Abdallah () was the first

Isma'ili Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al- ...

missionary () in

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. He was sent from

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...

to came to Cambay (Khambat), Gujarat in India in about 1067 AD (460AH). Syedi Nuruddin was his companion who also visited Imam

Al-Mustansir Billah Abū Tamīm Maʿad al-Mustanṣir biʾllāh ( ar, أبو تميم معد المستنصر بالله‎; 2 July 1029 – 29 December 1094) was the eighth Fatimid Caliph from 1036 until 1094. He was one of the longest reigning Muslim rulers. ...

, Egypt. He joined the Ismaili faith under Fatimid Dai

Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi Al-Mu'ayyad fid-din Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Abi 'Imran Musa b. Da'ud ash-Shirazi (c. 1000 CE/390 AH – 1078 CE/470 AH) was an 11th-century Isma'ili scholar, philosopher-poet, preacher and theologian of Persian origin. He served the Fatimid C ...

, and came back to Khambat, India to propagate the

Taiyabi Tayyibi Isma'ilism is the only surviving sect of the Musta'li branch of Isma'ilism, the other being the extinct Hafizi branch. Followers of Tayyibi Isma'ilism are found in various Bohra communities: Dawoodi, Sulaymani, and Alavi. The Tayyibi ...

faith. His earlier name was Balam Nath. He is said to have stayed some years at Cambay studying the people. He died on August 12, 1141 in

Khambhat Khambhat (, ), also known as Cambay, is a city and the surrounding urban agglomeration in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once an important trading center, but its harbour gradually silted up, and the maritime trade moved ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

and his mausoleum is located there. The

da'i A da'i ( ar, داعي, dāʿī, inviter, caller, ) is generally someone who engages in Dawah, the act of inviting people to Islam. See also * Dawah * Da'i al-Mutlaq, "the absolute (unrestricted) missionary" (Arabic: الداعي المطلق) * ...

named Ahmad once took two the Gujarati orphans (Abdullah and Nuruddin) to

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

, trained them in the

Ismaili Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al ...

doctrine, and sent them back to Gujarat as missionary. Abdullah laid the foundation of the

Bohra Bohra or Bora may refer to: Groups of people *A Musta'li trading community: ** Alavi Bohra, a branch of the Mustaali community **Dawoodi Bohra, a branch of the Mustaali community **Suleimani Bohra, a Mustaali Ismaili community that predominantly re ...

community. According to the Bohra myths, Jayasimha sent an army to capture Abdullah, but Abdullah converted him to Islam by performing miracles and by exposing the purported miracles of Hindu

pandit A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...

s as fake. There is no evidence that Jayasimha ever gave up Shaivism, but several of the Bohra Walis and Da'i al-Mutlaqs claimed descent from him. These included Syedna Ismail, the 34th

Da'i al-Mutlaq The term Da'i al-Mutlaq ( ar, الداعي المطلق, al-Dā'ī al-Mutlaq; pl. , ) literally meaning 'the absolute, or unrestricted, missionary', is the most senior spiritual rank and office in Tayyibi Isma'ilism. The Da'i al-Mutlaq has hea ...

. Two stories are told of his first missionary success. According to one story, he gained a cultivator's heart by filling his dry well with water. As per second he travelled to Ahlinvada, Patan. King Sidhraj Jaisingh sent a force of armed men to fetch him, found surrounded with wall of fire. King himself went there to meet him. Later on two of his minister Tarmal and Bharmal became his follower. Syedi Hasan Feer, 14th century famous saint at Sultan of Patan was also from the lineage of Maulaya Abdullah.
, syedi-hasanfeer-shaheed-qs

References

Sources

* * 11th-century Arabs 12th-century Arabs 11th-century Ismailis 12th-century Ismailis Ismaili da'is Musta'li Isma'ilism Indian Muslims Islam_in_India History of Gujarat {{Islam-bio-stub