Muntakhab al-tawarikh 147: XXVIII. Shaikh Sa‘du-’llah, the Grammarian.

147

Biyana is one of the districts in the eastern portion of India. The Shaikh from his childhood was in the service of Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus, and passed his time with him in fasts of forty days and in exorcism, and subsequently himself continued these practices. He built a hospice in the district of Biyana and was for many years resorted to by students and followers of the religious life. He employed himself in the instruction and spiritual guidance of such men. In knowledge of syntax he had no equal in his time. For seventy years he never broke his fast save on milk, green vegetables, and wild fruits. His liberality was profuse and open-handed. In the reign of Salim Shah I went, in company with my maternal grandfather, to pay my respects to the Shaikh, and took some lessons in the Kafiyyah from him. At last the Shaikh, withdrawing himself from all worldly concerns was overcome by stupor. He secluded himself alone in a room and would not admit even his sons to his presence, until in the year H. 960 (A.D. 1551) he departed from this world. He is buried in the hospice which he built. On the day of his death a sparrow fell down from the air on to the head of the corpse and this was a matter of wonder to all who beheld it.