Following interview of marhoom (late) Shaikh Tyebali Davoodbhoy, Mumbai, by Mudar Patherya

 I was fortunate to travel as part of Huzurala’s entourage across many lands. One anecdote stands out. We were in Nairobi some time in the Eighties and Huzurala was giving an audience to a number of non-mumineen. During the course of the interaction, I noticed one well-built guest suddenly get up and leave with a sense of urgency. I was standing next to Huzurala; he turned and asked me to accompany the guest to the door.


I did. In fact, during the brief period of accompanying the gentleman, I ushered him to the adjoining area for refreshments. He agreed. We started talking of this and that; he explained that he was an accomplished yoga trainer. Then after he had warmed up, he told me the reason behind his abrupt departure. “I am trained in sensing auras, which is the field of energy that surrounds out bodies,” he said. “I was drawn towards your religious leader because he has a strong aura, but it is only after sitting in the audience did I realize what a strong aura it was. In fact, my leaving was not as much a voluntary exit as much as the fact that my aura was irresistibly blinded by the aura emanating from your leader’s presence. I couldn’t take it; I just had to leave.”

I thought about this exchange for years. And while most people will be awestruck by what the yoga master said – justifiably – I have more than a sneaking feeling that Huzurala knew exactly why he had left and therefore politely asked me to interact with him.

 Over the years, there were a number of similar experiences with Huzurala; a number of school children would have come to him for qadambosi and he would suddenly stop at the 139th child and ask “Taaru naam su”, only to be told of some obscure name that Huzurala would be inclined to change.

To be in the presence of Huzurala, one can be inspired, one can be awed, one can be dazzled. However, in my humble opinion, I have never ceased to feel completely inadequate. I mean, I may be a reasonable legal man and you may be a reasonable writer but my conclusion is that he is all of us - and more.

 This is my humble understanding of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb.

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