The Life of Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Abdullah Yusuf Ali is best known for his English translation of the Quran which is widely circulated and used in the English-speaking Muslim world. But there was more to this man than literary pursuits. He was actively involved in public services advocating British rule, contributing tremendously to the field of education and Islamic scholarship.

The book "Searching for Solace" a biography of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, interpreter of the Quran; gives a comprehensive and detailed chronicle of his life. The author, M.A Sherif divides the book into two parts, the first being the chronological account of Yusuf Ali's personal and public life while the other concentrates on the themes that are prevalent in his activities, writings and speeches. Sherif has taken upon himself the task of writing the biography as he feels that "...great Muslim personalities of this century have been inadequately researched by Muslim biographers...it will be a tragedy , if Muslims themselves cannot preserve the miniature portrait, so that when the time is right, the collection can be reexamined without the preconceived notions of Western scholarship."

Abdullah Yusuf Ali was born on 4th April 1872 in Surat, Gujrat in Western India. He was the second and younger son of Yusufali Allahbuksh an official in Surat's police force. Yusuf Ali revered his father but spoke little about his mother or brother. His education began in the Anjuman School, which was opened after much lobbying and persuasion by some able Muslims of the time. This was extremely necessary, as there was a dearth of educated Muslims who qualified to be in public services or government. The teaching was in Urdu and English, and it also provided a strong Islamic background in his life. He continued his studies in Wilson College and the University of Bombay obtaining a first class BA. His brialliant academic record made it possible for him to get a government scholarship to read law at Cambridge. It was here that he sat for the legendary Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination and succeeded.

He began his career in the North- Western Provinces of Agra and Oudh. A year later he returned to England to marry Teresa Shalders following Church of England rites.It was probably Yusuf Ali's way of trying to unite the gap between the East and the West.His circles of friends in England included prominent figures like Muhammad Iqbal, Abdul Qader, Justice

Ameer Ali and the Tayebji brothers. Yusuf Ali was a rising star in the ICS and continued to contribute papers to distinguished journals and societies.

His intense involvement in public matters caused continuous neglect of his domestic affairs, which ended in a crisis. His wife, mother of his four children, was expecting an illegitimate child. This personal pain devastated Yusuf Ali and it had been one of the reasons why he took refuge in the Quran, which culminated in the translation of it. References to this are made in the Quranic Commentary in his translation.

His career was not spared when he found himself embroiled in the Kanpur Mosque incident. He was a Muslim in power and yet unable to do anything when the precincts of the mosque were abolished; while other Muslim leaders were united to make their stand. A year later, Yusuf Ali resigned from the ICS and left for England to look after his children. When Britain declared war against Turkey that year, Yusuf Ali became their propagandist for the Indian Muslim community. He had deep-rooted loyalty to the British Sovereign and Empire. This is evident in his writing and lectures where he addressed King George V as chahre-e-mubarak (auspicious face).The British needed him to keep the Indian Muslim's loyalty to the crown as there was sympathy among Muslims for the Ottoman Caliphate. The British Department of Information employed him to give propaganda lecturers as far as Scandinavia. He was selected as a Muslim advisor to the Paris Peace Conference, which was "the high-point in his career in the service of the crown."The conference ended with the Treaty of Versailles and formation of the League of Nations.

When the League of Nations met again, the Treaty of Serves was made, that severed the Ottoman provinces causing deep anger among the Indian Muslims and the League of Nations was despised. This in turn led to serious struggle for Independence. Though Yusuf Ali did not agree with the British, he did not oppose them either. He felt that the Indians needed to be in good terms with the British to benefit from them. Meanwhile, he remarried, yet again to another English woman whom he named Masuma, who later bore him a son, Rashid.

His involvement in the education systems began when he participated in the initial stages of the Urdu movement and Osmania University in Hyderabad. He later became the principle of Islamia College, which aims to provide both the deen and dunya types of education. During his tenure, he continued to write and produced a vast number of literary outputs. "His work at

Islamia College and educational tours of the Near East, together with the presidency of numerous Indian educational conferences and membership of the court of Aligargh University made him a leading spokesman on Indian education." He spoke widely on "progressive Islam" a phrase he coined for the future generations of Muslims whom he envisioned to form an Islamic Intelligentsia, which would make Islam a World Force. He soon earned the title Allama (the learned). During this time too, he began his monumental task of translating the Quran. He wanted to make the Quran accessible in English as he felt it was the link between all provinces within India and the outside world.

The first installment of the translation and commentary of the Quran was published in 1934.The subsequent installments were published duly and became instant successes. The final installment was published in 1937. It was a stormy period for him. in 1936, he had stood for electionfor the Unionist party in Shaikpur against Barkat Ali. Barkat Ali, a candidate for the Muslim League ran articles criticizing Yusuf Ali. Among the charges was that Yusuf Ali did not know much Arabic and that his translation of the Quran was based on secondaty resources. It is true that Yusuf Ali only knew grammatical Arabic and did not speak the language. Yusuf Ali resigned from Islamia College but was brought back by popular demand.

Back in London, he was involved in bringing Britain and India to co-exist in harmony through spiritual fellowship. This same idea took him to Geneva for the "Peace through Religion" conference which gained him the title "le grand chef Musulman."

His great loyalty for Britain took a beating when Britain wanted to partition Palestine and crate a Jewish state. He spoke against it but restrained from being blunt thus he continued to be in good terms with Britain. He became well known as an Islamic scholar ans was a wonderful ambassador of the Empire. "Yusuf Ali maintained his pattern of activitiespropaganda work, diverse literay activities and comments on political developments in India"- for most part of World War II.

By 1945, he had separated from his wife and estranged from all his children, he was in his twilight years. His last days were tragic for such a great man who had rubbed shoulders with the dignitaries of that time. Maybe, he was disillusioned by all the work he did for the British and their total disregard for Muslims. He was 81 when he died alone, a poor and mentally ill

man. The Pakistan High Commission arranged the funeral and he was buried in Surrey. Thus ended the life of a truly remarkable man.