SYED AMEER ALI

(1849–1928)
Presented by
Nor Adriena Amiz Abdul Mutalib
Nooriimah Ahmad Termizi
Naheed Azhari
Nik Liyana Fathi
Edited by
Dr. Md. Mahmudul Hasan

International Islamic University Malaysia

2010
 Biography

 Political and Social Reform

 Syed Ameer Ali’s The Spirit Of Islam

Syed Ameer Ali was born in Orissa on 6 April 1849. He is the fourth of five sons of
Syed Saadat Ali. He was a great Indian Muslim jurist of Bengali descent,
political leader, and author of a number of influential books on Muslim history
and the modern development of Islam. He made enormous contributions to
the Law of India, particularly Muslim Personal Law, as well as the development
of Islamic political philosophy. Also, he was a signatory to the 1906 Qur’an
Petition and founding-member of the All India Muslim League, and was a
contemporary of Muhammad Iqbal.

Syed Ameer Ali traced his lineage through the eighth Imam, Ali Al-Raza, to
Muhammad. His forefathers are known to have held office under Shah Abbas
II of Persia and taken part in Nadir Shah's arrival in India. His ancestors finally
settled in the subcontinent. When his grandfather died, his father was brought
up and educated by his maternal uncle. His father eventually moved to
Calcutta with his family. Ameer Ali’s family took advantage of the educational
facilities provided during the British colonial period.
Early education
Syed Ameer Ali was brought up in a religious atmosphere. At a time
when many Muslim families were reluctant to make use of British
government educational facilities, Syed Saadat Ali, who had many English
friends, took advantage of the new opportunities for his sons. So, since
childhood, Ameer Ali had read a good deal of English Literature. He had his
schooling in the Hoogly College. With the assistance of his British teachers
and supported by several competitive scholarships, he achieved
outstanding examination results, graduating from Calcutta University in
1867. He obtained MA with Honours in History and the LLB in 1869. He
then began legal practice in Calcutta. By this point he was already one of
the few outstanding Muslim achievers of his generation.

Influences
Principal Mr. Robert Thwaytes (his teacher) and Syed Karamat Ali (a
esteemed Muslim personality) are the two great men who influenced him a
lot in his education and works.
 
Higher education in England

He lived in London between 1869 and 1873 and made contacts with the elite of the city.
He had contacts with almost all the administrators concerned with India and with
leading English liberals such as John Bright and the Fewcetts, Henry (1831–1898) and his
wife, Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929). In 1873, he resumed his legal practice at Calcutta
High Court on his return to India. The year after, he was elected a Fellow of Calcutta
University and appointed a Lecturer in Islamic Law at the Presidency College. In 1878, he
was appointed a member of the Bengal Legislative Council.

In 1880, he revisited England for one year. In 1883, he was nominated to the
membership of the Governor General Council. In 1881, he became a Professor of Law at
Calcutta University. In 1890, he became a judge in the Calcutta High Court. In 1877, he
founded the National Muhamedan Association in Calcutta. The Association played an
important role in the modernisation of Muslims and in creating a political consciousness
among them. Then, in 1908, he established the London Muslim League, an independent
body and not a branch of All India Muslim League. In 1909, he became the first Indian to
sit as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and became entitled to
be addressed as The Rt Hon. In 1910, he established the first masjid in London. In doing
so he formally co-established the London Mosque Fund, alongside a group of prominent
British Muslims, to finance the building of a masjid in London. In 1904, he retired and
decided to settle down in England. He died in Sussex on August 4, 1928.
 Political Ideas & Social Reform
 He was a prodigious writer.
→ His writings at that time stressed the need for Muslims
to come to terms with some of the changes caused by
colonization and Westernization.
 He fought to save the Muslim community from social
evils.
→ He was deeply involved in numerous political and social
reform activities. He discussed the problems of Indian
Muslims with the Secretary of State for India.
 He provided solutions to political problems confronting
Muslims in India at that time.
 He urged Muslims to organize themselves
educationally to regain their rightful place in
India. He regarded education as the key to
achieve that.

→ He called upon his followers to devote their

energy and attention to popularizing English
education among Muslims.

→ He contributed to the Aligarh Movement.

 Aligarh Movement
• It was led by Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan.
• It was aimed to educate the Muslims of the
Indian subcontinent after the foiled and first
war of independence of 1857.
• Its most significant achievement was the
establishment of Muhammedan Anglo-
Oriental College in Aligarh, which later
became Aligarh Muslim University.
 Ameer Ali served the interests of Indian
Muslim morally and materially.

 He formed the National Mohammedan

Association to combat the educational
backwardness of the Muslim community.

 He quotes the Qur’an and Hadith in Chapter XI

of the Spirit of Islam to establish the
importance of education in Islam.
 Feminist
 He emphatically talks about the need for social change,
particularly concerning the position of women.

 He rejects the idea of purdah that relegates women to the

four walls of the house.

 According to him, the purdah system crippled the Muslim

community as it prevented well-educated women from
contributing to society.
 He wanted Muslim women to embrace western
education.
 He was different from Sayyid Ahmad Khan who
worked for men’s education only.

Similarities between Syed Ameer Ali & Rokeya

Sakhawat Hossain:

→ Both struggled to establish women’s right

through the Islamic framework.
→ Both were against the strict Indian purdah.
→ Both highlighted the importance of education for
Muslim women.
Memoirs and Other Writings of
Syed Ameer Ali

Edited by Syed Razi Wasti

Delhi, 1968
“He was versatile both in writing and speech… [but]
… much of what he wrote has been unknown or
unavailable.”
• This publication is an attempt to collect his works
for the general reader.
• It consists of TWO volumes:
I. Memoirs, articles, and letters to The Times—mostly
on socio-political problems of contemporary India
during his time.

II. His writings on Islam, Islamic History and Islamic

culture.
Syed Ameer Ali: An Outstanding South
Asian Writer in English
“His wonderful command of English rendered
him a formidable opponent, while his keen
perception made him quickly see the gaps in
his adversary’s armor. He argued like a
practiced fencer wielding a light and elegant
rapier against the clumsy blows of a heavy
broadsword. He was rarely betrayed into
sarcasm…. ”
Ernest H. Griffin
 “The Unrest in India—It’s Meaning”
• Nationalism vs. foreign domination.

• The English influences (through language,

education, facilities, etc.) create solidarity
amongst sections indirectly.

• The English language in India has become the

language of modern democracy to those keen
on English education and influences.
 Quotes
“What is needed is a consistent policy based on a true
understanding of the causes of the unrest.”

“Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can

be proud, adopts as a last resource in the nation to which
he belongs.”

“Strong nationalistic feeling… [if] wisely directed, might

become great means to the people.”

“We know that when justice is on the alert, the mischief-

maker lies low; the moment its watchfulness is relaxed, his
machinations begin again.”
 Personal Views
• Every nation faces the time where nationalism
is the means to predicament and unrest.

• Nationalism can be negative or positive based

on the way government directs it, the same
goes with foreign influences.

• Justice and good conduct are the basis of

political and social solidarity.
 Part One
The life of the Prophet Muhammad
Chapter 1: The Life and Ministry of the Prophet
Chapter 2: The Hegira
Chapter 3: The Prophet as Medina
Chapter 4: Hostility of the Koreish and the Jews
Chapter 5: The Invasion of Medina
Chapter 6: The Prophet’s Clemency
Chapter 7: The Diffusion of the Faith
Chapter 8: The Year of Deputations
Chapter 9: Fulfillment of the Prophet’s Work
Chapter 10: The Apostolical Succession
 Part Two
Different aspects of Islam

Chapter 1: The Ideal of Islam

Chapter 2: The Religious Spirit of Islam
Chapter 3: The Idea of Future Life In Islam
Chapter 4: The Church Militant of Islam
Chapter 5: The Status of Women in Islam
Chapter 6: Bondage in Islam
Chapter 7: The Political Spirit of Islam
Chapter 8: The Political Divisions and Schisms of Islam
Chapter 9: The Literary and Scientific Spirit of Islam
Chapter 10: The Rationalistic and Philosophical Spirit of Islam
Chapter 11: Idealistic and Mystical Spirit in Islam
 Introduction
• Bactria was the original place of the human race.
• The people migrated to other places due to
overcrowding.
• New races were formed as a result of
amalgamation of different tribes.
• People in Arabia worshipped idols, and that led
to the need of religion.
• The arrival of Muhammad (s.a.w.) was a
necessity of religious development. He was sent
down to all humankind.
 The Status of Women in Islam
1. Polygamy
Hindus (earliest times), ancient Medes, Babylonians,
Assyrians, Persians, Israelites supported polygyny.
Israelites also practised polygamy before the time of
Moses. There was no limit in number of wives but in later
times, the Talmud of Jerusalem restricted the number of
wives, granted that the husband is able to maintain the
wives properly. As for Persians, religion offered a
premium on the plurality of wives. Athenians considered
the wives as mere chattel. They can be sold and
transferred to others. The men are allowed to have as
many wives they want. The Spartans however were not
allowed to have more than one wife unless they were
under special circumstances. Etruscans considered
polygamy as a privileged custom.
• This was the same case for the Romans. There was no
limitation of number of wives. Even some priests
married and some were engaged in pre-marital sex.
There was no concrete evidence saying that Jesus
explicitly forbade polygamy. “The greatest and most
reprehensible mistake committed by Christian writers
is to suppose that Muhammad either adopted or
legalised polygamy.” Muhammad found polygamy
practiced, not only among his own people, but among
the neighbouring countries. He then reformed
institutions that improved the status of women[…].
Polyandry however was practiced by the half Jewish,
half Sabean tribes of Yemen. The Prophet Muhammad
had great respect for women. He prohibited
conditional marriages and at first tacitly allowed
temporary marriage and later prohibited it after 3rd
year of Hijrah.
2. Prophet’s marriages
The Prophet married a number of women and
seven of them were Khadijah, whom he
married at the age of twenty-five, Aishah
(daughter of Abu Bakar), Hafsa, Zainab,
Juwairiya, Safiya and Maimunah. Some of
them were held captives and prompted
Rasullulah to marry them[…]. Most
importantly, he married them to unite the
warring tribes and bring them to harmony.
3. Divorce
Women had no rights to demand a divorce whereas
men could do as they liked. Women were
considered mere chattels and could be sold by
their fathers or husbands. In Roman times, a man
could sentence his wife to death in case of
poisoning, drinking and substitution of a spurious
child. The Prophet was not agreeable with this.
He permitted to divorced parties 3 distinct and
separate periods where they might reconcile. He
also gave women the rights of obtaining a
separation on reasonable grounds.
4. Women’s personhood
Syed Ameer Ali suggests that women should be
entitled to inherit along with her brothers. A
woman should not be married without her
consent and after marriage, she is still entitled
as an individual. There should also be ante-
nuptual agreement. A husband is not entitled
to his wife’s property or possessions. A wife
should be allowed to sue her debtors in open
court without having to use her husband’s
name.
 The Literary and Scientific Spirit of Islam
• Islam had produced many scholars in the field of astrology,
mathematics, architecture, sciences, medicine and many more.
Baghdad was the cradle of education and many Christian people went
to study in Islamic institutions. They were in Baghdad, Cairo and Spain.
Spain had received a lot of contributions from the Muslims in terms of
culture, food and facilities. Islamic architecture can be seen in Seville,
Toledo, Cordova, Granada and Murcia. They had received plants and
vegetations like ginger, saffron and myrrh. They were also introduced
to staples like rice, sugar and fruits. Apart from that, the Muslims
managed to establish culture of silk, the manufacturing of paper and
other textile of fabrics, porcelain, earthenware, iron, steel and leather.
Music was confined to the slaves of both sexes imported from Syria
and Persia but later under the Abbasides and the Spanish Arab kings,
music was prominent to the rank of science and recognized as a form
of art.