I met Shaykh Zainuddin Ali bin Fazil at the house of Sayyid Fakhruddin...

I met Shaykh Zainuddin Ali bin Fazil at the house of Sayyid Fakhruddin, greeted him and kissed his hands. He asked Sayyid Fakhruddin about me. Sayyid Fakhruddin introduced me to him. He arose from his place and made me sit there and accorded a warm welcome to me. He also asked me about my father and my brother, Salahuddin whom he formerly knew and during that time I was staying at Wasit for education purpose.

Thus we spoke to the Shaykh for a long time, which made us aware of his caliber and I understood that he was an expert of many sciences including jurisprudence, traditions and many other things. After that I asked him about the incident that I had heard from Shaykh Shamsuddin and Shaykh Jalaluddin. In the presence of his host, Sayyid Fakhruddin and many scholars of Hilla who had come to meet him, he narrated the whole story of 15th Shaban 699 A.H. verbatim.

Perhaps on some occasions words may differ, but the implication was same. Shaykh Zainuddin Ali bin Fazil narrates: I stayed for some years in Damascus, where I studied the principle of jurisprudence and literature under Shaykh Abdur Rahim, may Allah guide him. And from Shaykh Zainuddin Ali Maghribi, I learnt the science of recitation of Quran; he was an expert of all seven recitations and many sciences like etymology and syntax and logic etc.

He was having a very kind disposition and never resorted to bias. Whenever Shia faith was mentioned, he used to say: ‘This is the view of Imamiyah scholars…’ as opposed to other teachers who on such occasions remarked: ‘Such is the view of the Rafidi scholars.’ On the same basis I cut off contacts with everyone, except Shaykh Andalusi Maliki and continued to study under him. By chance he had to travel to Egypt. Since we had become attached to each other, I also decided to accompany him.

So he took me also along with other poor students. When we reached Cairo, we stayed in Al-Azhar University for a long time. When teachers and students learnt of the arrival of the Shaykh they met him and gained knowledge from him. This went on for nine months. Suddenly a caravan arrived from Andalusia and one of them gave to my teacher a letter from his father. It was mentioned therein: “I am seriously ill, but I would like to see you once again.

So come soon and don’t delay it in any case.” The Shaykh became very restless on reading the letter and prepared for the journey immediately. Some of us (students) also set out with him.