[1] The madrasah was founded by Ṣadaqatullāh b. Sulaimān al-Qāhirī aṣ-Ṣiddiqī (1042–1115 AH; 1632–1703 AD), a Muslim scholar and saint from the Arwi region (modern-day South India and Sri Lanka).
Prior to the inception of this seminary in Tamil Nadu, the prevalent practice in the region was for Muslim scholars to impart instruction for free in the mosques.
Shaikh Ṣadaqatullāh felt that the issue of preparing food and arranging accommodation was distracting the students from fully concentrating in their studies.
This proved to be a successful initiative that drew the curiosity of Nawāb Ghulām Ghawth Khān Wālājah V, the ruler of the South Indian port city of Madras.
Some of these eminent personalities include:[2] Known for his lectures on Sufi Islamic science thought and he is descendant of Sheikh Bahauddin Zakaria Multani Suhrawardi.