[2] He was born into a distinguished family of lawyers and scientists of Waleedpur village in Jaunpur District, Uttar Pradesh.
One of his ancestors was Mulla Mahmud Jaunpuri (d.1652), who was the foremost philosopher and physicist of Shah Jahan's time, a debater of issues in Shiraz with Mir Damad, and the author of a much valued commentary, Shams al-Bazigha.
He impressed the English Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court so much that he was offered a seat on the Bench at an early age of 34.
As Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, he handed down the final judgement in the Meerut Conspiracy Case at the appellate stage (S.H.
Sulaiman distinguished himself in diverse fields of human activity and different aspects of learning and was an outstanding educationist who took keen interest in the administration and advancement of several educational institutions, in which, he left distinctive marks.
He was founder president of several educational institutions and members of the Courts and Executive Councils of Allahabad and Aligarh Muslim University for a number of years, as President of the United Councils of Allahabad and Aligarh Muslim University for a number of years.
After his death, the Nobel Laureate CV Raman wrote "As chief justice of the High Court at Allahabad for several years and as vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University over a considerable period, Sir Shah Sulaiman was a well-known public figure in India.
During the last few years of his life he held the distinguished position of one of the three judges of the newly established Federal Court at Delhi.
The news of his death early this year at the age of fifty-five came as an unpleasant surprise to his many friends and admirers, and elicited numerous well-merited tributes to his personality and career."