Muntakhab al-tawarikh 168: L. Shaikh Hasan ‘Ali of Mausil.

168

He was the faithful pupil of Shah Fathu-’llah, but notwithstanding this he is an orthodox Sunni. He entered the imperial service in the year in which Kabul was conquered, and was entrusted with the education of the emperor’s eldest son until the young prince could repeat certain lessons from Persian and other treatises on philosophy. Shaikh Abu’l-Fazl also for some time secretly received instruction from him in the exact sciences, and in physics, and other branches of philosophy, but notwithstanding this he never attempted to advance the Shaikh’s interests, so that while he himself has his place on the carpet in the imperial presence his master takes his stand on the bare floor. Shaikh Hasan ‘Ali, finding that the conduct of such men was not in accord with his religious views, gave up the allowance which he used to receive and went to Gujarat, where he associated himself for a time with Mirza Nizamu-d-din Ahmad. The latter, and his son, Muhammad Sharif, received much profitable instruction from him in those branches of knowledge which exercise the reasoning faculty and in secular learning so much so indeed, that they advanced to perfection therein.
After the death of Shah Fathu ’llah Shaikh Abu ’l Fazl and other courtiers recounted some of the Shaikh's accomplishments and perfections in the imperial assembly, whereby the emperor was so impressed that Shaikh Hasan ‘Ali was recognized as the spiritual successor of Shah Fathu ’llah. At that time an imperial order was issued summoning Shaikh Hasan ‘Ali to the imperial presence, and he accordingly came to Lahor, but when he paid his respects at Court Nizamu-’d-din Ahmad directed him to perform the sijdah (instead of the kornish), which so displeased him that he made his release from the obligation of performing the ceremony a condition of his attendance and even in his house he could not bear to witness at Court so many things which were abominations to him and the elephant once more remembered Hindustan and on the plea of an intention to visit his mother he obtained leave to go to his own country, and in the year H. 998 (A.D. 1589-90) he arrived at Thatha when the Khan-i-Khanan was governor of that province, and having attained to trust in God and contentment of heart he set out for his own country, and when he arrived at Hurmuz he sent a message to the officers of the imperial court saying, “Praise be to God! I am freed from the hypocritical companionship of my friends!” Please God he has attained the object of his desires.