Ertugrul is nowadays one of the most famous historical figures in Pakistan and is regarded as a very pious leader of Turks. He is said to be the father of Osman I who was the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Ertugrul has gained popularity in Pakistan because of its TV series Ertugrul Ghazi which is seriously admired by the people of Pakistan. However, few people know that the TV series itself is mostly based on fictional events that never happened and in fact, approximately nothing is known about the life of Ertugrul. Because of the uncertainty about the life of Ertugrul, it is unknown whether he was a Muslim or not.
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| Ertugrul Ghazi |
Dr Muhammad Uzair in his book Daulat-e-Osmania mentions that Suleiman Shah and Ertugrul were non-muslims and the first person to convert to Islam was Ertugrul's son Osman. However, some claims suggest that Ertugrul was a non-muslim but then he reverted to Islam after migrating to Anatolia(Seljuk Empire).
The Cambridge History of Turkey by Resat Kasaba is available in four volumes. The first volume deals with the period from 1071 to 1453 C.E and Ertugrul's name is mentioned only once on page 118.
Professor Suraya Farooqi who holds authority on Turkish and Ottoman history mentions that the existence of Ertugrul is independently attested by a coin of his son Osman.
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| Coins from the time of Osman I |
The uncertainty about Ertugrul's father and his religion is only because of the reason very little is known about the life of Ertugrul. Only Allah knows best but Ertugrul will always be remembered as the father of Osman I who was the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire is considered one of the largest empires in history which existed for 600 years.