Makhdoom Ali Mahimi
Died: February 7, 1432 - Mahim, Mumbai, India
Makhdoom Ali Mahimi Shafi'i was a saint & scholar of international repute. He lived during the time of the Tughlaq dynasty & that of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat & was married to the Sultan's sister. He is widely acknowledged for his scholarly treatises, liberal views & 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).
Not much is known of his early childhood. He later became the follower of disciples of Mir Sayyed Ali Hamadani ShafI'i & became the master of Kubrawiya order. 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 "Tafsir-ur-Rahman." It is available in Al Azhar University, Cairo & Umm-ul-Qura University, Makkah.
Mahimi is revered by both the Muslims & 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.
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