LVII. MAULĀNĀ MĪRZĀ OF SAMARQAND.

He was an angel in the form of a man, who had acquired honour by performing the pilgrimage to the two holy places, (may God increase their honour!). During the regency of Bairam Khān, the Khān-i-Khānān, he dwelt in Āgra, where the people profited much by his precious utterances. Under the tuition of the Maulānā, who was one of the best men of his time. I studied a portion of the Shamsiyyah,* commentary on logic, the work of Amīr Sayyid Muḥammad, who was the most noble and most orthodox son and successor of the holy Amīr Sayyid ‘Alī of Hamadān, by the blessing of whose holy foot-steps, which were inseparably connected with the spiritual instruction of the people, the faith of Islām was first promulgated and preached in the land of Kashmīr. And besides this commentary on logic I read other brief works with the Maulānā. From his blessed tongue I heard the following saying of the prophet, which has the very highest authority. “The prophet (may God bless and assoil him!) said, ‘He who sees a stranger (with his wife) may slay him; his blood is lawful (to him),’” and from him also I received authority to propound and expound this tradition, he having received it through only six intermediaries from 150 that holy one who was the seal of prophecy (on him and on his family be blessings without end!) The authenticity of the tradition of this saying is related in detail in the Najātu-r-Ra shīd.*

The Maulānā, at the time of the Khān-i-Zamān's rebellion, came from Agra to Dihlī, further than which place I have not been able to trace him, so that I do not know the (latter) circum­stances of his auspicious life.