{{Short description|Pakistani writer, poet and novelist (1928–1980)}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox writer | name = Ibn-e-Safi<br />{{Nastaliq|اسرار احمد}} | native_name = | image = Ibnesafioriginal.JPG | image_size = 200px | caption = | birth_name = Asrar Ahmad | birth_date = 26 July 1928 | birth_place = Nara, [[Allahabad]], [[British India]] (now [[Uttar Pradesh]], India) | death_date = 26 July 1980 (aged 52) | death_place = [[Karachi]], [[Pakistan]] | occupation = Novelist, Poet | period = 1940 – 1980 | genre = −Mystery −Fiction −Adventure | notableworks = Characters−<br />''[[Ahmad Kamal Faridi]]'' <br />''[[Sajid Hameed]]''<br />''[[Ali Imran]]''<br /> Book series−<br />''[[Jasoosi Dunya]]''<br /> ''[[Imran Series]]'' | website = {{URL|http://ibnesafi.info/}} | imagesize = | awards = [[Sitara-i-Imtiaz]] (Star of Excellence) Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] (2020) }}
'''Ibn-e-Safi''', also spelt '''Ibne Safi''', was the pen name of '''Asrar Ahmad''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|اسرار احمد}}}}, 26 July 1928 – 26 July 1980), a [[Pakistani]] fiction writer, novelist, and poet who wrote in [[Urdu]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ibne Safi |url=https://www.compast.com/ibnesafi/biography.htm |publisher=Compast |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref> The name '''Ibn-e-Safi''' is a [[Persian language|Persian]] expression meaning “Son of Safi,” with ''Safi'' translating to “chaste” or “righteous.”<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://exhibits.lib.utexas.edu/spotlight/south-asian-popular-and-pulp-fiction/feature/introduction |publisher=UT Libraries |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref>
He began his literary career in [[British India]] during the 1940s and continued writing in Pakistan after the country's independence in 1947.<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=TNS>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/565615-life-ibn-safi |author=Altaf Husain Asad|date=3 June 2018 |title=The life of Ibn-i-Safi |newspaper= The News on Sunday – The News International newspaper|access-date=26 November 2020}}</ref><ref name=ATP>{{cite web|url=http://pakistaniat.com/2010/03/28/ibn-e-safis-imran-series/|title=Ibn-e-Safi's Imran Series: An English Translation|url-status=dead|author=Yasser Latif Hamdani|website=ALL THINGS PAKISTAN website|date=28 March 2010|archive-date=2 April 2010|access-date=15 March 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402104119/http://pakistaniat.com/2010/03/28/ibn-e-safis-imran-series/}}</ref>
His main works were the 124-book series ''[[Jasoosi Dunya]]'' (''The Spy World'') and the 121-book ''[[Imran Series]]'', with a small canon of satirical works and poetry. His novels were characterised by a blend of [[Mystery fiction|mystery]], [[Adventure novel|adventure]], suspense, violence, [[Romantic love|romance]] and comedy, achieving massive popularity across a broad readership in South Asia.<ref name=TheHindu/><ref name=IB>{{cite web|url=http://www.islamicboard.com/urdu/4844-ibne-safi.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827124708/http://www.islamicboard.com/urdu/4844-ibne-safi.html|url-status=dead|date=9 March 2005|title=Ibne Safi profile|website=IslamicBoard.com website|archive-date=27 August 2009|access-date=15 March 2026}}</ref>
==Biography==
===Early life and education=== Asrar Ahmad was born on 26 July 1928 in the town 'Nara' of district [[Allahabad]], India. His father's name was Safiullah and mother's name was Naziran Bibi.<ref name=ATP/><ref name=IB/><ref name=TNS/> His ancestors were [[Hindus]] of the [[Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha|Kayashta]] community, specialised in the fields of education and administration, who [[converted to Islam]] many generations ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ahmad |first=Zohaib |date=September 2021 |title=Religious Tolerance and Coexistence: Pluralist Dimensions in Ibn-e-Safi's Life and Writings |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355149330 |journal=Islamic Thought and Civilization |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=215}}</ref>
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Agra University]].<ref name=IB/> In 1948, he started his first job at 'Nikhat Publications' as an editor in the poetry department. His initial works date back to the early 1940s, when he wrote from [[British India]]. He also studied at the [[University of Allahabad]] where he was class fellow of Professor [[Mohammad Uzair]] and one year senior to [[Mustafa Zaidi]] [http://appna.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/APPNA_Fall_Journal-2015.pdf]. After the [[Partition of India|independence]] of India and Pakistan in 1947, he began writing novels in the early 1950s while working as a secondary school teacher and continuing part-time studies. After completing the latter, having attracted official attention as being subversive in the [[Indian independence movement|independence]] and post-independence period, he migrated to [[Karachi]], [[Sindh]], Pakistan in August 1952. He started his own company by the name 'Asrar Publications'.<ref name=Compast>{{cite web|url=http://www.compast.com/ibnesafi/random01.htm |title=Ibne Safi (a book review)|publisher=Compast.com website|date=4 July 2010 |access-date=26 November 2020}}</ref><ref name=TheHindu/>
===Later life=== He married Umme Salma Khatoon in 1953.<ref name=IB/> In the period from 1960 to 1963, he suffered an episode of severe depression and [[schizophrenia]] and spent some time in the psychiatry ward of a hospital, some arguing that it was a result of his prolific literary output, as he used to publish 4 novels a month during that time, but he eventually recovered,<ref name=Dawn/> and returned with a best-selling ''Imran Series'' novel, ''Dairrh Matwaalay'' (''One and a half amused'') which was published in India by the to-be-Prime Minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Varma|first=Anuradha|date=2011-05-23|title=The son of Ibne Safi!|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/the-son-of-ibne-safi/articleshow/8270314.cms|access-date=2026-03-15|newspaper=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-01|title=Ibn-e Safi : The Uncrowned Emperor of Detective Fiction|url=https://blog.rekhta.org/ibn-e-safi/|access-date=2021-11-20|website=Rekhta|language=en-US}}</ref> In fact, he wrote 36 novels of 'Jasoosi Duniya' and 79 novels of 'Imran Series' after his recovery from depression. In the 1970s, he informally advised the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] of Pakistan on methods of detection.<ref name=IB/><ref name=Dawn>{{cite news |title=Stranger than fiction|author=Nadeem F. Paracha|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1122609 |newspaper=Dawn newspaper|url-status=dead|date=3 August 2014|access-date=15 March 2026|archive-date=22 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222153931/https://www.dawn.com/news/1122609}}</ref>
===Death=== Ibne Safi died on 26 July 1980 of [[pancreatic cancer]] at age 52.<ref name=Dawn/> He was buried in [[Paposh Nagar|Paposhnagar]] graveyard in [[Karachi]].<ref name=IB/><ref name="Scroll">[https://scroll.in/article/887927/ibne-safi-unlikely-combination-of-poet-and-pulp-fiction-writer-would-have-been-90-this-year Ibne Safi, unlikely combination of poet and pulp fiction writer, would have been 90 this year] Scroll.in website, Published 26 July 2018, Retrieved 26 November 2020</ref>
== Literary career == === Early attempts === Ibn-e-Safi started writing poetry in his childhood and soon earned critical acclaim in whole South-Asian community. After completing his Bachelor of Arts, he started writing short stories, humour and satire under various names such as "Siniki (Cynic) Soldier" and "Tughral Farghan." In the ''Nakhat'' magazines, he published several satirical articles which commented on various topics ranging from politics to literature to journalism. His early works in the 1940s included short stories, humour and satire.<ref name=IB/> For his literary works he was inspired by both [[Cinema of the United Kingdom|British cinema]] and [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], especially [[Alfred Hitchcock]], while among writers he was fond of [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], [[Agatha Christie]], [[Erle Stanley Gardner|Earl Stanley Gardner]], [[Harold Robbins]], [[Alistair MacLean]] and [[Louis L'Amour|Louise L'Amour]] for his [[Western (genre)|Westerns]].<ref name=":0" />
=== ''Jasoosi Dunya'' and ''Imran Series'' === According to one of his autobiographical essays, someone at a literary meeting claimed that Urdu literature had little scope beyond sexual themes. To challenge this notion, Ibn-e-Safi began writing several detective stories in January 1952. These were published in the monthly digest, ''Nikhat'', under the series name [[Jasoosi Dunya]]. In 1953, Ibn-e-Safi, along with his mother and sister, moved to Karachi, Pakistan, joining his father who had migrated there earlier in 1947.<ref name=ATP/><ref name=IB/>
In 1955, Ibn-e-Safi started [[Imran Series]], which gained as much fame and success as Jasoosi Dunya. Ibne Safi's novels – characterised by a blend of adventure, suspense, violence, romance, and comedy – achieved massive popularity by a broad readership.<ref name=TheHindu/><ref name=ATP/>
Ibn-e-Safi was a creator of secondary world fiction, creating numerous fantastical settings for his works. Fans of his work praise these settings for their imagination and versimilitude, and many locations from his novels have inspired the names of venues in cities in India and Pakistan.<ref name=ATP/>
=== Other prose works === In addition to his humorous and satirical works, Ibne-e-Safi penned several short adventure stories, including ''Baldraan Ki Malika'' (The Queen of Baldraan), ''Ab Tak Thee Kahaan''? (Where Had You Been?), ''Shumal Ka Fitna'' (Trouble from the North), ''Gultarang'', and ''Moaziz Khopri''. These adventures transport readers to a series of exotic, imaginary worlds born from his own creative vision.
In 1959, Ibne-e-Safi embarked on writing ''Aadmi Ki Jarain'', a book exploring human psychology. Unfortunately, his illness forced him to leave the work incomplete.
=== Poetry === ''(Note: Most of the English translations of [[Urdu]] poetry and titles are literal and do not capture the true essence of the language. Some meaning is definitely lost in translation.)''
Ibn-e-Safi was also a poet. He used to write poems under the pen name of "Asrar Narvi". He wrote in various genres of Urdu poetry, such as [[Hamd]], [[Na`at]], Manqabat, [[Marsia]], [[Ghazal]], and [[Nazm]]. His collection of poetry, ''Mata-e Qalb-o-Nazar'' ([[Urdu]] or in English (The Assets of Heart & Sight), remains unpublished.
Following is the list of his [[Ghazal]]s:
* ''Daulat-e-Gham'' ([[Urdu]] (The wealth of sorrow) * ''Zahan se Dil ka Bar Utra Hai'' ([[Urdu]] (Heaviness of the heart is unloaded by the mind) * ''Chhalakti aayay'' ([[Urdu]] (The liquor shows up overflowing) * ''Kuchh Tau Ta-alluq ...'' ([[Urdu]] (Some affiliation ...) * ''Aaj ki raat'' ([[Urdu]] (Tonight) * ''Baday ghazab ka ...'' ([[Urdu]] (Of Much Might ...) * ''Yun hi wabastagi'' ([[Urdu]] (Casual connection) * ''Lab-o-rukhsar-o-jabeen'' ([[Urdu]] (Lips and Cheeks and forehead) * ''Rah-e-talab mein kaun kisi ka'' ([[Urdu]] (In the path of demands, no one recognises anyone) * ''Kuch bhi to apne paas nahin ...'' ([[Urdu]] (Do not have anything ...) * ''Aay nigaraan-e-khoobroo'' ([[Urdu]] (Gorgeous Sculptures) * ''Kabhi sawab ki hain ...'' ([[Urdu]] (Sometimes, of virtuousness ...) * ''Kabhi qatil ...'' ([[Urdu]] for Sometimes killer ...) * ''Qafas ki daastaan hai ...'' ([[Urdu]] (It is the tale of imprisonment ...) * ''Maan'' ([[Urdu]] (Mother) * ''Shakist-e-talism'' ([[Urdu]] (Defeat of the Magic) * ''Talism-e-hosh-ruba'' ([[Urdu]] (The Breath-taking Magic)<ref name="TNS" /> * ''Tanhayee'' ([[Urdu]] (Solitude) * ''Bansuri Ki Aawaz'' ([[Urdu]] (The Sound of Flute)<ref name="Scroll" />
==Dhamaka – A film by Ibn-e-Safi== Ibne Safi wrote both the story and screenplay for the film Dhamaka, adapted from his novel Bebakon ki Talash. Despite its merits, the film did not receive the publicity and acclaim it deserved, and it remains largely forgotten.<ref name=Dawn/>
Produced by Muhammad Hussain Talpur, Dhamaka is based on the Imran Series novel ''Baibaakon Ki Talaash'' ([[Urdu]] for "In Search of the Outrageous"). The film introduced Pakistani actor [[Javed Sheikh]] (then known as Javaid Iqbal) in the lead role of Zafarul Mulk. Producer Muhammad Hussain Talpur<ref name=Dawn/> also appeared in the film as Jameson, while actress [[Shabnam]] portrayed Sabiha. Notably, the characters Imran and the X-2 team were not featured in the movie, although Ibne Safi himself recorded the voice of X-2. Additionally, actor Rehman made his debut as a villain. The film includes a rendition of the ghazal "Rah-e-talab mein kaun kisi ka," sung by [[Habib Wali Mohammed]] and written by Ibne Safi. Dhamaka was released on 13 December 1974.
==Reception==
===Influence in Bollywood=== Renowned [[Bollywood]] screenwriter and lyricist [[Javed Akhtar]] was deeply inspired by Ibn-e-Safi’s Urdu novels, which he avidly read during his childhood. He was particularly drawn to the ''[[Jasoosi Dunya]]'' and [[Imran Series]] detective novels. The fast-paced action, tightly woven plots, and vibrant use of language in these thrillers left a strong impression on him. Akhtar fondly recalled Ibne-e-Safi’s unforgettable characters with their distinctive, often whimsical names—an element that significantly influenced his own writing. Many of his Bollywood scripts reflect Ibn-e-Safi’s narrative style, including the use of vivid character names, sharp dialogue, and larger-than-life personalities.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chaudhuri |first1=Diptakirti |title=Written by Salim-Javed: The Story of Hindi Cinema's Greatest Screenwriters |date=2015 |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=9789352140084 |pages=26–27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cri9CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT26}}</ref> Akhtar credited Ibn-e-Safi with teaching him the power of memorable characters, a lesson that helped inspire iconic Bollywood villains like [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh]] in ''[[Sholay]]'' (1975) and [[Mogambo (character)|Mogambo]] in [[Mr. India (1987 film)|''Mr. India'']] (1987).<ref>{{cite news |title=Urdu pulp fiction: Where Gabbar Singh and Mogambo came from |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/review-urdu-pulp-fiction-where-gabbar-singh-and-mogambo-came-from-1564148 |access-date=3 June 2019 |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |date=10 July 2011}}</ref>
===Translations=== The first English translations of Ibne Safi's mystery novels began appearing in 2010, with ''[[The House of Fear (novel)|The House of Fear]]'' from the Imraan Series, translated by [[Bilal Tanweer]] and published by Random House India.<ref name=DNA>{{cite web|author=Vivek Kaul |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/review_book-review-the-house-of-fear_1361446 |title=Book review: 'The House of Fear '|newspaper=DNA India website |date=21 March 2010 |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref> In 2011, Blaft Publications in association with Tranquebar released four more novels, this time from the ''Jasoosi Duniya'' series, translated by the highly acclaimed Urdu critic [[Shamsur Rahman Faruqi]].<ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|author=Sarma|first=Deepika |date=2011-07-14 |title=Murder on their minds |url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/article2226910.ece|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112033014/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/article2226910.ece|archive-date=2016-01-12|access-date=2026-03-15|newspaper=The Hindu newspaper}}</ref><ref name=TNS/><ref name=Scroll/>
==Bibliography== '''List of his non-series work''' * ''Aadmi ki Jarain'' ([[Urdu]] for The Roots of The Man) – Incomplete * ''Baldaraan ki Malikaa'' ([[Urdu]] for The Queen of Baldaraan) * ''Ab Tak Thee Kahaan'' ([[Urdu]] for Where Had You Been?) * ''Diplomat Murgh'' ([[Urdu]] for The Diplomat Rooster) * ''Saarhe Paanch Baje'' ([[Urdu]] for Half Past Five) * ''Tuzk-e-Do-Piazi'' ([[Urdu]] for The autobiography of Do-Piaza) – Incomplete * ''Shumaal ka Fitna'' ([[Urdu]] for The Trouble From North) * ''Mata-e Qalb-O-Nazar'' – Collection of Poetry (to be published)
'''Novels''' * ''Allama Dehshatnak'' <ref name=TheHindu/><ref name=Scroll/> * Alphonse * Khatarnak Lashein (The Dangerous Corpse)<ref name=TheHindu/> * Saanpon Ke Shikari * ''[[The House of Fear (novel)|Khaufnak Imarat]]'' (The House of Fear) (1955)<ref name=ATP/><ref name=Compast/><ref name=goodreads/> * Purasrar Cheekhein (1955)<ref name=goodreads>[https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5622180.Ibn_e_Safi Ibn-e-Safi books on goodreads.com website] Retrieved 26 November 2020</ref> * Larkiyon Ka Jazirah (The Island of Maidens) * Raat Ka Shehzada (The Nocturnal Prince) * Dhuain ki Tehreer (Scribblings in Smoke) * Pathar Ka Khoon (Blood in Stones) * Neelay Parindey (The Birds in Blue) * Jaron Ki Talash (The Search for the Roots) * Chattanon Mein Fire (Shootout at the Rocks) (1955)<ref name=goodreads/>
==Awards and recognition== *[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz]] (Star of Excellence) Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] in 2020<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1499419 |title=Ibne Safi, Fehmida Riaz among 116 recipients of civil awards|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|date=14 August 2019|access-date=15 March 2026|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205224002/https://www.dawn.com/news/1499419}}</ref>
==See also== * [[List of Pakistani writers]] * [[Jasoosi Dunya]] * [[Imran Series]] * [[List of Jasoosi Dunya (Old)|List of Jasoosi Dunya]] * [[List of Imran Series by Ibn-e-Safi|List of Imran Series]] * [[The House of Fear (novel)|The House of Fear]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://archive.today/20130906223204/http://jinnahpost.com/ibne-safi/ Ibn e Safi The Master Craftman] * [https://www.bbc.com/urdu/entertainment/2012/09/120915_book_review_ibn_e_safi_tim Ibne Safi's literary place and status] BBC Urdu Service, 23 July 2011 * [http://www.express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1101580619&Issue=NP_LHE&Date=20120726 Aik Hero] Ajmad Islam Amjad's Column on Ibne Safi's 32nd death anniversary at Daily Express (newspaper) in Urdu language * [http://www.ibnesafi.info Ibne Safi] Ibne Safi's Official Website {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibn-E-Safi}} [[Category:Ibn-e-Safi| ]] [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:1980 deaths]] [[Category:Pakistani spy fiction writers]] [[Category:Muhajir people]] [[Category:Pakistani Muslims]] [[Category:Jasoosi Dunya]] [[Category:Imran series]] [[Category:Writers from Karachi]] [[Category:Writers from Prayagraj]] [[Category:20th-century Pakistani novelists]] [[Category:20th-century Urdu-language writers]] [[Category:Urdu-language writers from British India]] [[Category:Urdu-language novelists]] [[Category:20th-century Pakistani poets]] [[Category:Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz]] [[Category:Detective fiction writers]] [[Category:Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University alumni]] [[Category:University of Allahabad alumni]]