Makhdoom Ali Mahimi - Education and Training

Education and Training

His honourable father Maulana Hazrat Shaikh Ahmad Sahib was learned, great scholar and saintly man. He lived in Kokan from the very beginning. He was of Arab origin *and comes of the descendants of Hazrat Jafar Tayyar Radi allahu anhu Bin Hazrat Abi Talib Radi Allahu anhu . His mausoleum is situated in Amman (the capital of .Jordan) in the city of Moutha. The city of Mautah is situated at the distance of 112 Km. from Amman.

His honourable father, having observed his smart son’s cleverness and liking for knowledge and learning, paid his attention to his higher education. And, as he, too, was a great scholar of Arabic language.

He, therefore. helped his son Hazrat Makhdum Ali Mahaimi to become. a scholar. In his childhood. under the training of his father, Maulana Shaikh Ahmed rehmatullahi Bin Ali, Hazrat Makhdum Ali Mahaimi acquired full fledged knowledge of recitation of’ the Qura’n with correct phonetics. theology, logic, philosophy, Hadith and all other extra-religious fields of knowledge and traditionlally reported sciences etcetera.

The gracious mother of Hazrat Makhdum, Hazrat Bibi Fatima, too, was a perfect saintly woman. The gracious parents of Hazrat Makhdum through their training. polished and illuminated the God-gifted talents of their son. And by the favour and bounty of Allah, He became a writer of Quranic exegesis of high quality, a scholar of Muhammad's traditions, a theologian and a saint (Sufi), excellent and well versed in revelation and miracles. It is widely known that Hazrat Khizr Alaih salaam, also, took a greater part in his training.

When Hazrat Makhdum was barely of nine years age. completed all the branches of knowledge. external as well as celestial and the Islamic Jurisprudence. Thereafter, only a few days had passed when, on the 25th of Jamadil Akhir 785 Hijri, his father Maulana Shaikh died.

In some other book, the year of the expiry of Maulana Shaikh Ahmad Bin Ali is given as 788 Hijri.)

Hazrat Makhdum’s revered father Maulana Shaikh Ahmad Bin Ali; who rose from the land of Kalyan, was buried in the very place of land. The grave of Hazrat Makhdum Ali’s father is situated in the locality of Kalyan, namely Bombal Bazar*. Near Namak Bander (salt port) of Kalyan, there is an old graveyard and in it is situated a pucca Mausoleum, a shrine. of Maulana Shaikh Ahmad Ali which was built on 5th Rabiul Awwal, 1313 Hijri.

His mausoleum is situated adjacent to the Bahir Kot (fort) Masjid (Mosque) and to the other side, there is the mausoleum of Hazrat Nizamuddin Khamosh.

Bombal Bazar, - Ghas Bazar :. On this very same date, the fair (Urs) is celebrated every year regularly.

Some local poet has said two stanzas of poetry in Urdu depicting the date of his expiry. These are in Urdu and the poet is Rashid. They are inscribed on two marble plaques. One of them is inside the mausoleum while the other one is outside it.

The inside plaque bears these lines:

Janab-e- Shaikh Ahmad Wasil-e-Haq

Jahan se jab huye jannat ko rukhsat

Lisan-e-gaib-e- Rashid ne bataya

Makeenul Khuld un ka sal-e- rukhsat

(788 H.)

When Hazrat Makhdum Ali became orphan due to the expiry of his father, his thirst for knowledge and learning went on increasing. There was no source to quench this thirst. hence he came to his respected mother and said, Dear Mother My longing for knowledge is going on increasing. Here, I don’t find any source to satisfy my desire and longing for it. If you give me permission then. I would set out in search of the knowledge. The respected mother looked at the son for some time and then said.’ My son! your separation is unbearable to me. Allah, The Highest, is The Causer of the Causes. He, being the real doer of things, will make such a provision from unknown that it will be the source of satisfaction to your longing. The knowledge that is obtained through the divine favour is better than that acquired by any method of teaching and learning.

So. the very night. his respectable mother prayed to Allah and her prayers were answered positively by Allah. As usual, after the early morning prayer was over, Hazrat Makhdum Ali, went for a walk to the sea-side. While he was strolling on the coast of the sea, he saw a radiant faced elderly person sitting on a rock which was lying on the coast of the sea. He conveyed his salam (the best wishes) to him. The elderly man returned his salams to Hazrat Makhdum Ali and showed his pleasure smilingly. Then, he said, ‘ You are longing for acquiring divine knowledge, then you come here to me daily every morning and I will teach you. The things you wish to obtain through journeys to distant places, Insha Allah (If Allah so wishes), you will get the same here and here. I am the Khizr Alaih salaam. Allah, The highest, has sent me to teach you. Don’t divulge this secret to anybody.

So, he would go to that place where Khizr Alaih salam used to be sitting. It was his routine to do so every morning after the early morning (fajr) prayers were over. He was regular in this . And, thus, he started to acquire godly knowledge from Hazrat Khizr Alaih Salaam In a few days, he was perfect in both the types of knowledge, intellectual as well as additional. One day, by chance, his respectable mother made an enquiry with him. saying. “My son! To whom do you go to obtain knowledge daily? I have heard that you go to the sea-shore every day” . At first, he hesitated to give reply to his mother’s enquiry. But, feeling that it would be against the manner, he said, I go to Hazrat Khizr Alaih Salaam to learn from him.”

The next day, when, as usual, he went to the sea-shore, he found that Hazrat Khizr Alaih Salaam was not there. He regretted much and become very sorrowful and came to his mother. Hazrat Makhdum, with tears in his eyes said to his mother, ‘Dear Mother ! I had, against the instruction and warning of Hazrat Khizr Alaih Salaam, mentioned you the secret of his teaching. And, I think, most probably, being angry with me, he did not turn up today.” The glorious mother, again, consoled him and said, “Don’t be disapponted. Allah, The Highest, is The Most Powerful. He will send, again, Hazrat Khizr Alaih Salaam for the sake of you. “ The glorious mother prayed to Allah, that very night. Consequently, the next day, at the time of the prayers of Asr, Hazrat Khizr Alaih Salaam met him on the way and said, “ You have got the inspired- knowledge by the order of Allah.” Then he took him to the sea-shore and having taken out a morsel of godly bounty from his own mouth, fed it to him and said “Your glorious mother’s prayers are always answered positively and you have achieved mastery over all the branches of knowledge by the favour of Allah.” When he was free from the evening prayers, he found his pure and clean bosom overloaded with all the branches of the knowledge.