বাংলা 
English 
Shah Arkum Ali (born: 1877 - died: 19 March 1941) was a spiritual saint and Sufi of Bangladesh. Arkum Shah is a creative poet dedicated to discovering the meaning of life and being.
The Radha-Krishna verses of Chandidas, Vidyapati, Jnandas and Govinda Das raised the standard of Bengali literature. They are as sweet as they are filled with spiritual flavour. In that continuity, the mystic mind and artistic sense of the Sufi poet Arkum Shah have made his songs universal. His Radha-Krishna songs have effortlessly found a place in the hearts of the people of all religions.
In 1877 he was born in Dharadharapur village of South Dhar Khitta pargana in Sylhet district. From childhood he was inspired by the Baul philosophy. He took initiation from a pir named Shah Abdul Latif. It is said that from this pir he attained the knowledge of bateni-ma'refat.
However, along with Baul songs, he became popular in the Sylhet region by composing many other kinds of songs as well. In 1940 his only collection of songs, 'Hakikate Sitara', was published. Beyond the boundaries of Bangladesh, Arkum Shah remains a legend among some time-conquering popular songs known abroad as well. Such as:
- Krishna Aila Radhar Kunje
- Pansi Douraiya Jaitam
- Sonar-o Pinjira Amar Kariya Gelay Khali Re
- Chairo Chije Pinjira Banai
- Aji Darshan-o Milan Hoil Ekhon
He has presented all the pains of the heart and their fitting subjects with words of Bengali, Sanskrit, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, English and Turkish. Five of his theory-based songs have been translated into Japanese. These songs hold the expression of eternal love in search of the man of the heart. In the depth of songs tinged with mysticism lies the spontaneous cry of yearning love.
He composed songs about the lover, love and the beloved in various descriptions and in various manners. In the simplicity of mysticism and the radiance of divinity, the melody of each song touches the lover's heart. He was immersed in the love of the Creator. The strong longing for nearness to the Creator is woven into most of the songs. At the murshid's direction, in his youth he left the ghatu songs behind and advanced on the path of contemplation. In tireless meditation and devotion he made an intimate observation of the feelings of the soul.
Love is a kind of attraction between two beings, and in this love lies the intention of realising the unity of the two beings. The spiritual saints gave song the highest place as part of their meditation, in order to keep the loving being of the heart awake at all times. Song is their chief medium of expressing the ideas of the heart, and love is song's chief companion. Their love and song are, as it were, strung on one thread. Dedicated to discovering the meaning of life and being, Arkum Shah was immersed in the absorbed consciousness of the Sufi vision. He was religious, but not a religious fanatic. He protested against the society's enmity and hatred, its quarrels and conflicts, its controversies, injustice and immorality, its hostility, selfishness and arbitrariness. On 19 March 1941 he bade farewell to the earthly world.
Every year the devotees of Hazrat Arkum Ali gather at his mazar in Dharadharapur village on the south Surma. The urs is held every year.
