Syed Ahmed Khan was a popular name in the Indian freedom struggle. While he was still working as a jurist, Sir Syed focussed in writing. Right from the age of 23 in the year 1840 he indulged in writing on various topics. He wrote in Urdu language.
His first published writing, that saw him beginning his career as writer, was on religious subjects in the year 1842. He also published book A`thar-as-sanadid (Great Monuments) that also documented antiquities of Delhi dating from the medieval era. This entire ambit of work helped him to e
In the year 1842 Sir Syed completed Jila-ul-Qulub bi Zikr-il Mahbub and the Tuhfa-i-Hasan, along with the Tahsil fi jar-i-Saqil in 1844. These works mainly focussed on cultural and religious subjects.
In 1852, he also published two of his works namely; Namiqa dar bayan masala tasawwur-i-Shaikh and Silsilat ul-Mulk. Two years later, saw him realising the second edition of A`thar-as-sanadid. He also penned a commentary on Bible (thus becoming the first Muslim to do so), in which he argued that Islam, as a religion, was close to Christianity. His other texts like Loyal Muhammadans of India, Tabyin-ul-Kalam and A Series of Essays on the Life of Muhammad and Subjects Subsidiary Therein assisted to produce soothing environment between the British authorities and the Muslim community.
Sir Syed Ahmad, right through his life, found ample time for scholarly and literary pursuits. The range of his literary and scholarly interests was very wide: history, politics, archaeology, journalism, literature, religion and science. The scope of his major writings is indeed amazing, majority are listed as follows:
Legal works by Sir Syed Ahmad
1. Act No. 10 (Stamp Act) 1862.
2. Act No. 14 (Limitation) Act 1859-1864.
3. Act No. 16 (Regarding registration of documents) - Allygurh, 1864.
Religious works by Sir Syed Ahmad
4. Ahkam Tu`am Ahl-Kitab
5. Al-Du`a Wa`l Istajaba
6. Al-Nazar Fi Ba`z Masa`il Imam Al-Ghazzali
7. Izalat ul-Chain as Zi`al Qarnain
8. Zila al-Qulub ba Zikr al-Mahbub
9. Khulq al-Insan ala ma fi al-Quran
10. Kimiya-i-Sa`dat
11. Mazumm ba nisbat tanazzul ulum-i-diniya wa Arabiya wa falsafa-i-Yunaniya
12. Namiqa fi Bayan Mas`ala Tasawwur al-Shaikh
13. Rah-i-Sunnat dar rad-i-bid`at
14. Risala Ibtal-i-Ghulami
15. Risala ho wal Mojud
16. Risala Tahqiq Lafzi-i-Nassara
17. Tabyin-ul-Kalam fi Tafsir-al-turat-wa`l Injil ala Mullat-al-Islam (Muhammedan Commentary on the Holy Bible).
18. Tafsir-ul-Qura`n
19. Tafsir al-Jinn Wa`l Jan ala ma fi al-Qur`an
20. Tafsir-a-Samawat
21. Tahrir fi Usul al-Tafsir
22. Tarjama fawa`id al-afkar fi amal al-farjar
23. Tarqim fi qisa ashab al-kahf wal-Raqim
24. Tasfiyad al`Aquid (Being the correspondence between Syed Ahmad Khan and Maulana Muhammad Qasim of Deobund).
Historical works by Sir Syed Ahmad
25. A`in-e-Akbari
26. Asar-us-Sanadid (i) Syed-ul-Akhbar, 1847, (II) Mata-i-Sultani
27. Description des monument de Delhi in 1852, D`a Pre Le Texte Hindostani De Saiyid Ahmad Khan (tr. by M. Garcin De Tassy)
28. Jam-i-Jum, Akbarabad
29. Silsilat-ul-Muluk, Ashraf ul Mataba`
30. Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi.
31. Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri
Biographical works by Sir Syed Ahmad
32. Al-Khutbat al-Ahmadiya fi`l Arab wa`I Sirat al-Muhammadiya
33. Sirat-i-Faridiya
34. Tuhfa-i-Hasan
Political works by Sir Syed Ahmad
35. Asbab-i-Bhaghwat-i-Hind
36. Lecture Indian National Congress Madras Par
37. Lectures on the Act XVI of 1864, delivered on the 4th Dec., 1864 for the Scientific Society
38. Musalmanon ki qismat ka faisla
39. On Hunter`s: Our Indian Mussulmans`
40. Present State of Indian Politics (Consisting of lectures and Speeches)
41. Sarkashi Zilla Binjor
Journals, Reports Proceedings, Etc by Sir Syed Ahmad
1. Tehzeeb-ul-Ikhlaq.
2. Aligarh Institute Gazette.
3. Proceedings of the Muhammadans Educational Conference.
4. An Account of the Loyal Muhammadans of India, Parts I, II, III, Moufussel Press, Meerut, 1860.
5. Proceedings of the Scientific Society.
6. Bye-Laws of the Scientific Society.
7. Addresses and speeches relating to the Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh