He was the faithful pupil of Shāh Fatḥu-'llāh, but notwith­standing this he is an orthodox Sunnī. He entered the imperial service in the year in which Kābul was conquered, and was entrusted with the education of the emperor's eldest son until the young prince could repeat certain lessons from Persian and other treatises on philosophy. Shaikh Abū'l-Faẓl also for some time secretly received instruction from him in the exact sciences, and in physics, and other branches of philosophy, but notwith­standing this he never attempted to advance the Shaikh's interests, so that while he himself has his place on the carpet in the imperial presence his master takes his stand on the bare floor. Shaikh Ḥasan ‘Alī, finding that the conduct of such men was not in accord with his religious views, gave up the allowance which he used to receive and went to Gujarāt, where he associ­ated himself for a time with Mīrzā Niāmu-d-dīn Aḥmad. The latter, and his son, Muḥammad Sharīf, received much profitable instruction from him in those branches of knowledge which exercise the reasoning faculty, and in secular learning, so much so indeed, that they advanced to perfection therein.

After the death of Shāh Fatḥu-'llāh Shaikh Abū-'l-Faẓl and other courtiers recounted some of the Shaikh's accomplishments ¹³⁷ and perfections in the imperial assembly, whereby the emperor was so impressed that Shaikh Ḥasan ‘Alī is now (recognized as) the spiritual successor of Shāh Fatḥu-'llāh. At that time an imperial order was issued summoning Shaikh Ḥasan ‘Alī to the imperial presence, and he accordingly came to Lāhōr, but when he paid his respects at Court Niāmu-d-dīn Aḥmad directed him to perform the sijdah (instead of the kūrnish),* which so dis­pleased him that he made his release from the obligation of performing the ceremony a condition of his attendance, and even in his house he could not bear (to witness at Court) so many things which were abominations to him, and “the elephant once more remembered Hindustan”* and on the plea of an intention to visit his mother he obtained leave to go to his own country, and in the year H. 998 (A.D. 1589-90) he arrived at Thatha, when the Khān-i-Khānān was governor of that province, and having attained to trust in God and contentment of heart he set out for his own country, and when he arrived at Hurmuz he sent a message to the officers of the imperial court saying, “Praise be to God! I am freed from the hypocritical companionship of my friends.” Please God he has attained the object of his desires.