Aroj Ali Matubbar

Aroj Ali Matubbar (Bengali: আরজ আলী মাতুব্বর; 17 December 1900 – 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 his writings.

Matubbar was born in the village of Charbaria Lamchari, about 11 km from the city of Barisal in British India, now Bangladesh, to a poor peasant family.

His original name was Aroj Ali; he later adopted the name Matubbar (meaning "local landowner").

He studied for only a few months at the village maqtab, where he focused on the Qur'an and Islamic studies.

Matubbar lost his father at a young age.

When he was 12 years old, his inherited plot of 2 acre 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.

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.

Matubbar is known for his critical and 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'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.

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.

Matubbar drew the cover of his first book, written in 1952 and published twenty-one years later, in 1973, under the title Satyer 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.”

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 Proposition 2 : dealt with God, containing as many as 11 questions Proposition 3 : dealt with the after-world, containing as many as 7 questions Proposition 4 : dealt with religious matters, containing as many as 22 questions Proposition 5 : dealt with Nature, containing as many as 10 questions 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?

Matubbar died on 15 March 1985 (1st Chaitra of the Bengali year 1392) in Barisal, Bangladesh.

After his death, he donated his eyes for transplantation.

He donated his body which was received by the Anatomy Department of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and used by 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.