Makhdoom Ali Mahimi Shafi'i (1372–1431 A.D) was a saint and scholar of international repute. He lived during the time of the Tughlaq dynasty and that of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat, and was married to the Sultan's sister. He is widely acknowledged for his scholarly treatises, liberal views and humanist ideals. Mahimi was born into a family of Arab travelers from Iraq who had settled down on the island of Mahim known as Nawayath, one of the seven islands that later formed the city of Bombay (now Mumbai).[1]
Not much is known of his early childhood. He later became the follower of disciples of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ShafI'i and became the master of Kubrawiya order.[2] Mahimi's reputation grew after the Sultan of Gujarat, Ahmed Shah of the Muzaffarid dynasty, chose him to be the town's Qazi (the Head Muslim Judge/Cleric of a town).
Mahimi was the first Indian scholar to write an exegesis on the Qur'an, which gained critical acclimation from numerous Islamic scholars including Shah Waliullah Dehlavi. He authored more than 100 books but only 21 books are known, from which only 10 books are available in different libraries in India, he was given the moniker Qutub-e -Kokan (Kokan's Pole Star). He was the first commentator of the Quran in India . His commentary is called "Tafsirur Rahman." It is available in Al Azhar University, Cairo and Ummul-Qura University, Makkah.
Mahimi is revered by both the Muslims and Hindus. All Muslim sects hold him in high esteem. After his death in 1431, he was buried in Mahim. The site later became a Dargah (shrine) for devotees.[3]
During the annual ten-day Urs festival celebrated on the 13th day of Shawwal as per the Muslim calendar, millions of devotees visit his dargah.
The highlight of this is a procession of around eight thousand begins at the Mahim Police Station, believed to be the site of his residence. Two police officers from each of the eighty four city police stations represent the police whose association with the saint dates back to the saint's era. A representative of the Mumbai police who is the first to offer the "chaddar" (shawl) at the tomb on the first day of the festival. Legend has it that it was a police constable who gave water to the dying saint from his cap. Another story points to some miraculous assistance police officers once received from an old man, who they believed was the saint, in fighting smugglers.[4]
A room adjacent to the office of the senior inspector of police station contains a steel cupboard that houses the saint's preserved belongings such as his chair, a pair of sandals and his hand-written Qur'an which is considered to be a calligraphic work of art. The room is opened once every year to the public. In 1920 the cupboard was purchased by a senior British police inspector, Raymond Esquire as a tribute to the saint he revered.
On 2005-05-21, the government of Maharashtra named the JJ Flyover after the saint as a tribute to the saint. The 2.1 kilometre flyover is the longest viaduct in the country.
References
A saint revered by both Hindus and Muslims, Mohammed Wajihuddin/TNN, pg 4, Sunday Times of India, Bombay, dated 2005-05-22
On Urs, Mumbai police keep tryst with Sufi saint, S Ahmed Ali, The Indian Express, Sunday, 2002-12-22
makhdoom, mahimi, shafi, 1372, 1431, saint, scholar, international, repute, lived, during, time, tughlaq, dynasty, that, sultan, ahmed, shah, gujarat, married, sultan, sister, widely, acknowledged, scholarly, treatises, liberal, views, humanist, ideals, mahimi. Makhdoom Ali Mahimi Shafi i 1372 1431 A D was a saint and scholar of international repute He lived during the time of the Tughlaq dynasty and that of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat and was married to the Sultan s sister He is widely acknowledged for his scholarly treatises liberal views and humanist ideals Mahimi was born into a family of Arab travelers from Iraq who had settled down on the island of Mahim known as Nawayath one of the seven islands that later formed the city of Bombay now Mumbai 1 Dargah of Mahimi in Mahim Not much is known of his early childhood He later became the follower of disciples of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ShafI i and became the master of Kubrawiya order 2 Mahimi s reputation grew after the Sultan of Gujarat Ahmed Shah of the Muzaffarid dynasty chose him to be the town s Qazi the Head Muslim Judge Cleric of a town Mahimi was the first Indian scholar to write an exegesis on the Qur an which gained critical acclimation from numerous Islamic scholars including Shah Waliullah Dehlavi He authored more than 100 books but only 21 books are known from which only 10 books are available in different libraries in India he was given the moniker Qutub e Kokan Kokan s Pole Star He was the first commentator of the Quran in India His commentary is called Tafsirur Rahman It is available in Al Azhar University Cairo and Ummul Qura University Makkah Mahimi is revered by both the Muslims and Hindus All Muslim sects hold him in high esteem After his death in 1431 he was buried in Mahim The site later became a Dargah shrine for devotees 3 Contents 1 Urs festival 2 References 3 See also 3 1 External linksUrs festival EditDuring the annual ten day Urs festival celebrated on the 13th day of Shawwal as per the Muslim calendar millions of devotees visit his dargah The highlight of this is a procession of around eight thousand begins at the Mahim Police Station believed to be the site of his residence Two police officers from each of the eighty four city police stations represent the police whose association with the saint dates back to the saint s era A representative of the Mumbai police who is the first to offer the chaddar shawl at the tomb on the first day of the festival Legend has it that it was a police constable who gave water to the dying saint from his cap Another story points to some miraculous assistance police officers once received from an old man who they believed was the saint in fighting smugglers 4 A room adjacent to the office of the senior inspector of police station contains a steel cupboard that houses the saint s preserved belongings such as his chair a pair of sandals and his hand written Qur an which is considered to be a calligraphic work of art The room is opened once every year to the public In 1920 the cupboard was purchased by a senior British police inspector Raymond Esquire as a tribute to the saint he revered On 2005 05 21 the government of Maharashtra named the JJ Flyover after the saint as a tribute to the saint The 2 1 kilometre flyover is the longest viaduct in the country References EditA saint revered by both Hindus and Muslims Mohammed Wajihuddin TNN pg 4 Sunday Times of India Bombay dated 2005 05 22 On Urs Mumbai police keep tryst with Sufi saint S Ahmed Ali The Indian Express Sunday 2002 12 22 Sayed Imamuddin Gulshan Aabadi Barakat ul Awliya Bombay Ghulam Azad Bilgrami Rausat ul Awliya Aurangabad 1892 93 Bombay Gazetteer Volume III Bombay 1910 S M Edwardes Rise of Bombay Bombay 1909 Maulana A R Parvaz Islahi Makhdum Ali Mahimi Naqsh e Kokan Publication Trust Bombay 1976 Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan Abjad ul Uloon Bhopal 1295 AH Muhammed Yusuf Khatkhatey Kashaful Maktoon Fi Halat e Haji Ali Makhdoom Maktaba e Shihabi Bombay 1903 Towns and Islands of Bombay Statistical account Administration Volume III Bombay 1894 Prof Abdus Sattar Dalvi Dargahs Abodes of the Saints Sadia Dehlvi 5 September 2012 Sufism Heart of Islam HarperCollins Publishers pp 211 ISBN 978 93 5029 448 2 Great Sufis of South page 44 print Malabar 1980 George Michell 1 May 2013 Southern India A Guide to Monuments Sites amp Museums Roli Books Private Limited pp 54 ISBN 978 81 7436 903 1 Mumtaz Currim George Michell 2004 Dargahs Abodes of the Saints Marg Publications ISBN 978 81 85026 65 7 See also EditSufism Mahim 2006 Mumbai Sweet Seawater Incident Konkani Muslims Konkan MakhdoomExternal links Edit Official Website of Dargah Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Makhdoom Ali Mahimi amp oldid 1094087565, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
