In his years of scholarship, both in the governmental school and his religious studies, Ali came to find that Islam's sources of theology (the
Koran and the
Hadith) appeared to be in contradiction to what his studies in physical science had proven to be true. Yet in spite of this, he fortified himself in his faith by making the assertion (similar to that of
Tertullian centuries prior), “What has reason to do with revelation?” However, as he continued his scholarly pursuits, his findings remained true. While being Deputy Inspector of Schools, Ali came across a group of
Sufi philosophers and
fakirs whose practices of
austerity and
self-mortification enticed him greatly, and, in an attempt to fill his feelings of spiritual emptiness, he took up their disciplinary practices. These practices had the intended purpose of creating inner life, purity, and holiness of heart. However, as time went on they had the reverse effect on Ali than what he had hoped. His spiritual longings became greater, and the outward disciplines of which the Sufi's had taught him became the means through which his spiritual pangs grew. In his relationship with this group of mystics he became aware of what they described as a "spiritual guide" which was necessary in order to pursue this inward purity. With this knowledge Ali went about searching in an attempt to find a guide that would give him direction toward spiritual fulfillment but none were found. With regard to his search for a spiritual guide, Ali later wrote a letter to the Church Missionary Society in which he stated: In the midst of his endless search Ali was transferred to a new region called Jabalpur. It was here that his spiritual mourning deepened, and with advice from friends, and perhaps a last attempt to find spiritual fulfillment, he planned a pilgrimage to
Arabia. However, financial obligations connected to his property forced him to postpone his
pilgrimage to Arabia to a later date. It was at this time while going through his books that he stumbled upon
Mizan-ul-Haqq by
Rev. C. G. Pfander (with whom he had prior contact), as well as some Christian scriptures, both of which enticed him to study the controversy between Islam and Christianity thoroughly. It was then between the years of November 1861 and December 1864 that Ali suffered through his inquiries, spending as much time that he could afford, both day and night, in pursuit of the truth about the two religions. In the first year of his intense struggle, Ali had discerned what he believed to be the truth: that
Muhammad was not the prophet of God, and that the Koran, and the Hadith were not divinely inspired pieces of literature. He still held his previous disciplinary practices in high regard however, but only in so far as how he perceived that they revealed to a person their spiritual state of depravity. Additionally, he found that the Christian scriptures held a diagnosis and cure for what he felt was his 'spiritual disease' and that the scriptures themselves gave such purposeful care in their presentation of this process, that he believed that he had found within them
divine and
infallible character. In the second year of Ali's struggle he became convinced of not only what he called the "triumph of Christianity" but also of what he found to be the falsehood of all other religions and religious philosophies. Even the disciplinary practices of other religions that he had once held in such high esteem became pointless as far as he was concerned as, comparably, he thought that these practices only produced a false sense of
piety to those that participated in them. Ali also found it important to note, that during this second year he was filled with great anguish over his predicament as to being "without
creed or faith, and still unpossessed of eternal
salvation," and in addition to this he was also afflicted with a strong bodily illness which left him in desolate condition. By the time the third year of his struggle came around Ali was so deeply entrenched in his study and his ailment had gotten so severe that many of his close friends came to him and pleaded with him to reconsider his study. They pleaded that no religion was without small discrepancies and that his study was not worth the effect it was having on his health. Despite the constant warnings, rebukes, and pleas, Ali's resolve remained the same as he was convinced that God's
revelation had indeed been made clear and he was determined to discover the full extent of what that was. Finally, at the end of his spiritual struggle, Ali found what he called his 'full assurance of salvation' and he was
baptized Christmas Day of 1864. In addition, Ali's two close companions, who had also endured similar hardships and struggles, were baptized. Kasim Khan was baptized on the same day as Ali, and, Karim Bakhsh who was baptized shortly thereafter. After his baptism and conversion, Ali received persecution from some of his friends and family, to the point of which his wife, child, and father-in-law all left him and returned to Agra. Other people ceased communication with Ali entirely, and others still, intrigued by his findings were spurred to begin some questioning of their own. == Influence and writings ==