Makhdoom Ali Mahimi

Makhdoom Ali Mahimi ( 1372 to 1431 A.D ) was a saint and scholar of international repute. He lived during the time of the Tuglaq dynasty and that of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat, and was married to Sultan sister. He is widely acknowledged for his scholarly treatises, liberal views and humanist ideals. Mahimi was born into a family of Arab travelers from Iraq who had settled down on the island of Mahim, 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 disciple of Mohiuddin Ibne Arabi, a Spanish Muslim saint. 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. Authoring a total of nineteen books, he was given the moniker Qutub-e -Kokan (Kokan's Pole Star). He was the first commentator of the Holy Quran in India. His commentary is known throughout the World and is called "Tafsirur Rahman." It is Unique among all the commentary of QURAN known to Scholars. Which is available in Al Azhar University, Cairo and Ummul-Qura University, Makkah.

Mahimi is revered by both the Muslims and 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.

...
Wikipedia