EAP071/20/5

'Kalām Darbéś', or 'Sayings of Darvish', written in Sylhét Nāgri script is a religious text in which a devoted Muslim desires to know what constitutes a 'true' Mussalmān. He sings the glory of Allah and enquires about the rituals of Islam (that is, the secret elements of practising Islam). Presented in a conversational form, the text preaches the ritualistic aspects of Islam in very simple terms in the regional dialect of Bengali (Sylhéti). This explains the wide reach of this popular literature in the rural areas of the region (Cāchār, Sylhét and parts of Eastern Bengal).

The text, written in verse, was never printed. In fact, some of these religious texts were forbidden to be rendered in print. Such texts were copied by rural Muslim individuals and are still regarded as sacred. The present text was copied by Chābāl Śā[h] in as late as 1984. The original text seems to be of an earlier origin and may perhaps be dated to the nineteenth century. If this dating is correct, the text provides an insight into how the tenets of Islam were popularly presented and disseminated in this part of north-east India and Sylhét in Bāmlādeś.

A critical reading of the text may thus throw light on the methods by which Islam was popularised in the region. It could also be used to trace strains of regional input into the philosophy of Islam as it evolved there under a strong Sufi influence. A linguistic study of the text could be significant in showing the extended use of Arabic and Persian words in Bengali.

During their field work, the members of the EAP071 project discovered that this text, and similar texts written in the same script, are held in respect by thier owners and the Muslim community. The acts of reading, reciting and copying these texts by individuals was regarded as a religious act, even though very few individuals know the script. Maktab Āli, the owner of the original text, told the EAP071 project that he had learnt the script through the benediction of Allah, bestowed on him in a dream. The text had been hand-copied by his father.

The original text is undated and handwritten into a note book using blue ink. The note book measures 232mm x 18.2mm. The main text appears on pages 1-19, and this is all that has been copied along with the front and back covers of the note book.