Looking Back

Safiullah and Nuzaira Bibi, the parents of IbneSafi gave Asrar Ahmed to their child, known to very few persons.

Primary Schooling in the village school and secondary in Allahabad. Matriculation from D.A.V. School, Allahabad, India. Intermediate (High School Certificate) from Eving Christian College Allahbad, India. Bachelor of Arts from Agra University, Agra, India. 

When in seventh grade his first story appeared in the monthly "Shahid" (editor: Adil Rasheed.)

After moving from Nara, his family took residence in Hasan Manzil, Allahabad, quarter numbers 15 and 16. It was there where he met two brothers Abbas Hussaini and Jamal Rizvi and their cousins Sarwar Jahaan (later known as Sarwar Hussain Abidi, an artist in Pakistan,) and Mujavir Hussain Rizvi

By profession, at that time, he was a secondary school teacher at Islamia School Allahabad and later at Yaadgaar-e Hussaini School. In the late 1940's founded Nakhat Publications with Abbas Hussaini and Shakeel Jamali and contributed poetry, humor and satires on a regular basis.

During the independence movement and afterwards he was branded a progressive and warrants were issued in India for his arrest. After finishing education he migrated to Pakistan with his mother and sister to join his father who had migrated in 1947 and was in Karachi. 

Founded Asrar Publications and started publishing Jasoosi Duniya from home. Married to Salma Khatoon in 1953. Experimented with the Jasoosi Duniya Magazine Edition which did not quite click and was later cancelled. He then started publishing Imran Series. This publishing raised to a record three to four novels a month. 

Excessive writing and thinking took a toll on his health and he suffered from Schizophrenia from 1960--63 and did not write a word for three years. He recovered from the illness in 1963 under the treatment of Hakim Iqbal Hussain of Karachi. A great come-back with a bestseller Jasoosi Duniya novel "Dairh Matwaalay" which was inaugurated in India by the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. 

During mid-seventies Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan informally utilized his services for lecturing new recruits on methods of detection.

In 1975, a film producer, Muhammad Hussain Talpur (aka Maulana Hippie,) experimented with a film "Dhamaka" based on the Imran Series Novel "baibaakoN kee talaasH."  Actor Javaid Sheikh (then Javaid Iqbal) was introduced for the first time as Zafarul Mulk, the main character. Maulana Hippie played Jameson. Imran and X-2's team was not shown in the movie.

During the elections 1977, PTV produced a serial "Dr. Duago" based on the same novel of Imran Series. Actor Muhammad Qavi Khan played Imran but the play was never aired because of some political contents. 

During late seventies Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi started publishing "Ibne Safi" Magazine and "Naya Rukh". Ibne Safi Magazine was later changed to "Nae Ufaq." Both magazines carried a novel of Jasoosi Duniya and Imran Series each respectively. 

In September 1979, Ibne Safi suffered from abdominal pains which by December were confirmed to have been caused by cancer at the head of pancreas. 

He was attended by the family physicians Dr. Saeed Akhtar Zaidi and Dr. Qamaruddin Siddiqui. General Physician Dr. Rab and Cancer Specialist Dr. Syed Hasan Manzoor Zaidi provided the care in his last days. 

Between December 1979 and July 1980 his health deteriorated seriously but he did not quit writing. 

On Saturday July 26, 1980 (Ramadhan 12, 1400 AH) at around Faj'r time Ibne Safi passed away (Inna Lillah-e Wa Inna Ilaih-e Raje'oon.) His incomplete Imran Series novel "Aakhri Aadmi"  was by his bedside.