Allama Imdad Ali Imam Ali Qazi

Dr. Badruddin Ujan, a noted scholar & former civil servant has started contributing a series of research based articles on well known politico-religious figures of bye gone era. This being the third part of the series of high class writeups.

Imdad Ali Qazi was born in April 1886. His ancestors belonged to village ’Pat’. His father Imam Ali migrated to Hyderabad due to his Government job.

Imdad Ali learnt his basic schooling, Persian and Holy Quran in his youth privately from Akhund Abdul Aziz, because his father was against the aimless wandering of youth. The young Imdad Ali passed his Sindhi vernacular final examination in 1904 and won first position in Persian. He passed his matriculation examination in 1905 from Bombay University. He proceeded to Aligarah in 1906 and returned soon.

In 1907, Imdad Ali left for London and got admission in London School of Economics. He studied Economics under the guidance of Dr. Canin. He learnt Psychology and Philosophy from Dr. Brown and Dr. Arnold respectively. Kazi Saheb studied physics and Biology privately. He went to Germany in 1910. He came in contact with Miss Elsa, his sweet heart who became Mrs. Elsa Kazi, i.e. his life partner. Again he went to the England in 1911, got his degree of Barrister-at-Law and than returned to his homeland. He continued his studies and learnt Arabic from London School of Oriental Studies.

From 1911 to 1942, we see Kazi Imdad Ali Saheb sometimes in Sindh and sometimes in England. During his stay in Sindh, he became Magistrate in Tando Muhammad Khan. For sometime he joined as a Session Judge of Khairpur Riyasat and a member of its executive council. A llama Imdad Ali was an honest, straight forward and God fearing person. He was assigned the legislative affairs of Khairpur State. He became Session Judge. A very famous incident of that period is like that, he was imparting justice in his Court that an influential person ’Jala Bahhan’, came to him and brought a letter from Mir of Khairpur State for some favour. It is stated that Kazi Saheb adjourned the Court proceedings, reached his home, took up his bag and baggage and reached at the station. There from he sent a letter of resignation to Mir Saheb and the reason stated by him was that under such circumstances and undue interference, justice could not be imparted by me and arrived Karachi and then he left for London. He had practiced as a Public Prosecutor in Hyderabad District also.

His engagements in England were no less important. He was an honorary Den of Sindhi language at the London School of Oriental Languages. He was elected as Vice President of Poetic Society of England in 1924. In 1949, he was nominated as Life member of Philosophical Society of England. For two years, from 1927 to 29, he had worked as a ’Preacher of Islam’, in England, where many Muslims and Arabs became his disciples.

In 1933, A llama Imdad Ali Kazi, wrote a book ’Adventures of a Brown Girl in Search of God’, which was in reply to Bernad Shaw, who has written a satirical treatise under the caption, ’Adventures of a black girl in search of God’.

When Pakistan appeared on the map of world, Allama Saheb left for England. 1951, he was called back and was assigned the job of Vice Chancellor of Sindh University. At that time Sindh University was merely an examining body. He established it into a full-fledged University with hard labour. He believed in autonomy of University and thus resigned in 1959, because of increasing interference in administrative affairs from the new regime of Iskandar Mirza.

In 1960, at the request of Sindhi Adbi Board, Allama Saheb took up the project of translation of Shah Abdul Latif in English and made selected translation in collaboration with Mrs. Elsa Kazi.

The later year of life Allama Saheb passed in preaching and teaching, by delivering lectures In Literary gatherings and addressing Juma congregation in mosques.

At last, the omenous day came, it was 13th April, 1968, on which Allama Saheb turned his face away from his disciples well-wishers and admirers and fixed his gaze on ’Kaaba’, and left us for ever.

The news of Allama’s death burst like lightening and thunder and spread like grass fire. Whoso-ever heard it, he wept, bewailed, and bemoaned as if he has lost his benefactor, ancestor and a kind father.

Allama Kazi with his day and night struggled and mountainous labour rose from the fertile soil of Sindh to the heights of world fame hither to un-attained by any lay man like Allama.

The last phase of his life as a philosopher and a writer is of paramount significance. By now he has achieved world knowledge. He took start from the study of man and thus grasped the profundity of mankind. He studied the problems of Humanities. He understood the philosophies of world Religions and made comparative study of them all. Philosophy, Science, Literature, poetry, Art, History, philology, Logic, Psychology and Sufism were the subjects of his study and thus he had command over them. He made preaching and teaching as his profession. He used to address Juma-congregations, where men of letters and Scholars like, Ghulam Muhammad Girahmi, Ghulam Rabbani Agro, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, and hundreds of others used to attend in the capacity of his disciples. I am sorry to state that the treasure and literary wealth of Allama Saheb has been closed in rooms by his disciples.

Kazi Faiz Muhammad, was one of his dear students. He has stated an incident which is worth to be mentioned. He tells us, that Allama Saheb, out of certain grief refused to give audience to any body. We were much dejected, but after constant appeals, Allama Saheb came out of his room. He was much distressed and worried, upon enquiry he made a prediction by saying “That sanctity of Islam is in danger, he explained that the contract of petroleum drilling has been given to Americans by the government of Saudi-Arabia, and thus this is very dangerous and harmful for Islamic World”. This was his prediction at that time which came true.

I, think, no body can do justice while speaking on Allama Kazi in this short span of time. In conclusion I would like to say that let us follow the foot-prints of Allama Saheb and walk on the path shown by him. Because life is short and we are mortals, we have to leave this world, but we must utilise our time properly. I close my talk with a couplet from Shah: 

(Dr. Badar Ujan is a noted Sindhi intellectual & a retired Civil servant).