1.

Introduction

ALLAMA Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi, an eminent philosopher and scholar and Vice Chancellor

of Sindh University. He was born on April 9, 1886 in Hyderabad. After completing primary

education and memorizing the Holy Quran, he went to Britain for studies in zoology and

economics and later to Germany, where he married a German girl, Elsa. Like her husband, Elsa

was well-versed in literature and later translated the verses of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai into

English and wrote many other books. Allama Kazi received the degree of Bar-at-Law in 1911,

after which he returned home. In 1932, he studied Arabic in Cairo and in 1933 pursued the same

subject at the London School of Oriental Studies. After 1910, he stayed mostly in Hyderabad but

visited England every year for scholarly pursuits. He wrote a book on Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai’s

poetry, and assumed the office of President of the Sindhi Department at the School of Oriental

Languages in London. Among South Asian and European scholars who were deeply impressed

by his writings were Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Allama Iqbal, Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi,

George Bernard Shaw and many other renowned scholars.

“Casual Peeps at Sophia” is a collection of Essays and Addresses by Allama I.I. Kazi, who is

undoubtedly greatest Moslem Philosopher-Sage of the time. The subjects dealt with in these

Essays and Addresses cover a wide range of human thought embracing, as they do, Philosophy,

History, Art, Poetry and Literary Criticism.

Allama Sahib was intrigued by Sannyasis who renounced the world and lived in journey of

reality, at a youthful age influencing his future life a lot. On the night April 13, 1968, Allama

Sahib engaged in a long prayer followed by muraqba or contemplation. By the early morning

time, he had a vision in which he perceived the Creator. It was a very beautiful sight. He woke
up and recorded his experience. Means to say, throughout his struggling life one can perceive

that Allama Sahib was a true follower of mystic thought. Allama sahib’s famous words reflect a

true picture of mysticism, he uttered that a gentleman opposite his house reading the Holy Quran

daily. Every day at 4 o’clock in the morning he gets up and recites the Quran as loudly as he

can, for hours and hours, he goes on. It is his love for the Quran that keeps him reading it again

and again. But Allama Sahib wishes that five lines man could grasp and understand. And this

will be more enough for him. All the secrets of worlds will be opened to him; all the keys of

secret mysticism will be opened to him. And he would have no need of anything. These words

were pronounced by Allama Sahib in his one of speeches that was recorded by Dr Abdul Wahid

Halepoto, department of Arabic University of Sindh.

Additionally, Allama Sahib’s one of the finest letters collection was published by Sindhi Adabi

Board Hyderabad (Sindh), in 2015, under the title “Epistles Divine Wisdom Allama II Kazi”. In

these letters the most important thing is being mentioned by publisher that these letters epitomize

the wisdom of East and West, will feel enlightened on many significant aspects of the intellectual

and spiritual evolution of humanity.

“Adventures of the Brown Girl in her Search for God”, as the subtitle of the book indicates, is a

companion volume of, and has to be read along with, “The Black Girl in Search of God” written

by George Bernard Shaw.

Mr. Shaw’s book to which the present book is an answer from the Muslim point of view, was

first published by Constable & Company Limited (London), under the title of “Adventures of the

Black Girl in Search for God”, late in the year 1932. Afterwards, that book has been published

under a shorter title, viz. “The Black Girl in Search of God”, by Penguin Books Ltd., together
with some lesser Tales. Mr. and Mrs. I.I Kazi published the “Adventures of Brown Girl” as a

reply to Mr. Shaw’s book in the year 1933.

Mr. and Mrs. I.I Kazi, as a counter point to this cynical mode of regarding the institution of

Religion, offer a clear-cut account of the main characteristics of the Evolution of Religious belief

and Practice as one sees them in the light of history and psychology. Theirs is a scholarly

approach. One can see the various “adventures” of the Brown Girl turn out to be the main

landmarks that see in the historical unfolding of the religious ideal of mankind. History and

psychology, these constitute the only court of appeal at the altar of which authors surrender the

thought-process of the Brown Girl and get her to pass through the variegated religious

experiences in order to enable her to grasp the fundamental truth, there are not religions rather

only one religion. This achieved by the presentation to the reader of the imaginative

reconstruction of the principal stages in the development of realization till the Brown Girl at the

end of her search, encounters Prophet Muhammad (may peace be on him) who delivers to her

the last message “This message is final because the Book that contains it is not a book of

commandments but of discretions and discriminations and it advises a different kind of method

by which each man will receive revelations individually and will have no need of those periodic

revelations which have been coming now and again. Man is grown up now; there is no more

“thou shalt” for him nor “thou shalt not”, but the Book points out to him two broad ways and he

is to choose between the two with his own will and woe on unto him if he chooses the wrong

one. Man and woman are now free to choose, but so much more responsible”.
1.2 Significance of the Study

This research holds great importance in the way that it realizes learners knowing truth is the

essence of human being. Many research works have been conducted on the works of Allama I.I

Kazi from different perspectives but none of the already published researches has discussed

Spiritual Development, so this research pays attention to the mystic thought of Allama I.I Kazi

from Daniel G. Scott’s The Role of Spirituality in Human Development and Identity, which is not

focused in already published researches.

1.3 Research Objective

The main objective of this particular research is to:

 To analyze self-realization of brown girl through her spiritual journey.

1.4 Research Question:

How do brown girl’s insatiable thirst to know God, leads her toward the self-realization in

Allama I.I Kazi’s novel “Adventures of the Brown Girl in Her Search for God”

1.5 Delimitation of the Study:

The study mainly focuses on self-discovery portrayed by Allama I.I Kazi in his novel

“Adventures of the Brown Girl in Her Search for God”. The researcher takes the selected

characters form the novel, like; Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Molana Rumi, Shah

Abdul Latif Bhittai and Nazerene

2 Literature Review
Daniel G. Scott proposed the theory of “Spiritual Development” in his article The Role of

Spirituality in Human Development and Identity. In this way, he explores the role of spirituality

in Human Development from a few vantage focuses with a blend of points of view, all dependent

on a worry for the absence of thought of the profound in existing formative hypothesis especially

in the lives of youngsters and youth.

Elif Shafak is one of the writers who fervently touch upon the mystic subject. Her one of

the famous works “The Forty Rules of Love” leaves a tremendous impact on readers and critics

as well. She has portrayed parallels between thirteenth and twenty first century’s world

narratives. In fact, both narratives are in the quest of truth and self-realization. On one hand,

Ella’s personality is devoid of spiritualism and Rumi’s personality being developed by Shams

Tabraiz on the other. Ella realizes that there is emptiness in her soul, as her communication

proceeds; she comes to know the importance of spirituality in one’s life. With the flow of time,

she embraces with the beauties of life, previously she felt as though her life is nothing, but a

picture of despair. Similarly, Rumi’s notions of knowledge are being shattered by encountering

with Shams Tabraiz. Rumi comes to know that wisdom of heart (gnosis) is far greater than the

wisdom of mind. And wisdom of heart embarks while one knows himself/herself (Shafak, 2009)

Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the famous transcendentalists of nineteenth century. His

essay “Self Reliance” considers one of his unique and famous works. His essay revolves around

the self discovery. He utters beautiful words in the essay that when one comes to know the

importance of his/her thoughts he/she is supposed to share it with world spontaneously and that
is the genius. His overall concept one perceives as to be confident over inner self rather to look

external. (Emerson, 1841)

Sergiy Maksimenko and Liudmyla Serdiuk write jointly an article namely “Psychological

Potential of Personal Self-Realization.” The article is based on one’s self-realizing intuition.

They draw a perfect picture of self-realization by saying that self-realization does on the

external, objective level of personality, as practical manifestation in activities and behavior of

personal capabilities to solve practical problems and, at the same time, to develop personal

capabilities in accordance with personal life plans. (Sergiy Maksimenko, 2016)

Similarly, Atchley (1997) argues that spirituality involves the integration of interior and exterior

experiences through systematic practice. Practice-oriented spirituality thus demands a

commitment, depth, and focus that is not found in the shallowness and transience of a more

limited, seeking-oriented spirituality (Dillon, 2002)