Sheikh Abdullah Aref Billah Bodaunabi belonged to a non-Muslim caste in
One day during his childhood, Sheikh Abdullah was reciting the work composed by the famous poet Sheikh Saadi. At one point, Sheikh Abdullah came across the following line which can be translated to mean:
It is not possible to strive in the spiritual path without following the Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam).
Sheikh Abdullah asked his tutor about the Beloved Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam). The tutor offered his pupil a brief description of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam). Upon hearing the description, a change came over Sheikh Abdullah. He decided to embrace Islam and went on to become one of the most pious and learned scholars of his time.
Shortly before his death, Sheikh Abdullah Aref Billah Bodaunabi issued specific instructions to his followers with respect to his funeral prayer. He stated that only the individual who had never missed four rakah Sunnat of the Asr prayer would lead the funeral prayer. An individual came forward to lead the funeral prayer for Sheikh Abdullah just as his followers started to worry whether they would find anyone to lead the prayer.
Sheikh Abdullah also instructed his followers to bury him upon his death where the Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) had placed his blessed cane and from which place water flowed when he was blessed with the vision of the Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam). His followers had chosen this particular place for his burial. Sheikh Abdullah was buried at this very place in Bodayun.
