278 
J. Wise —Shah Jalal of Sillicit. 
[No. 3, 
Note on Shcth Jalal , the patron saint of Silhaf.—By Dk. J. Wise, 
Dha'ka. 
The following abridgment of the life and miraculous adventures of 
Shah Jalal, the conqueror of Silhat in the 14th century, is taken from the 
Suhail-i'Yaman, written by Na^iruddin, late Mim^if of Silhat; his work was 
composed in the year 1859. It is an abstract of two earlier histories, one 
of which is called the “ Risalah of Muhi-uddin Khadimthe other, by an 
unknown author, is designated the “ Rauzatus-Salatin.’ 
According to the Mrn^if, Shah Jalal Mujarrid Yamani was the son 
of a distinguished saint, whose title of Shaikhush-Shuyukh is still preserved. 
He belonged to the Quraish tribe. Shah Jalal’s father was named Muham¬ 
mad ; his grandfather Muhammad Ibrahim. His mother was a Sayyidah. 
She died within three months of the birth of this her only son. His father 
died fighting in a jihad against the infidels. 
The youth was adopted by his maternal uncle Sayyid Ahmad Kabir 
Suhrwardi, a Darwish of no mean accomplishments, who had studied 
under the renowned Shah Jalal ud-din Bukhari. 
For thirty years Shah Jalal is said to have lived in a cave without 
crossing the threshold. He was at last summoned from his seclusion by his 
uncle, owing to the following circumstance. One day seated in front of his 
house at Makkah, lost in contemplation, Sayyid Ahmad saw a doe big with 
young approach him. The doe related how a lion had appeared in the 
wood in which she lived, and was killing all her comrades. She finally 
requested him to come and drive away the brute. Shah Jalal was called 
forth from his cave, and directed to go and turn out the lion. On the 
way he puzzled himself what was to be done when the lion was seen. 
Unexpectedly, however, he met the animal, and the lustre which shot 
from his eye was so dazzling, that the lion fled and was heard of no 
more. 
On his return, Sayyid Ahmad was so pleased with his behaviour, that 
he gave him a handful of earth and told him to go forth and wander over 
the world, until he found earth of similar colour and smell. Where 
he did, he was there to make his abode. 
Hindustan was then the land to which adventurers directed their steps, 
and Shah Jalal followed their example. He passed by a city of Yaman, 
the king of which was informed that a great Darwish was near. He 
accordingly sent a cup of deadly poison instead of sliarbat, to test his 
power. Shah Jalal at once divined its nature, and informed the king’s 
messengers that the instant the draught was swallowed, the king would die. 
The poison was quaffed without injury to the saint, but, as foretold, the 
king died. 
