Islam Rediscovered
24. A Case of Discovery*
~ 418 ~
besides the particular environment of Hyderabad, I
had ample resources placed at my disposal in the
library of the late Maulvi Cheragh Ali, and that of
Mr Syed Ali Bilgrami now in England, brought me
into contact with a religion so simple and
intelligible, so reasonable and practical, that I
should have taken the step I have lately taken some
10 years ago, had not an untoward incident forced
me to publish a contradiction in the public journals
and to leave Hyderabad altogether for some years.
But it was evidently not in the counsels of that all-
wise and all-merciful Providence who guides and
controls everything, that I should have made this
public profession of Islam earlier than I have done.
Otherwise I should certainly have done so: He
whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom
He leaves in error shall find no friend to guide him.
(18:17) However, it is better late than never. God is
my witness, I have accepted Islam in all sincerity
and earnestness, and the first reason that has moved
me to do so
is its solid, historical groundwork
. After
wandering helplessly for several years in the
marshy bogs of divergent creeds and conflicting
systems of philosophy, with only the will-o-the-
wisp of speculative reason to serve me as a guide,
