He was the son of Shaikh Aḥmad, the son of Shaikh ‘Abdu-'l-Quddūs of Kango. He journeyed several times to the glorious city of Makkah and the delectable city of Madīnah, and there studied the traditional sayings of Muḥammad, and after his return he abandoned the mode of life of his forefathers, and, ⁸⁰ objecting to the ecstatics and vocal music (of the Ṣūfīs) followed the rule of the traditionists, and busied himself in ceremonial and outward piety, cleanliness, purification and devotion. When he was appointed Ṣadru-'s-Ṣudūr he distributed enormous areas of land to the people as madad-i-ma‘āsh, pensions, and religious endowments, and never was there in the reign of any monarch a Ṣadru-'s-Ṣudūr so powerful as Shaikh ‘Abdu-'n-Nabī, or one who alienated the tenth part of what he did in religious endow­ments. * For some time the Emperor had so great faith in him as a religious leader that he would bring him his shoes and place them before his feet. At last, owing to the disagreements* of Makhdūmu-'l-Mulk and all the other ill-dispositioned ‘Ulamā the Emperor's opinion of him changed completely.

Couplet.

All those who seek for pride of place are fools,
Aye, those who style themselves the ‘Ulamā.

The chief cause of his fall was as follows:—When the Emperor, after his journey to Bānswāla,* halted at Fatḥpūr, Qāẓī ‘Abdu-'r-Rahīm, the Qāẓī of Mathura, laid a complaint before the Shaikh, to the effect that a wealthy and stiff-necked Brahman of that place had carried off the materials which he, the Qāẓī, had collected for the construction of a masjid, and had built of them an idol-temple, and that, when the Qāẓī had attempted to prevent him, he had, in the presence of witnesses, opened his foul mouth to curse the prophet (on whom be peace), and had shown his contempt for Muslims in various other ways. When the Brahman was called upon to appear, he disobeyed the Shaīkh's summons. The Emperor sent Bīr Bar and Shaikh Abū-'l-Faẓl to fetch him, and they brought him, and Shaikh Abū-'l-Faẓl represented to the Emperor what he had heard of the case from the people, and stated that it was certainly proved that he had uttered abuse of the prophet. Some of the ‘Ulamā were of opinion that he should suffer death, while others were in favour of his being publicly paraded on the back of an ass and heavily fined. The ‘Ulamā were thus divided into two parties and the question was argued at length. The Shaikh required the ⁸¹ Emperor's sanction to the execution of the Brahman, but, notwithstanding his importunity, no open sanction was given, and the Emperor said in private, “Punishments for offences against the holy law are in the hands of you, the ‘Ulamā; what do you require of me?” The Brahman remained for some time in custody on the charge, and the ladies of the Imperial ḥaram busied themselves in interceding for his release, but the Shaikh's known opinions stood in the way. At last, when the Shaikh's importunity exceeded all bounds, the Emperor said, “You have received your answer, it is that which I have already given you.” No sooner had the Shaikh reached his lodging than he issued orders for the execution of the Brahman. When this matter was reported to the Emperor he was exceedingly wroth. The ladies of his ḥaram complained in private and the Hindū courtiers in public, saying, “You have pampered these Mullās till their insolence has reached such a pitch that they pay no heed to your wishes, and, merely to display their own power and authori­ty, put men to death without your orders.” They plied his Majesty with arguments to such an extent that he could endure it no longer, and the leaven of designs which had long been work­ing in his mind at length fermented and overflowed. One might, at the tank known as Anūp Talā'ō,* he set forth the whole case, and asked certain time serving muftīs and stirrers up of strife for a decision on the question. One of them said, “The witnesses who have been produced prove that he has committed an offence against the person under cover of the law.” Another said, “The strange thing is that Shaikh ‘Abdu-'n-Nabī should claim to be a descendant of the greatest of the Imāms* (may God have mercy upon him!) according to whose school of theology the cursing of the prophet by unbelievers who have submitted to the rule of Islām gives no ground for any breach of agree­ment by Muslims, and in no way absolves Muslims from their obligation to safeguard infidel subjects. This question has been discursively treated in theological works, and it is hard to understand how the Shaikh can have so opposed himself to the principles of his ancestor.” All at once the Emperor's glance fell on the author of these historical selections, standing afar off, and, turning to me he summoned me to him, saying, “Come forward.” I advanced, and he put to me a question, saying, “Have you heard ⁸² that, supposing there are ninety-nine traditions awarding the punishment of death for a certain offence, and one tradition in accordance with which the accused person may be set at liberty, muftīs should give the preference to that one tradition?” I said, “Yes, it is just as your Majesty has said; but this question turns on the maxim “Verily legal punishments and inflictions are set aside by doubts”; and I translated the maxim into Persian. The Emperor said, with evident sorrow, “Perhaps Shaikh ‘Abdu-'u-Nabī was not aware of this ruling, that he put the unfortunate Brāhman to death. Yet how could it be so?” I replied, “The Shaikh is, beyond all doubt, a learned man, but he must have had some wise purpose in view, in knowingly giving an order contrary to this tra­dition.” The Emperor said, “What purpose can he have had in view?” I said, “The closing of sedition and the uprooting of the germs of insolence from the minds of the common people.” I also brought to his Majesty's notice the tradition of Qāẓī ‘Ayyāẓ on the remedies of evils, which tradition had been laid before him in connection with this case. Certain lewd fellows of the baser sort said, “Qāẓī ‘Ayyāẓ was a Mālikī,* and his decisions have no weight in a land of the Ḥanafīs.” The Emperor said to me, “What do you say to this?” I said, “Although he was a Mālikī, it is yet permissible, by the sacred law, for a recognized muftī to pass sentence in accordance with his decisions.” The question was argued at length, and the bystanders observed that the Emperor's moustache, during the discussion, bristled like the whiskers of a tiger, and those who were standing behind him signed to me to desist from argument. All at once the Emperor, opposing my decision, said, “What you say is nonsense!” I immediately made my submission, and retired and took my place in the circle of courtiers, and have ever since eschewed forward­ness and the company of disputants, preferring retirement, and saluting the Emperor from afar.

From this time forth the fortunes of Shaikh ‘Abdu-'u-Nabī began to decline. He withdrew himself from company and avoided it, concerning himself principally with his own claims to superiority and the repudiation of former decisions in legal matters, whether modern or ancient. He never went to Court. ⁸³ About this time Shaikh Mubārak came from Āgra to Fatḥpūr to offer his felicitations to the Emperor on some subject or another, and the Emperor told him what had happened and asked him for his opinion. He gave his opinion authoritatively, saying, ‘Your Majesty is the Imām and Mujtahid of the age. What need have you of these ‘Ulamā for assistance in issuing your commands, whether religious or secular. They have no lot or part in true knowledge, beyond a groundless reputation therefor.” The Emperor said, “Since you are my teacher and I am ready to learn from you why do you not free me from dependence on these Mullās?” Shaikh Mubārak made a supreme effort to gain his end, and, aflame with rancour and contumacy, said, “Do you make a claim to religious supremacy, and demand from them an attestation of your claim.” He ultimately wrote a decree affirm­ing the religious supremacy of the Emperor and his superiority to all ecclesiastical dignitaries.* Shaikh ‘Abdu-'u-Nabī and Makhdūmu-'l-Mulk were forcibly seized and compelled, as though they had been mere nobodies, to attend that assembly of base fellows. No one saluted them, and they took their seats in the Ṣaff-i-ni‘āl,* and they were forced, much against their will, to attest that decree, whether they would or no,* as has been men­tioned in the detailed history of the Emperor's reign; and at last they both received permission to make the pilgrimage to Makkah.

Shaikh ‘Abdu-'u-Nabī died in the year H. 991 (A.D. 1583).*