In 1870, Sir Syed started a journal called Social Reformer and called for a shift in social and religious attitudes. The Urdu edition of the journal was known as Tahdeebul Akhlaq, and the front page of both editions carried a line in Arabic that meant “Love for the nation is an ingredient of faith, so one who endeavours to honour his nation in fact honours his faith”. His writings evoked strong clerical opposition, and more than 60 muftis of all leading centers of India issued fatwas declaring him a kafir (disbeliever) and a murtad (apostate).

The story did not end there. One moulvi Ali Bakhsh decided to travel to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to secure the fatwa of the grand mufti who readily obliged him and by declaring that Sir Syed “is misguided and misleads others. He is doing Satan’s work and his mischief is worse than that of the Christians and Jews. He should be warned, if he is ignorant matters should be explained to him, if he refrains it is good otherwise he should be thrashed and imprisoned”.

After the publication of the fatwas in Indian papers, it was suggested to Sir Syed to denounce moulvi Khuda Bakhsh in his journal. Instead, he wrote a mild note saying that he was gratified that a sinful person like him became instrumental in making moulvi Khuda Bakhsh undertake the journey to Mecca and Medina! The attacks by the clergy did not shake Sir Syed’s resolve. He continued to expose their selfish and shortsighted goals, and asserted that “They have appointed themselves as custodians of paradise and disposers of disbelief and deceive ordinary people by their tricks”.

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