| Sheikh Ahmad Zainuddin Makhdoom | |
| Father: | Sheikh Muhammad Al Gazzali bin Sheikh Zainuddin bin Sheikh Ali bin Sheikh Ahmad Ma'bari |
| Birth Date: | 1531 (938 AH) |
| Birth Place: | Chombala (Azhiyoor, Calicut District, Kerala State), near Mahé, present day India. |
| Death Date: | 1583 |
| Known For: | Islamic jurisprudent, author of Fat'h Ul Mueen and Tuhafat Ul Mujahideen |
| Occupation: | Qadi and Writer |
| Family: | Makhdoom |
| Qadi of Chombal | |
| Notable Works: | Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen |
| Predecessor: | Sheikh Muhammad Al Gazzali |
Sheikh Ahmad Zainuddin Makhdoom bin Sheikh Muhammad Al Gazzali (Arabic: شيخ احمد زين الدين بن شيخ محمد غزالي المليباري; Ahmad Zayn al-Din ibn Muhammad al-Ghazāli al-Malibári), grandson of Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom I, was the writer, orator, historian,[1] jurisprudent and spiritual leader and widely known as Zainuddin Makhdoom Second[2] or Zaniudeen Makhdoom Al Sageer (زين الدين المخدوم الصغير) whose family originated from Yemen. He inherited the legacy of his grandfather and was installed as the Chief Qadi (judge) in the locality of Ponnani, Kerala, India, as well as appointed as the Chief Müderris (head teacher) in the historic Ponnani Dars at Ponnani Jum'ah Masjid,[3] that built by Zainuddin Makhdoom I.[4] [5]
He was born to the Makdoom family in the early months of Hijra 938 (c. 1531 CE) at Chombala (Azhiyoor Panchayath, Calicut District, Kerala State, India) Near Mahe, and received religious instruction under the supervision of his grandfather. He completed his primary education under his father Muhammed Gazzali and his uncle Abdul Azeez Bin Sheikh Makhdoom Al Avval (عبد العزيز بن شيخ مخدوم الآول) and left for Makah for further study. He performed the Haj and settled there for ten years imbibing Islamic knowledge from exponents of Islamic law and other branches of knowledge. He received the guidance of famous scholars such as Al Hafiz Shihabuddeen bin Al Hajr Al Haithemi (الحافظ شهاب الدين بن الحجر الهيتمي), Grand Mufti of Haramain (chief jurisprudent of Makah and Madina) and commentator in Hadeeth and Fiqh, Izzuddeen bin Abdul Azeez al Zamzami (عز الدين بن عبد العزيز الزمزمي), Shiekh Abdul Rahman bin Ziyad (شيخ عبد الرحمن بن زياد) and Sayyid Abdul Rahman Al Safwi (سيد عبد الرحمن الصفوي).He gained the Tassawwuf (Sufi spiritual knowledge) from Kutub Zaban Zain Ul Arifeen Muhammed Bin Sheikh Ul Arif Abu Hasan Al Bakri (قطب الزمان زين العارفين محمد بن شيخ العارف ابو حسن البكري) and was honored with eleven Khirkath (خرقة), symbol of grade in Tareeqath. Within a short period he was hailed as the Sheikh of Qadriya Tareeqath.
After the decade-long stay in Makkah, he returned to Kerala and took charge as chief Mufti in the grand Masjid of Ponnani, a position he occupied for thirty-six years. A historian recorded that his mentor Ibn Hajar Hithami had come to Ponnani and stayed there for a short period. It is said that the famous lamp made of stone, presented by Ibn Hajar Hithami, is still kept in Ponnani Dars.[6]
He did not limit himself to work as a cleric, but made many significant intervention in the political arena, keeping warm relations with the major political figures in that period. He lived during the regime of Akbar of the Mughal Empire and had a good relationship with Sultan Ali Adil Shah I, Sultan of Bijapur, as well as the Zamorin of Calicut. He was a strident advocate of freedom struggles against the imperialist power of Portugal, and motivated the youth to take part in the special army of Zamorin to defend against them. In his masterpiece Tufathul Mujahideen Fi Akhbar ul Burthugalin, he narrated the brutality of the Portuguese on the Malabar soil with special reference to their anti-Muslim stance. He used to instil in Muslim youth the necessity of holy war and the inevitability of military action against the Portuguese. In the aforementioned text, he motivated them by exuding the endless promises of the Almighty for those who waged war against them, and boosted their morale by leading their mind to the sweet memories of the golden age of Islam.[7] [8]
He was known for his unique command in writing in variety of subjects which includes jurisprudence, history, spirituality as well as other subjects which were distinct from other writers. The following table gives an overview of his works.
| Transliterated Title | Original Title | Translated Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuḥfat al-mujāhidīn fī baʿḍ akhbār al-burtughāliyyīn[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] | [16] [17] | Gift of the Mujahidin: Some Accounts of the Portuguese[18] [19] | History of Muslims in Kerala with special reference to the brutalities of the Portuguese invasion[20] [21] [22] |
| Fatḥ al-muʿīn sharḥ qurrat al-ʿayn[23] [24] [25] [26] | Opening of the Aide: A Commentary on Qurrat al-ʿAyn | Exemplary text on Jurisprudence based on the Shafi school of thought; annotation on his own text Kurratul Ain. Taught in some of the most renowned Islamic Universities such as Al Azhar, Egypt.[27] | |
| Qurrat al-ʿayn bi-muhimmāt al-dīn[28] | Delight of the Eyes: On the Foundations of the Faith | Precise text on jurisprudence based on the Shafi school of thought | |
| Irshād al-ʿibād ilā sabīl al-rashād[29] [30] [31] | [32] | Guiding God's Servants to the Best Course of Action | Spiritual text explaining the way to the Almighty |
| Iḥkām aḥkām al-nikāḥ | A Consolidation of the Rulings on Marriage | Precise explanation of the laws relating to marriage | |
| Sharḥ al-ṣudūr fī aḥwāl al-mawtā wa-l-qubūr | Widening the Chest: On the Conditions of the Dead and Graves | Spiritual text explaining the context of the afterworld; it was an annotation of the work done by Sooyoothi (السيوطي) | |
| al-Ajwibah al-ʿajībah ʿan al-asʾilah al-gharībah | Wonderful Answers to Rare Questions | Collection of decrees issued on various issues | |
| al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah | The Indian Fatwas | Decree issued on the special context of southern Indian state of Kerala | |
| al-Jawāhir fī ʿuqūbat ahl al-kabāʾir[33] [34] | Gems: On the Punishments for Grave Sinners | Spiritual text explaining the consequences for criminals | |
| al-Manhaj al-wāḍiḥ | The Clear Program | Text explaining laws relating to marriage | |
| al-Istiʿdād li-l-mawt wa-suʾāl al-qabr[35] | Preparing for Death and the Questions of the Grave | ||
He died of natural causes in 1583 and was laid to rest in Kunjhippalli (Near Mahe, Azhiyoor Grama panchayath, Calicut District, Kerala, India). His khabar lies under a tree in his native Chompala(Azhiyoor Panchayath).