He was one of the benefits of the age and the blessings of the epoch. In early youth he was learning a lesson from the Būstān, and came to this couplet:—

“In the way of purity it is impossible, O Sa‘dī,
“To travel, except by following the Chosen One,”*

(may God bless and save him!). He asked his teacher, “What is the meaning of this couplet? Explain it to me in Hindī.” His ^55. teacher said “What business have you with this story?”* He replied “Until you thoroughly explain it to me I will not learn another* lesson.” When the meaning of it had been ex­plained he said “Give me an account of Muḥammad, “the Chosen” (may God bless and save him!) and tell me who he is.” The teacher described to him some of the noble qualities and wondrous works of his holiness (may God bless him and save him), and, as soon as he heard the description, the mystic attrac­tion of the Lord seized on him, and, rending his shirt, he uttered the creed of Islām.* When his parents heard of this they recog­nized that he had declared himself free of them and renouneed them,* and could not properly return to their care, so that they, of necessity, relinquished all claim to him, and he, journeying from Sāmāna,* the home of his ancestors, employed himself in reading the Qur'ān, in making himself acquainted with God's commands, and in the pursuit of knowledge. At last, joining himself to a band of famous sages and great saints he became one of the greatest sages of the age, and placing his hand in the hand of Miyāṅ Shaikh ‘Abdu-'l-Bāqī-yi-Cishtī of Badāon (may God give rest to his soul!) he became his disciple, and received instruction from his in the mystic worship of the Ṣūfīs. Subse­quently he attended upon Shaikh Ṣafī of Khairābād* (may God sanctify his honoured tomb!) and others, and, employing himself in austerities and in striving after holiness, attained perfection. He acquired the blessing of knowledge from most of the noted masters* of his time, especially from Miyāṅ Shaikh Lādan* of Dihlī and from Mīr Sayyid Jalāl of Badāon, and after the death of the latter, whose sins are forgiven, he became his successor and taught and imparted instruction for many years in Badāon, and many well-known sages, who have become famous, sat at his feet. People from the surrounding country and from the utmost parts of (other) countries by waiting upon him attain eternal felicity.

Latterly the mysterious attraction of God has overpowered him, and he appears at meetings for ecstatic singing and dancing,*

and from the excessive influence of his longing and desire after ^56. God* he utters soul-melting cries and heart-searing shrieks and falls* a-trembling, and advances some paces, though there be at the time no ecstatic dance in progress, and crying out, at the same time, the lā ḥaul* he returns to his place and remains standing there.

His unceremoniousness and unpretentiousness are such that he goes on foot, like his predecessors and successors, to the shop and to the market to buy household goods, whether in small or large quantities, and to purchase all necessary supplies for his kitchen, which he may need, and carries them back to where he dwells. On the way, too, he teaches a number of his students, and howsoever much they may say “Master, there is no need for you to trouble yourself in this way, we will perform this duty,”* he does not consent thereto. His auspicious appearance bears witness to his poverty and self-effacement, and, notwithstanding his having received permission to impart religious instruction, and documents appointing him a recognized deputy from (various) holy men, he is not devoted to the usual system of Shaikhs and their disciples,* but on the contrary, carefully avoids it. Clad in the garb of holy men and the vesture of religious leaders he remained cloaked and concealed in his robe.*

When I was reading, under his instruction, the com­mentary on the Ṣaḥā'if fï-'l-Kalām* and the Taḥqīq fī uṣūli-'l- fiqh,* notwithstanding that a class of pupils* of copious attainments and students of clear intellect were also engaged in study, and brought subtil difficulties for his elucidation, I never saw him, in the course of his teaching, to be under the necessity of referring to a book for the purpose of solving those questions and obscure subtilties, for whatever he had once seen he had on the tip of his tongue, and he had acquired* the habit of great readiness, being assisted thereto by God.* He is now in his ninetieth year, and will, please God, who is honoured, attain to the natural limit of man's age.