Safdar Ali
Encyclopedia
Safdar Ali,
a convert from Islam to Christianity, was born in 1830 in the native state of Dholpur
, and was the son of an orthodox Syud gentleman. Ali's father personally saw to his education which was deeply rooted in the religion of Islam
but he also received instruction from other Islamic and philosophical scholars from around their city of residence. While Ali was still young, his father, who held the position of Qazi in Dholpur, was dismissed from this role and he chose to move their family to Agra
. From here Ali continued his studies which led to his philosophical and theological questioning of his childhood religion of Islam. Ali's questioning led to what he called a three year struggle through the Christian and Mohammedan scriptures as well as other works of controversy pertaining to either faith. At the end of his three year journey, Ali finally attained what he called his full assurance of salvation. He was finally baptized on Christmas Day in 1864.
, philosophy
, polemical debates
, and various topics in Muslim theology
. When he was young, Ali's father began to teach and guide him in his study of the religion of Islam. Ali recounted in one of his letters to the Church Missionary Society
, the extent to which his father went to ensure that his son received the best education possible. Giving up much of his free time away from work, his father was the largest influence in his training to become a Muslim scholar
. Ali states again in the same letter that even after his father had been removed from his position in Dholpur and they had settled in Agra, despite the luxuries that they could no longer afford, his father remained steadfast and encouraged Ali daily which as he states, “produced the deepest longings in my mind”. In addition to his father's teaching, he also received instruction from other Islamic scholars in Agra
. Ali dedicated much of his time into studying other religions and philosophies as well. Religious Hindu
books, ancient Greek philosophical texts (in their Arab translations), as well as works by atheists
, sophists
and deists
, were all in addition to his regular study of orthodox Islam. However, despite his studying of other religious texts, the Christian Scriptures
did not come across his study until later in his life when he was appointed Deputy Inspector of Schools in Rawul Pindee
. After his homeschooling, Safdar Ali then went on to receive an education from the British Governmental College in Agra which focused on physical sciences, mathematics, and introductions to English literature.
. He was in attendance during the great debate in 1854 where public controversy broke out between Pfander
and the leading maulvis of that time in reaction against his writings, particularly that of Mizan-Ul-Haqq. In his evidence given before the 1882 Education Commission presided over by W. W. Hunter
, Safdar Ali gave an overview of his career in the Educational Department of the British Raj
from 1854 to 1872. From 1854 to 1856 he was Persian teacher and Assistant Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Agra Government College. For the next four years he was Deputy Inspector of Schools in the Punjab including Rawalpindi
. From 1860 to 1872, he held a similar position in Jubbulpore. During this time he also officiated as Inspector of Schools and was on tour in the Districts of Narsinghpur
and Hoshangabad
. After he left the Education Department in 1872, he conitinued his service as Extra Assistant Commissioner in Jabalpur in the Central Provinces
, where he was serving at the time of the Education Commission.
and the Hadith
) appeared to be in contradiction to what his studies in physical science had proven to be true. Yet in spite of this, he fortified himself in his faith by making the assertion (similar to that of Tertullian
centuries prior), “What has reason to do with revelation?” However as he continued his scholarly pursuits, his findings remained true.
While being Deputy Inspector of Schools, Ali came across a group of Sufi
philosophers and fakir
s whose practices of austerity
and self-mortification
enticed him greatly, and, in an attempt to try and fill his feelings of spiritual emptiness, he took up their disciplinary practices. These practices had the intended purpose of creating inner life, purity, and holiness of heart. However, as time went on they had the reverse effect on Ali than what he had hoped. His spiritual longings became greater, and the outward disciplines of which the Sufi's had taught him became the means through which his spiritual pangs grew. In his relationship with this group of mystics he became aware of what they described as a 'spiritual guide' which was necessary in order to pursue this inward purity. With this knowledge Ali went about searching in an attempt to find a guide that would give him direction toward spiritual fulfillment but none were found. With regard to his search for a spiritual guide, Ali later wrote a letter to the Church Missionary Society in which he stated:
“In my search after a guide, I waited upon a great number of Sheikhs and Fakeers, but many of them turned out to be nothing better than worldlings and hypocrites. Some, indeed, had the true Sufi temper, and were devout persons, loving God, and worshipping Him according to the instructions and directions of their spiritual guides, and employing themselves day and night in religious exercises and prayers. However, I was seeking for an infallible guide and unfailing director--for one who could discern and particularize my spiritual disease, and indicate its cause, and work a complete cure, and bring me full assurance--one who was not a quack-one who was not himself diseased.”
In the midst of his endless search Ali was transferred to a new region called Jabalpur. It was here that his spiritual mourning deepened, and with advice from friends, and perhaps a last attempt to find spiritual fulfillment, he planned a pilgrimage to Arabia
. However, financial obligations connected to his property forced him to postpone his pilgrimage to Arabia
to a later date. It was at this time while going through his books that he stumbled upon Mizan-ul-Haqq by Rev. C. G. Pfander
(with whom he had prioer contact), as well as some Christian scriptures, both of which enticed him to study the controversy between Islam and Christianity thoroughly. It was then between the years of November 1861 and December 1864 that Ali suffered through his inquiries, spending as much time that he could afford, both day and night, in pursuit of the truth about the two religions.
In the first year of his intense struggle, Ali had discerned what he believed to be the truth: that Mohammed
was not the prophet of God, and that the Koran, and the Hadith were not divinely inspired pieces of literature. He still held his previous disciplinary practices in high regard however, but only in so far as how he perceived that they revealed to a person their spiritual state of depravity. Additionally, he found that the Christian scriptures held a diagnosis and cure for what he felt was his 'spiritual disease' and that the scriptures themselves gave such purposeful care in their presentation of this process, that he believed that he had found within them divine and infallible
character.
In the second year of Ali's struggle he became convinced of not only what he called the 'triumph of Christianity' but also of what he found to be the falsehood of all other religions and religious philosophies. Even the disciplinary practices of other religions that he had once held in such high esteem became pointless as far as he was concerned as, comparably, he thought that these practices only produced a false sense of piety
to those that participated in them. Ali also found it important to note, that during this second year he was filled with great anguish over his predicament as to being "without creed
or faith, and still unpossessed of eternal salvation
," and in addition to this he was also afflicted with a strong bodily illness which left him in desolate condition.
By the time the third year of his struggle came around Ali was so deeply entrenched in his study and his ailment had gotten so severe that many of his close friends came to him and pleaded with him to reconsider his study. They pleaded that no religion was without small discrepancies and that his study was not worth the effect it was having on his health. Despite the constant warnings, rebukes, and pleas, Ali's resolve remained the same as he was convinced that God's revelation
had indeed been made clear and he was determined to discover the full extent of what that was. Finally, at the end of his spiritual struggle, Ali found what he called his 'full assurance of salvation' and he was baptized
Christmas Day of 1864. In addition, Ali's two close companions, who had also endured similar hardships and struggles, were baptized. Kasim Khan was baptized on the same day as Ali, and, Karim Bakhsh who was baptized shortly thereafter.
After his baptism and conversion, Ali received persecution from some of his friends and family, to the point of which his wife, child, and father-in-law all left him and returned to Agra. Other people ceased communication with Ali entirely, and others still, intrigued by his findings were spurred to begin some questioning of their own.
Some of his more influential and popular works are: Ghizai Ruh, which consists of hymns and sacred songs; Khallat Nama, which was a treatise regarding the issues of religious toleration; and Niaz Namah (currently only available in Urdu
, the language in which it was originally written), which is a volume consisting of his letters that he wrote to his family shortly after his conversion explaining the reasons why he decided to abandon Islam as well as some refutations of popular arguments held against Christianity by Islamic theologians.
Ali also worked much with the Church Missionary Society after his conversion and he submitted several letters, papers, and treaties to help the missionary efforts in the regions that he was involved in. Some of these correspondences can be found in a journal entitled Church Missionary Inteligencer.
a convert from Islam to Christianity, was born in 1830 in the native state of Dholpur
Dholpur
Dholpur is a city in eastern-most parts of the Rajasthan state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dholpur District and was formerly seat of the Dholpur princely state, before Independence....
, and was the son of an orthodox Syud gentleman. Ali's father personally saw to his education which was deeply rooted in the religion of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
but he also received instruction from other Islamic and philosophical scholars from around their city of residence. While Ali was still young, his father, who held the position of Qazi in Dholpur, was dismissed from this role and he chose to move their family to Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
. From here Ali continued his studies which led to his philosophical and theological questioning of his childhood religion of Islam. Ali's questioning led to what he called a three year struggle through the Christian and Mohammedan scriptures as well as other works of controversy pertaining to either faith. At the end of his three year journey, Ali finally attained what he called his full assurance of salvation. He was finally baptized on Christmas Day in 1864.
Early Life and Education
Since an early age, Ali showed great interest in topics of metaphysical sciencesMetaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, philosophy
Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies. It is the continuous search for Hekma in the light of Islamic view of life, universe, ethics, society, and so on...
, polemical debates
Polemic
A polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
, and various topics in Muslim theology
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
. When he was young, Ali's father began to teach and guide him in his study of the religion of Islam. Ali recounted in one of his letters to the Church Missionary Society
Church Mission Society
The Church Mission Society, also known as the Church Missionary Society, is a group of evangelistic societies working with the Anglican Communion and Protestant Christians around the world...
, the extent to which his father went to ensure that his son received the best education possible. Giving up much of his free time away from work, his father was the largest influence in his training to become a Muslim scholar
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
. Ali states again in the same letter that even after his father had been removed from his position in Dholpur and they had settled in Agra, despite the luxuries that they could no longer afford, his father remained steadfast and encouraged Ali daily which as he states, “produced the deepest longings in my mind”. In addition to his father's teaching, he also received instruction from other Islamic scholars in Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
. Ali dedicated much of his time into studying other religions and philosophies as well. Religious Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
books, ancient Greek philosophical texts (in their Arab translations), as well as works by atheists
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, sophists
Sophism
Sophism in the modern definition is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching aretê — excellence, or virtue — predominantly to young statesmen and...
and deists
Deism
Deism in religious philosophy is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. According to deists, the creator does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the...
, were all in addition to his regular study of orthodox Islam. However, despite his studying of other religious texts, the Christian Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
did not come across his study until later in his life when he was appointed Deputy Inspector of Schools in Rawul Pindee
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
. After his homeschooling, Safdar Ali then went on to receive an education from the British Governmental College in Agra which focused on physical sciences, mathematics, and introductions to English literature.
Career
After graduating from the college in Agra, Ali was granted the distinction of being a maulviMawlawi
Mawlawi may refer to:*Mevlevi Order, a Sufi order founded in Konya*Mawlawi , an honorific Islamic title often given to Sunni Muslim Clergy...
. He was in attendance during the great debate in 1854 where public controversy broke out between Pfander
Karl Gottlieb Pfander
Karl Gottlieb Pfander was born in Württemberg in southern Germany. His background lay in the Pietist wing of the Lutheran state church, with its strong tradition of disciplined Christian living popular with evangelical craftsmen, tradesmen, and shopkeepers.-Biography:One of nine children, the son...
and the leading maulvis of that time in reaction against his writings, particularly that of Mizan-Ul-Haqq. In his evidence given before the 1882 Education Commission presided over by W. W. Hunter
William Wilson Hunter
Sir William Wilson Hunter KCSI CIE was a Scottish historian, statistician, a compiler and a member of the Indian Civil Service, who later became Vice President of Royal Asiatic Society.-Early life and education:...
, Safdar Ali gave an overview of his career in the Educational Department of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
from 1854 to 1872. From 1854 to 1856 he was Persian teacher and Assistant Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Agra Government College. For the next four years he was Deputy Inspector of Schools in the Punjab including Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
. From 1860 to 1872, he held a similar position in Jubbulpore. During this time he also officiated as Inspector of Schools and was on tour in the Districts of Narsinghpur
Narsinghpur District
Narsinghpur district is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The town of Narsinghpur is administrative headquarters of the district.-Geography:...
and Hoshangabad
Hoshangabad District
Hoshangabad District is one of the districts of Madhya Pradesh state of India, and Hoshangabad town is the district headquarters.-Geography:...
. After he left the Education Department in 1872, he conitinued his service as Extra Assistant Commissioner in Jabalpur in the Central Provinces
Central Provinces and Berar
The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur. The Central Provinces was formed in...
, where he was serving at the time of the Education Commission.
Journey to Conversion
In his years of scholarship, both in the governmental school and his religious studies, Ali came to find that Islam's sources of theology (the KoranQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and the Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
) appeared to be in contradiction to what his studies in physical science had proven to be true. Yet in spite of this, he fortified himself in his faith by making the assertion (similar to that of Tertullian
Tertullian
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian , was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He is the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of Latin Christian literature. He also was a notable early Christian apologist and...
centuries prior), “What has reason to do with revelation?” However as he continued his scholarly pursuits, his findings remained true.
While being Deputy Inspector of Schools, Ali came across a group of Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
philosophers and fakir
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
s whose practices of austerity
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...
and self-mortification
Mortification of the flesh
Mortification of the flesh literally means "putting the flesh to death". The term is primarily used in religious and spiritual contexts. The institutional and traditional terminology of this practice in Catholicism is corporal mortification....
enticed him greatly, and, in an attempt to try and fill his feelings of spiritual emptiness, he took up their disciplinary practices. These practices had the intended purpose of creating inner life, purity, and holiness of heart. However, as time went on they had the reverse effect on Ali than what he had hoped. His spiritual longings became greater, and the outward disciplines of which the Sufi's had taught him became the means through which his spiritual pangs grew. In his relationship with this group of mystics he became aware of what they described as a 'spiritual guide' which was necessary in order to pursue this inward purity. With this knowledge Ali went about searching in an attempt to find a guide that would give him direction toward spiritual fulfillment but none were found. With regard to his search for a spiritual guide, Ali later wrote a letter to the Church Missionary Society in which he stated:
“In my search after a guide, I waited upon a great number of Sheikhs and Fakeers, but many of them turned out to be nothing better than worldlings and hypocrites. Some, indeed, had the true Sufi temper, and were devout persons, loving God, and worshipping Him according to the instructions and directions of their spiritual guides, and employing themselves day and night in religious exercises and prayers. However, I was seeking for an infallible guide and unfailing director--for one who could discern and particularize my spiritual disease, and indicate its cause, and work a complete cure, and bring me full assurance--one who was not a quack-one who was not himself diseased.”
In the midst of his endless search Ali was transferred to a new region called Jabalpur. It was here that his spiritual mourning deepened, and with advice from friends, and perhaps a last attempt to find spiritual fulfillment, he planned a pilgrimage to Arabia
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. However, financial obligations connected to his property forced him to postpone his pilgrimage to Arabia
Umrah
The Umrah or is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year. In Arabic, Umrah means "to visit a populated place"...
to a later date. It was at this time while going through his books that he stumbled upon Mizan-ul-Haqq by Rev. C. G. Pfander
Karl Gottlieb Pfander
Karl Gottlieb Pfander was born in Württemberg in southern Germany. His background lay in the Pietist wing of the Lutheran state church, with its strong tradition of disciplined Christian living popular with evangelical craftsmen, tradesmen, and shopkeepers.-Biography:One of nine children, the son...
(with whom he had prioer contact), as well as some Christian scriptures, both of which enticed him to study the controversy between Islam and Christianity thoroughly. It was then between the years of November 1861 and December 1864 that Ali suffered through his inquiries, spending as much time that he could afford, both day and night, in pursuit of the truth about the two religions.
In the first year of his intense struggle, Ali had discerned what he believed to be the truth: that Mohammed
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
was not the prophet of God, and that the Koran, and the Hadith were not divinely inspired pieces of literature. He still held his previous disciplinary practices in high regard however, but only in so far as how he perceived that they revealed to a person their spiritual state of depravity. Additionally, he found that the Christian scriptures held a diagnosis and cure for what he felt was his 'spiritual disease' and that the scriptures themselves gave such purposeful care in their presentation of this process, that he believed that he had found within them divine and infallible
Infallibility
Infallibility, from Latin origin , is a term with a variety of meanings related to knowing truth with certainty.-In common speech:...
character.
In the second year of Ali's struggle he became convinced of not only what he called the 'triumph of Christianity' but also of what he found to be the falsehood of all other religions and religious philosophies. Even the disciplinary practices of other religions that he had once held in such high esteem became pointless as far as he was concerned as, comparably, he thought that these practices only produced a false sense of piety
Piety
In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
to those that participated in them. Ali also found it important to note, that during this second year he was filled with great anguish over his predicament as to being "without creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
or faith, and still unpossessed of eternal salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
," and in addition to this he was also afflicted with a strong bodily illness which left him in desolate condition.
By the time the third year of his struggle came around Ali was so deeply entrenched in his study and his ailment had gotten so severe that many of his close friends came to him and pleaded with him to reconsider his study. They pleaded that no religion was without small discrepancies and that his study was not worth the effect it was having on his health. Despite the constant warnings, rebukes, and pleas, Ali's resolve remained the same as he was convinced that God's revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
had indeed been made clear and he was determined to discover the full extent of what that was. Finally, at the end of his spiritual struggle, Ali found what he called his 'full assurance of salvation' and he was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
Christmas Day of 1864. In addition, Ali's two close companions, who had also endured similar hardships and struggles, were baptized. Kasim Khan was baptized on the same day as Ali, and, Karim Bakhsh who was baptized shortly thereafter.
After his baptism and conversion, Ali received persecution from some of his friends and family, to the point of which his wife, child, and father-in-law all left him and returned to Agra. Other people ceased communication with Ali entirely, and others still, intrigued by his findings were spurred to begin some questioning of their own.
Influence and Writings
Being a public figure in his occupation, as well as a learned and reputable man within the Muslim religious community, Safdar Ali had a substantial amount of influence, and after his conversion he was active in Christian missionary efforts to the Muslim communities around him. He also wrote a few works about the conclusions of his study between Islam and Christianity. Much of his works have not been translated into English.Some of his more influential and popular works are: Ghizai Ruh, which consists of hymns and sacred songs; Khallat Nama, which was a treatise regarding the issues of religious toleration; and Niaz Namah (currently only available in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, the language in which it was originally written), which is a volume consisting of his letters that he wrote to his family shortly after his conversion explaining the reasons why he decided to abandon Islam as well as some refutations of popular arguments held against Christianity by Islamic theologians.
Ali also worked much with the Church Missionary Society after his conversion and he submitted several letters, papers, and treaties to help the missionary efforts in the regions that he was involved in. Some of these correspondences can be found in a journal entitled Church Missionary Inteligencer.