In his childhood he was a wrestler. He used to practice all of its arts, until he became one of the most famous wrestlers in his time. Wrestlers would gather around him to learn from him. One day, a man watching him wrestle had the following thought come to his heart: "How is it that a person who is the Descendant of the Prophet and who is deeply knowledgeable in shari'a and tariqat, is practicing this sport?" He immediately fell into a deep sleep and dreamt that it was the Judgement Day. He felt that he was in great difficulty and that he was drowning. Then the shaykh appeared to him and rescued him from the water. He woke up and Sayyid 'Amir Kulal (qs) looked at him and said, "Did you witness my power in wrestling and my power in intercession?"

One time his shaykh-to-be, Muhammad Baba as-Samasi (qs), was passing by his wrestling arena, accompanied by his followers. He stopped and stood there. An evil whisper came to the heart of one of his followers saying, "How is it that the shaykh is standing here in this wrestling arena?" The shaykh looked at his follower immediately and said, "I am standing here for the sake of one person. He is going to be a great Knower. People will come to him for guidance and through him people will reach the highest states of Divine Love and the Divine Presence. My intention is to bring this person under my wing." At that moment Sayyid 'Amir al-Kulal (qs) gazed at him, was attracted and abandoned the sport of wrestling. He followed Shaykh Muhammad Baba as-Samasi to his house. Shaykh Samasi taught him the dhikr and the principles of the distinguished tariqat and told him, "You are now my son."

Sayyid 'Amir al-Kulal followed Shaykh Samasi for 20 years, spending all his time in dhikr, seclusion, worship, and self-denial. No one saw him in these 20 years except in the company of his shaykh. He would come to see his shaykh in Samas every Monday and Thursday, although the distance was five miles and the journey difficult, until he reached a state of unveiling (mukashafa). At that time his fame began to spread everywhere until he left this world. He became the teacher and mentor of Turghai (Trush) (died 1356 AD) the head of Berlas tribe and his son 'Amir Timur (died 807/1405). One of his most famous disciples was Muhammad ibn Muhammad Baha'ud-Din al-Uwaysi al-Bukhari (qs) who used to work as an executioner in Bukhara under the rule of King Qazan. One day Baha'ud-Din (qs) was ordered to execute a man who had angered the ruler of the state. However, right before his execution the accused called upon Shaykh 'Amir al-Kulal (qs), identifying him as his teacher. Shaykh 'Amir al-Kulal (qs) intervened and the accused was set free on his intercession. This was Baha'ud-Din's first encounter with Shaykh 'Amir al-Kulal. Impressed by him, Baha'ud-Din became his student.

Shaykh 'Amir al-Kulal had four children, as-Sayyid al-'Amir Burhanuddin, as-Sayyid al-'Amir Hamza, as-Sayyid al-'Amir Shah, and as-Sayyid al-'Amir 'Umar. Shaykh Sayyid 'Amir Al-Kulal (qs) died in the same village in which he was born, Sukhar, the 8th of Jumada al-Awwal, 772 AH/1370 and was buried in Shahrisabz (Kesh); the Green City. His tomb was completed by 1374 AD under the orders of Timur. Majority of Timur's family is also buried at the same place.

Shaykh al-Kulal's descendants moved to India with Mughals establishing an empire there and majority of them remained as teachers and mentors of Mughal Princes and Kings or their close friends. To know more about the life and works of Shaykh Sayyid 'Amir al-Kulal (qs), one can read Maqamat-i-'Amir al-Kulal composed by his great grandson Shihab ul-Din. It consists of 70 tales about him.

About Shahrisabz is a city in Uzbekistan located approximately 80 km south of Samarkand with the population of 53,000 (1991). It is located at the altitude of 622 m. Once a major city of Central Asia, it is primarily known today as the birthplace of 14th century Turkic conqueror Timur. Its name means "green city" in Persian.