South India’s First Arabic Poet

Shaikh Sadaqatullah, the third son of Shaik Sulaiman, was an erudite scholar in theology, jurisprudence and mysticism. He first studied under his father. He was then sent to Adirampattinam to complete his education in theology and training in mysticism under Shaik Al-Makhdoom Abdul Qadir. Shaik Sadaqathullah had attained proficiency in all the branches of Islamic sciences; especially in Arabic language and literature. He seems to have fully grasped the vocabulary, idioms, phrases and proverbs, used in the Maqamat of Hamadani and Hariri. Shaikh Sadaqathullah went on pilgrimage to Mecca and stayed in the holy places for two years. The Arabic knowing people were very much impressed of his erudite scholarship in theology, jurisprudence and mysticism and of his command over the Arabic language. There were students who took lessons from him in Sharh-al-Minhaj ??? ??????? by Ibn Hajar Makki. He had already composed several long poems in praise of the Prophet and the great saints. There he thought of quintupling (adding 3 hemistiches to a couplet and thus making it 5 hemistiches called in Arabic as ????) the long poem as ??????? ??????? composed by Abu Bakr of Baghdad.