THE THEOSOPHY OF ISLAM.
SHAIKH SHARFUDDÎN MANERÎ
OR
MAKHDÛM-UL-MULK.
Translated from the Persian
by
BAIJNÂTH SINGH
Theosophical Publishing Society.
Benares City and London
Theosophist Office, Aydar; Madras, S.
Printed By Thakur Das Manager,
at the Tara Printing Works, Benares.
All Rights Reserved.
Registered under Act XXV of 1867.
Shaikh Sharf-ud-dîn was the son ofShaikh Yahiâ. His birthplace is Maner, a villagenear Patnâ in Behâr (India). A love of knowledgeand the religious life, and signs of spiritualgreatness, were found in him from his early childhood.A strange Being was once seen by the cradle of thebaby. The mother, frightened, reported the matterto her father, Shahâb-ud-dîn, a great saint. Thelatter consoled her, saying that the mysterious Presencewas no less a Being than the Prophet Khezar[1]Himself, and that the baby was expected to be a manof great spiritual advancement. He acquired secularknowledge under Ashraf-ud-dîn, a famous professorof those days. He first refused to marry, buthad to yield when, being ill, he was advised by thephysician to take to marriage as the remedy forhis disease. He left home after the birth of a son,travelled in many places, and was at last initiated (at,or near Dehli) by Najîb-ud-dîn Firdausî.The latter made him his deputy on earth under a deeddrawn twelve years earlier under the direction of theProphet of Islâm Himself, asked him to leave theplace, and quitted his body shortly after.
[1] A mysterious Personage, according to some, a Prophet; accordingto others, a Walî or 'Friend of God'. He is supposed to bean Immortal Being, an invisible Teacher and Helper of Mankind.Moses was sent by God to seek His instruction. 'Khezar' literallymeans 'green', a metaphorical expression for auspiciousness,blessedness, wholesomeness and fertility.
On his initiation, Sharf-ud-dîn lived for manya long year in the woods of Bihiâ and the RâjgiriHills. In his later days he adopted Bihâr (now asubdivisional town) as his residence, at the request ofsome of his friends and disciples. He died on Thursday,the 6th of Shawwâl, 782 Hijra, in the opening yearsof the 15th Century A. D. His titular name is Makhdûm-ul-Mulk,'Master of the Kingdom or theWorld.' He was equally proficient in secular learningand esoteric Knowledge, and possessed superhumanpowers. His tomb at Bihâr is still resorted to asa place of sanctity by a large number of devout Mahomedans.He wrote many works, of which three onlyhave yet been published. These are:—
(1.) ...