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{{short description|Muslim Arab saint, b, 663 AD}}

{{Infobox religious biography
| name = '''Sheikh Ubaidullah'''
| religion = [[Sunni Islam]]
| era = [[Islamic golden age]]
| birth_date = 41 AH/663 AD
| birth_place = [[Medina]], [[Hejaz]]
| field = [[Dawah]]
| death_date =
| death_place = [[Andrott]], [[Lakshadweep]], India
}}
{{Islam}}

'''Shiekh Ubaidullah''' (born c. 663 AD) was a Muslim Arab [[saint]] from [[Medina]]. He is thought to be a relative of [[Abu Bakr]] from whom Ubaidullah learnt about [[Islam]] in an environment free from desire and greed of [[materialism]] for developing his moral and spiritual beliefs.<ref>{{Citation|last=education|first=Study IQ|title=Genetic study of Lakshadweep people, Know interesting facts about its Islands, Current Affairs 2019|url=https://trkeys.net/watch/_kVXrtfCfzs-genetic-study-of-lakshadweep-people-know-interesting-facts-about-its-islands-current-affairs-2019.html|language=tr|access-date=2019-09-07}}</ref>

== Early life ==
The name Ubaidullah is an indirect [[Quranic]] name that means “little servant of Allah”. ''Ubaid'' is the diminutive form of the word ''Abd'' ("servant") and is formed from ''Ubaid'' (“little servant”) and ''Allah'' (“God”), -u- being the case marking for the nominative (in [[Construct state#Arabic|construct state]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quranicnames.com/ubaidullah/|title=Ubaidullah - Islamic Name Meaning - Baby Names for Muslims|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-07}}</ref>

Nothing is known about the early life of the saint except his lineage which is traced to Caliph Abu Bakr, the Ist rightly guided Caliph, of whom he is believed to be in some close relation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=GHAZANFAR|first=S. M.|date=1995|title=HISTORY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT: THE SCHUMPETERIAN 'GREAT GAP', THE 'LOST' ARAB-ISLAMIC LEGACY, AND THE LITERATURE GAP|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jis/6.2.234|journal=Journal of Islamic Studies|volume=6|issue=2|pages=234–253|doi=10.1093/jis/6.2.234|issn=0955-2340}}</ref>

== Career ==
By profession, the Saint is believed to be a merchant before undertaking the holy mission to preach [[Islam]].

[[Tradition]] has it that Saint Ubaidullah, once praying in the [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|Holy prophet's mosque]] in [[Medina]] fell asleep and saw a dream in which he saw [[Muhammad|Prophet Muhammad]] and was told by the Prophet to go to distant lands from the east of [[Jeddah]] to preach Islam to the people.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://lakshadweep.gov.in/about-lakshadweep/history/|title=History | Lakshadweep | India}}</ref>

He interpreted the dream as a [[divine]] vision from [[Allah]] for his salvation and the people of those distant lands, so he proceeded to [[Jeddah]] where he travelled across the ocean for accomplishing his mission.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Transparent Blue Islands - Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/transparent-blue-islands-------------------------/22453/0|access-date=2020-07-26|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref>

==Preaching Islam in Lakshadweep India==
On his journey his vessel capsized in a storm and he had to continue his journey by drifting on a plank till he reached [[Amini, India|Amini]] in AH 41 (663 AD). He started his act of preaching from Amini and was able to convert the Pondambelli family despite the initial linguistic challenges. After facing opposition there he left Amini with some of his new Muslim fellows and moved to [[Andrott]] where he got significantly high conversions. He then went to [[Kavaratti]] and [[Agatti]], preaching there and then came back to Amini. This time unlike his first arrival in Amini, he was welcomed and via his preaching could successfully influence and convert almost the whole of population to Islam. At last stage of his life, he travelled to Andrott where he lived the rest of his life preaching and teaching. Ubaidullah never went back to his home land of Hijaz and devoted his life for [[dawah]].<ref name="auto" /> Sheikh Ubaidullah advanced Islam in [[Lakshadweep]] (now in India) Islands by delivering sermons before the islanders.

== Death and legacy ==
Apparently, the saint died at Andrott Island with his remains buried in Juma Mosque.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Andrott {{!}} Lakshadweep {{!}} India|url=https://lakshadweep.gov.in/islands/andrott/|access-date=2020-07-26|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Androth Islands Of Lakshadweep|url=http://webindia123.com/Territories/LAKSHADWEEP/LAND/Andrott.html|access-date=2020-07-26|website=Webindia123.com|language=en}}</ref>

Juma Mosque, one of the top attractions in Lakshadweep is said to have been built during his time.

It is believed that 97% of the population in Lakshadweep being Muslim at present is a result of his [[Shahada|preaching]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indstu.com/Lakshadweep.html|title=Lakshadweep|website=www.indstu.com|access-date=2019-09-06}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Muslim saints]]
[[Category:600s births]]
[[Category:Year of death unknown]]
[[Category:Muslim missionaries]]

Sheikh Ubaidullah - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article