SAYID MUHAMMAD SHAREEFUL MADANI {Manglore}

SAYID MUHAMMAD SHAREEFUL MADANI DARGAH, ULLAL, MANGALORE : The history says that the Saint came to Ullal around 500 years ago from the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia by floating across the sea on a piece of Chador or Musalla. He camped at a small mosque in Melangadi area, which is the present Jumma Masjid for Ullal, Permannur, Someshwara, Munnur, Kotekar and Jeppinamogaru villages. The Saint led a very pious and simple life. His simplicity and devotion of faith, love towards the poor attracted the villagers. The villagers were pouring towards him because he used to solve their problems through his prayers and spiritual powers.

Hearing of his miraculous healings, people irrespective of caste and creed flocked to Ullal to have a glimpse and blessings of the Saint. Later on the Saint married a girl from a poor but respectable family. The family used to reside in a tenanted land. One day the landlord came to the plot to pluck tender coconuts and the children there asked for few but the landlord refused to give any to them. 

When the Saint came home he saw children crying for the tender coconut, he pacified the children. Few days later the landlord came to the Saint and complained of severe stomach pain. He confessed his guilt and begged for Saints pardon. The Saint gave him a glass of water and upon drinking the water, the landlord’s pain subsided. To show his gratitude he gave the tenanted land to the Saint. The descendants of the Saint are still at the same land. The Saints name is associated with several such miracles. One day when the saint was performing his ablution (Wazu) in a tank of the nearby mosque at Alekal locality, he suddenly started throwing water upwards and towards west.

Later when asked, why he sprinkled water in the air, he replied that he was trying to extinguish the fire in Makkah Mosque. It was confirmed by people who had been to Makkah that indeed there was a fire and sudden showers had extinguished it. The Saint never saved anything for his future, when he was bedridden; his wife wept and asked how she was going to cope after his death. He consoled her and told her that she would find a rupee coin under her pillow everyday and that is exactly what happened after his death. 

When the Saint died, a tomb was erected over his grave, which is the present day Dargah. It is believed even today miracles happen there. A person, who was unable to talk, used to visit this Dargah regularly, one day for no apparent reason he fell. When he regained consciousness, to everybody’s surprise, he was able to talk! A month long Uroos celebration held once in five years attracts large crowds. In the year 1945 there was acute shortage of water in the Melangadi area, where the present day Juma Masjid is situated. There was not even water to drink, all the devotees who had gathered for the Uroos, got together and prayed. To all of their surprise, a gurgling sound was heard and the well near the Dargah filled up with water. Ever since then that particular well never dries!
The first annual Uroos celebration was recorded in the year 1920, since then it is held once in 5 years. During this period renowned scholars give religious discourses in Arabic, Urdu, Malayalam and Kannada. Devotees irrespective of caste and creed from all over India visit the Dargah and pay their homage to the Saint and seek his blessings and to fulfill their vows. The last Dargah was attended by well over 10 Lakhs of people. The original tomb was renovated and enlarged in 1970 and Karnataka government helped in renovating roads and installing street lights. The income derived from the Dargah is spent towards the development of the community.