He was among the first of the greatest sages of the time. He was devout, following a severe rule and striving much in the path of holiness. In the feebleness of old age, when he had no longer the power to walk, and was completely bedridden, he learnt the glorious Qur'ān by heart. He had by heart the con­tents of most of the books generally read, and if one of his pupils made a mistake in reading he would correct him without refer­ring to the text. He was well skilled in expounding the Qur'ān, in the traditional sayings and biography of Muḥammad, and in history. He was a fellow-citizen and contemporary of Shaikh ⁸⁴ Niāmu-'d-dīn* of Ambēṭhī, and he used to say of him that he was strongly opposed to the recital by the congregation of the fātiḥah after the imām (during public prayers in the masjid).

The author had the honour of paying his respects to the Shaikh while he was employed in giving instruction in the Sharḥ-i-Viqāya . One of the Shaikh's pupils happened to be reading the following verses of Hazal:—

“Abū-Bakr, the son of the chosen one,
Resolved on a foray in connection with a strange matter,
And he said, ‘Verily I have resolved on a foray
Against Kaftārah, who is my father's mother.’
And I said, ‘Wilt thou not hearken, O my son,
To the prohibition against associating with the base?’

and a discussion arose whether the reading should be or * which latter is the feminine intensive form of the word , “an unbeliever.” He said that the true reading was and that no other reading would make sense, for that was a Persian word. My contention was that the meaning of was more obvious than that of ,—but God knows the truth!