Mirza Muhammad Yusuf Ali facts for kids

Mirza Muhammad Yusuf Ali (born 1858, died 30 May 1920) was an important writer and social reformer from Bengal. This region was part of British India during his lifetime. He worked to improve education and help his community.

Mirza Ali's Early Life

Mirza Muhammad Yusuf Ali was born in 1858. His family, the Mirzas, lived in a village called Aliabad. This village was in the Rajshahi district of the Bengal Presidency.

He went to Sreedharpur Bengali Middle School first. After that, he joined the Rajshahi Normal School. Even though he did well in some exams, he could not finish his regular studies. So, he took his final school exam, called matriculation, as a private student in 1887.

In 1889, he tried to pass the F.A. (Intermediate of Arts) exam but was not successful. He then stopped his formal education. However, Mirza Ali was very determined to learn. He taught himself several languages, including Arabic, Persian, and Urdu, besides Bengali and English.

What Mirza Ali Did for Work

Mirza Ali started his career as a teacher. His first teaching job was in a school in the Cooch Behar district. He also taught at Loknath School and Rangpur Government Normal School.

Later, he worked as a school inspector. This meant he visited schools to check on their quality. He also served as a sub-registrar, a role that involves official record-keeping. Mirza Ali retired from his work in 1917.

Mirza Ali's Social Work

After he retired, Mirza Ali became very active in social reform. This means he worked to make society better. In 1884, he started an organization called the Nur-al-Iman Society. This group aimed to help the Muslim community, especially by improving their education. He was the first secretary of this society.

The Nur-al-Iman Society was inspired by other important groups like the Brethren of Purity and The Asiatic Society. As part of its efforts, Mirza Ali helped set up hostels. These were places for students to live while they studied. He established the Fuller Hostel in Rajshahi and the Muslim Hostel in Naogaon.

Mirza Ali also worked as an editor for newspapers and magazines. He edited the society's newspaper, Nur al-Iman. He also edited Shikkha Samachar and Shikkha Samabay in 1919. He founded two other important organizations: Anjuman-e-Hemayate Islam in 1891 and the Rajshahi District Mussalman Education Society in 1918. He was also a main supporter of Soltan, a daily newspaper published from Calcutta between 1926 and 1928.

Mirza Ali's Books

Mirza Ali was a talented writer. His first book was called Dugdha-Sarobar, and it was published in 1891.

One of his most famous works is Saubhagya Sparshamani. He finished this book in 1895. It was a five-volume translation into Bengali of a very important book called Kimiya-yi sa'ādat by Al-Ghazali.

Mirza Ali's Passing

Mirza Muhammad Yusuf Ali passed away on 30 May 1920.