Syed Kifayat Ali Kafi (also known as Maulana Kafi; died 6 May 1858) was an Indian Islamic scholar, poet, and freedom activist who participated in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He co-founded a short-lived independent administration in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Early life and education Kafi was born into a Sayyid family in the Bijnor district of present-day Uttar Pradesh. He received his early education in Moradabad and continued his studies in Bareilly and Badaun. His studied various disciplines of Islamic learning, traditional medicine, and poetry. He studied religious sciences under Shah Abu Saeed Mujaddidi Rampuri, a student of Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddis Dehlavi, and learned the traditional Islamic medicine (hikmat) from Hakim Sher Ali Qadri. He developed his poetic skills under the guidance of Maulvi Mehdi Ali Khan and Zaki Muradabadi.
As a writer, he produced several works, including Diwan-e-Kafi, Diwan-e-Tanha, Kamalat-e-Azizi, and Naseem-e-Jannat. His Tarjumah Shumail Tirmidhi, a poetic translation of the hadith collection, is considered his magnum opus. The Islamic scholar Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi praised Kafi's poetry, referring to him as the "Sultan of Naatiya poets" (poets who compose poetry in praise of the Prophet Muhammad).
Role in 1857 rebellion During the 1857 rebellion, Kafi emerged as a prominent leader in the Moradabad region. He issued a fatwa of jihad against British rule, which was posted on the walls of the jama masjid (congregational mosque), Moradabad and circulated to other areas, calling for armed resistance against the British government. This call contributed to Hindu and Muslim communities uniting against the British, with reports of oaths of unity taken on the Gita and the Quran.
Kafi joined the forces of General Bakht Khan, a leader of the rebellion, and fought in various locations including Delhi, Bareilly, and Allahabad. After the rebels liberated Moradabad from British control, a local administration was established under Nawab Majju Khan, with Kafi appointed as sadar-e-shariat (chief judge) to oversee judicial matters according to Islamic law. He also served as a member of a war advisory committee formed by scholars to manage the affairs of the city.
During this period, he maintained correspondence with General Bakht Khan, keeping him informed of developments. Execution The rebels faced significant challenges due to opposition from the Nawab of Rampur, who had allied with the British, and local informants. Following the British recapture of Moradabad, Kafi was arrested in April 1858, after a local informer reportedly provided information on his whereabouts.
In May 1858, he was publicly hanged near the Moradabad jail at a crossroads in the city. Moments before his execution, he recited a couplet that has come to be associated with his death:
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