Abdallah () was the first

Isma'ili Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the ...

missionary () in

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, 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 List of states and union territories ...

. He was sent from

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

to Cambay (Khambat), Gujarat in India in about 1067 AD (460AH).

Syedi Nuruddin Syedi Nuruddin, an 11th-century famous saint (death: Jumadi al-Ula 11) and was the Fatimid Ismaili Mustaali Missionary. He was the companion of Maulaya Abdullah (Ismaili Mustaali Missionary) and visited the Imam Al-Mustansir Billah in Cairo, Eg ...

was his companion who also visited Imam

Al-Mustansir Billah Abū Tamīm Maʿad al-Mustanṣir biʾllāh (‎; 2 July 1029 – 29 December 1094) was the eighth Fatimid Caliph from 1036 until 1094. He was one of the longest reigning Muslim rulers. His reign was the twilight of the Fatimid state. The st ...

, Egypt. He joined the Ismaili faith under Fatimid Dai Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi, and came back to Khambat, India to propagate the Taiyabi 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, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and his mausoleum is located there. The

da'i A da'i (, ) 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' * Hujja * List of converts to Islam The following is a list of notabl ...

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

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

, trained them in the

Ismaili Ismailism () is a branch 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-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept ...

doctrine, and sent them back to Gujarat as missionaries. Abdallah laid the foundation of the

Bohra Bohra or Bora may refer to: Groups of people * Bohras, several groups in Tayyibi Isma'ilism *Alavi Bohras, a Tayyibi Isma'ili community in Gujarat, India *Dawoodi Bohra, a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam *Sulaym ...

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

pandit A pandit (; ; also spelled pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy; in colonial-e ...

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 (; pl. , ) is the most senior spiritual rank and office in Tayyibi Isma'ilism. The Da'i al-Mutlaq has headed the Tayyibi community since the occultation (Islam), seclusion of the 21st Tayyibi Imamate in Ismaili doctrine, Imam, at-Tayyib Abu'l-Q ...

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

References

Sources

* * {{Daftary-The Ismailis, edition=Second 11th-century Arab people 12th-century Arab people 11th-century Ismailis 12th-century Ismailis Ismaili da'is Musta'li Isma'ilism Indian Muslim missionaries Missionaries in India Islam in India History of Gujarat