Maulana Abdur Rahim

Muhammad Abdur Rahim (2 March 1918 – 1 October 1987) was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and politician who was one of the first promoters of Jamaat-e-Islami East Pakistan.

He translated several books written by prominent Islamic scholars such as Abul A'la Maududi and Yusuf al-Qaradawi into Bengali and he wrote widely on the fundamentals of Islam in both Urdu and Bengali.

Early life Muhammad Abdur Rahim was born in the village of Shialkathi into a prominent family of Pirojpur District in Bangladesh. His clan was descended from Sheikh Baijeed, a Persian Dervish. In 1970, he became Nayeb-e-Ameer (vice chairman or vice president) of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, while Ghulam Azam was elected the new Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami East Pakistan Branch.

Abdur Rahim was the first elected leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, he refused to join the East Pakistan Central Peace Committee and asked Maulana Mawdudi not to support the Pakistani military regime. Abdur Rahim was stranded in Pakistan During the period 1971 to 1975, Jamaat was banned from being involved with politics in Bangladesh.

Abdur Rahim was instrumental in bringing various Islamic political parties together under the banner of the Islamic Democratic League (IDL), which won 20 seats in the parliamentary elections held on 18 February 1979.

Books Abdur Rahim wrote many books in his lifetime. Some of his books include:

Al-Qurane’r Aloke Unnoto Jiboner Adorsho [The Ideal of An Improved Way of Life in the Light of the Holy Quran, 1980] Ajker Chintadhara (The Trends of Today's Thinking, 1980) Hadith Sharif (3 volumes) Hadith Shongkoloner Itihash Pashchatto Shobbhotar Darshonik Bhitti (the Philosophical Basis of the West's civilization, 1984) Al-Quraner Nobuuet O Risalat Al-Quraner Aloke Shirk O Towheed Al-Quraner Rashtro O Shorkar Islamer Zakat Bidhan (1982–1986)- translation of book by Yusuf Al Qaradawi Bingsho Shotabdir Jahliyat (1982–1986) - translation of book by Sayyid Qutb Tafheemul Quran, 19 volumes- translation of book by Maududi Sunnat O Bidaat

Death On 29 September 1987, Abdur Rahim became ill and was admitted to a hospital on 30 September. Abdur Rahim died on 1 October 1987 in Dhaka.