philosophy essays
| children =
| spouse =
| relatives =
| children =
| movement =
| relatives =
| notableworks = ''[[Satyer Sandhan]]''{{·}}''[[Sristirahasya]]''{{·}}[[Anuman]]{{·}}[[Muktaman]]
| movement =
| awards = Life Member of [[Bangla Academy]]{{·}}''[[Humayun Kabir (Bengal politician)|Humayun Kabir]] Smriti Puraskar''{{·}}Award of Honour by the [[Barisal]] branch of ''[[Udichi]] Shilpigoshti''
| notableworks = ''[[Shotter Shondhaney]]''{{·}}''[[Sristir Rahasya]]''
| signature =
| awards = Life Member of [[Bangla Academy]]{{·}}''[[Humayun Kabir]] Smriti Puraskar''{{·}}Award of Honour by the [[Barisal]] branch of ''[[Udichi]] Shilpigoshti''
| website =
| signature =
| websiteportaldisp =
| portaldisp =
}}
 
'''Aroj Ali Matubbar''' ({{lang-bn|Bengali: আরজ আলী মাতুব্বর}}; 17 December 1900{{snd}}15 March 1985) was a Bangladeshi self-taught [[philosopher]] and [[rationalist]]. He was known for his critical perspectives on religion, superstition and traditional beliefs in fromhis [[Bangladesh]]writings.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Roy|first1=Pradip Kumar|title=Matubbar, Aroj Ali|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Matubbar,_Aroj_Ali|website=Banglapedia|publisher=Bangladesh Asiatic Society|accessdate=15 October 2016}}</ref>
<!--{{Mergefrom|Araz Ali Matubbar|date=February 2008}}-->
'''Aroj Ali Matubbar''' ({{lang-bn|আরজ আলী মাতুব্বর}}; 17 December 1900{{snd}}15 March 1985) was a self-taught [[philosopher]] and [[rationalist]] from [[Bangladesh]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Roy|first1=Pradip Kumar|title=Matubbar, Aroj Ali|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Matubbar,_Aroj_Ali|website=Banglapedia|publisher=Bangladesh Asiatic Society|accessdate=15 October 2016}}</ref>
 
==Early life and education==
HeMatubbar was born in the village of [[Charbaria Lamchari]], about {{convert|11|km}} from the city of [[Barisal]] town in [[British India]], currently innow Bangladesh.,<ref name=":0" /> to a poor peasant family. His original name was Aroj Ali, and; he onlylater acquiredadopted the name 'Matubbar' (meaning '"local landlord'landowner") later. He was born to a poor farming family. He studied for only a few months at the village [[maqtab]], howeverwhere thishe brief dabble in institutional education centered onlyfocused on the [[Quran|Qur'an]] and other [[Islamic|Islam studies]] studies.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}} He gathered most of his knowledge on varied subjects, including science and philosophy, through his own readings and research.
 
Matubbar lost his father at a young age. When he was 12 years old, his inherited plot of {{convert|2|acre|m2}} of land was auctioned off because he could not pay land taxes as a minor. He was later evicted from his ancestral homestead by a local usurper. Matubbar survived through charity and by working as a farm laborer.
Matubbar lost his father at an early age. When he was 12 years old, his inherited property of {{convert|2|acre|m2}} of land was auctioned off because, as a minor, he was unable to pay land tax. The landless boy faced an even more critical crisis when a local usurper called him out of his ancestral homestead. Destitute, Matubbar grew up somehow on the charity of others and by working as a farm laborer. Due to his poverty, he could not attend school and had to rely on the free [[maqtab]] religious education provided by a local [[mosque]]. However he did not accept the rigid methods of learning there, and left it. A benefactor helped him finish the Bengali Primers. Matubbar continued to read extensively beyond that. To satisfy his thirst for knowledge he studied all the [[Bengali language|Bengali]] books in [[Barisal Public Library]]. Philosophy as a subject interested him most, but there were not enough books in the collection there. A teacher of philosophy at the [[B M College]], Kazi Ghulam Quadir, was impressed by his knowledge and comprehension, so he helped him borrow books from the college library. This was how his mind was shaped.
 
He could not afford to attend school and relied on free maqtab religious instruction at a local [[mosque]]. He did not accept the rigid learning methods, and therefore left the mosque. A benefactor helped him finish the Bengali primers. Matubbar continued to read extensively after that. Philosophy was the subject that interested him the most. A philosophy teacher at [[B M College]], Kazi Ghulam Quadir helped him borrow books from the college library.
 
==Philosophy==
Matubbar is known for his critical and [[Freethought|freethinking]] views on religion, superstition, and traditional beliefs. His works challenged many established norms and religious dogmas, particularly within the context of Islam, which is the predominant [[religion in Bangladesh]].
Matubbar developed a very [[progressivism|progressive]] approach and wrote against ignorance, superstition, and religious fundamentalism. He came to be considered an iconoclast for writing against established religious ideologies. For example, he questioned Islamic law of inheritance, as he failed to reconcile the suggested mode of sharing of inherited property.
 
Matubbar's most famous work is "Tariqat Shikkha" ("Teachings of the Way"). In this book, he questioned various religious practices, rituals, and superstitions and advocated for a more rational and scientific approach to understanding the world. His writings often provoked controversy and debate in Bangladesh, as they challenged deeply held religious beliefs and traditions.
Aroj Ali wrote several books despite his lack of formal schooling. His writings reflect his controversial philosophy about life and the world. He also befriended a number of communist politicians and academics of Barisal town, including Professor Kazi Golam Kadir and Professor Muhammad Shamsul Haque. His books were in frequent danger of being banned by the government, since they contained certain claims that conflicted with the religious beliefs of the majority. Matubbar was arrested and taken into police custody for his book, ''Sotyer Shondhaney'' (The Quest for Truth).<ref name="The Quest for Truth">{{cite web|url=http://avijit.humanists.net/aroj_ali/quest_for_truth_1.html |title=The Quest for Truth |work=avijit.humanists.net |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723144846/http://avijit.humanists.net/aroj_ali/quest_for_truth_1.html |archivedate=23 July 2010 }}{{self-published source|date=October 2016}}</ref> He was, in fact, subjected to harassment and threats throughout his life, due to his writings, as many of them challenged religious statements and claims.<ref name="The Quest for Truth" />
 
His book "Satyer Sandhane" (The Quest for Truth) led to his arrest and detention by the authorities. Throughout his life, he experienced persistent harassment and threats due to his writings, many of which critically engaged with religious tenets and claims.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Selim |first=Nasima |date=2010 |title=An extraordinary truth? The Ādam "suicide" notes from Bangladesh |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13674670903061230 |journal=Mental Health, Religion & Culture |language=English |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=223–244 |doi=10.1080/13674670903061230 |s2cid=145789923 |issn=1367-4676}}</ref>
==Career==
Due to financial constraints, Matubbar could not pursue any academic course or attain a formal institutional degree. He lived mostly on subsistence farming. Matubbar learned surveying techniques and began his life as a private land surveyor in his locality. This enabled him to accumulate some capital, and he could then own some land to start farming.
 
==Death==
HeMatubbar died on 15 March 1985 (1st [[Chaitra]] of the [[Bengali year]] 1392 ) in [[Barisal]], Bangladesh. HeAfter his death, he donated his eyes for transplantation after his death.<ref name=":0" /> He donated his body which was received by the Anatomy Department of [[Sher-e-Bangla Medical College]] and used for dissection by the medical students for dissection. After his death in 1985, Aroj Ali Matubbar came to be regarded as one of the most prolific thinkers that rural Bangladesh ever produced, and an iconoclast who was not afraid of speaking out against entrenched beliefs and superstitions.<ref name="The Quest for Truth">{{cite web |title=The Quest for Truth |url=http://avijit.humanists.net/aroj_ali/quest_for_truth_1.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723144846/http://avijit.humanists.net/aroj_ali/quest_for_truth_1.html |archivedate=23 July 2010 |work=avijit.humanists.net}}{{self-published source|date=October 2016}}</ref>
 
== ''Satyer Sandhan'' ==
==Writings and publications==
Matubbar had to take great lengths in order to publish his books. He himself drew the cover of his first book, which was written in 1952 and published twenty -one years later, in 1973, under the title ''Satyer Sandhane''Sandhan. In the preface he wrote:
 
“I was thinking of many things, my mind was full of questions, but haphazardly. I then started jotting down questions, not for writing a book, but only to remember these questions later. Those questions were driving my mind towards an endless ocean and I was gradually drifting away from the fold of religion.”
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He made six propositions in this book, which reflected the nature of his philosophical questions. These are:
 
Proposition 1 : dealt with the soul, containing 8 questions<br>Proposition 2 : dealt with God, containing as many as 11 questions<br>Proposition 3 : dealt with the after-world, containing as many as 7 questions<br>Proposition 4 : dealt with religious matters, containing as many as 22 questions<br>Proposition 5 : dealt with Nature, containing as many as 10 questions<br>Proposition 6 : dealt with remaining matters, containing as many as 9 questions
Proposition 1 : dealt with the soul, containing 8 questions<br>
Proposition 2 : dealt with God, containing as many as 11 questions<br>
Proposition 3 : dealt with the after-world, containing as many as 7 questions<br>
Proposition 4 : dealt with religious matters, containing as many as 22 questions<br>
Proposition 5 : dealt with Nature, containing as many as 10 questions<br>
Proposition 6 : dealt with remaining matters, containing as many as 9 questions
 
The eight questions he posed in the first proposition exemplify his approach. These are (a) Who am I (self)?, (b) Is Life incorporeal or corporal ? (c) Is mind and his/soul one, and the same? (d) What is the relationship of life with the body and the mind? (e) Can we recognize or identify life? (f) Am I free? (g) Will the soul without body continue to have "knowledge" even after it leaves the body at death? and finally (h) How does life can come into and go out of the body?
 
==Books==
Matubbar was considered an unusual type of writer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/sirajul_islam_chy/aroj1.htm |title=5 years of Mukto-Mona |website=Mukto Mona |language=bn}}</ref> In Bangladesh, his writings were censored because they allegedly causedled societalto social corruption and disharmony in the community.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kabir |first=Md Anwarul |date=26 November 2004 |title=Letters to Editor: Freedom of speech |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/11/26/d41126110379.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref> FollowingThe following are his writings:<ref name="Books">{{Cite web |title=Books |url=https://arojali.com/en/books/ |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=Aroj Ali Matubbar |language=en}}</ref>
* ''ShotterSatyer ShondhaneySandhan'' (The Quest for Truth) (1973)
* ''Sristir RahasyaSristirahasya'' (The Mystery of Creation) (1977)
* ''Anuman'' (Estimation) (1983)
* ''Muktaman'' (Free Mind) (1988)
 
Several of his unpublished manuscripts were later published posthumously under the title of ''Aroj Ali Matubbar Rachanabali''. Some of his writings have beenwere translated into English and compiled in a volume published by [[Pathak Samabesh]].<ref name="Books"/>
 
==Recognition and awards==
Matubbar was not well known toamong the elite educated societyelite of the country during his lifetime. His first book, published in 1973,It was heavy in secular thought, but caught little attention. It is only in the finallast years of his life that he came to bebecame known toamong the academicacademics of the country. His writings were collected and published. The general public startedbegan to take an interest in his books, which, although clearly not ratifiedvalidated by formal trainingeducation, posedraised a number of novelnew philosophical questions. HeAfter soonhis rosedeath toin renown1985, albeithe aftersoon hisbecame deathwidely in 1985known.
* Life Member of [[Bangla Academy]], inducted in 1985;
* Awarded [[Humayun Kabir| (Bengal politician)|Humayun Kabir Smriti Puraskar]] (Humayun Kabir Memorial Prize) in 1978 by the [[Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir]];
* Award of Honour by the [[Barisal]] branch of [[Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi]] in 1982.<ref name=":0" />
Matubbar inspired numerous articles, reviews, novels and stage dramas based on his life and his writings.<ref name=":1" />
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
 
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2010}}
 
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[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:People20th-century fromBangladeshi Barisalmale Districtwriters]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi philosophers]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi male writers]]
[[Category:Bengali-language writers]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi humanists]]
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[[Category:Honorary Fellows of Bangla Academy]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi philosophers]]
[[Category:People from Barisal District]]