2.3.8 - The Period 580/1184 - 585/1190

Having entered the way of Allah around 580 as mentioned above, the Greatest Shaykh spent a few years in and around Seville, but we do not know much about the details of his life in this period from 580 to 585, while we find that 586 is full of many events mentioned in the Meccan Revelations and other books. It seems that during these years he was in Seville and was probably traveling to neighboring cities such as Cordoba and others, as well as to some coastal cities. It is also certain that during this period he was learning the Quran, Hadith and some literature by the shaykhs of his time in Seville as we shall see shortly, but we do not know the details of the dates or the events that took place from the years 580 to 585.

It seems, therefore, that the “relaxation” period that Shaykh Muhyiddin spoke about was during these years of his life, and it is not unlikely that the events mentioned above and quoted from the Holy Spirit, that he was attending the councils of the Singing and staying up with the people of fun hearing the singing and poetry. It seems that these events occurred in this period, and therefore some of his shaykhs were worried about him, because his opening had already been achieved before any contemplation, a situation that produces no firm men except in some rare cases as we have seen above. Therefore, we do not find any scientific activity of Ibn al-Arabi in this period, although he entered the Way of Sufism in 580 or before and has acquired some high stations in this year.

While Shaykh Muhyiddin mentions the year 586 frequently, the only accidental mention of the year 585 of an unusual man from the people of Younis whom he saw the impact of his foot on the coast, perhaps the south-west coast, near Routa, where he would prefer tourism in this place. He says that he saw the impact of this man, who was one of the giants, and he was in front of him on the coast a little before him but he did not realize it, so he measured his foot on the sand and found three feet and two-thirds of a a foot. Then he says that meet some people who saw this men, who foretold them of some events that will occur in Andalusia in 585 and 585, and they did occur as he stated. [Futuhat: II.415, see also I.222 where he mentions the name of the person who told his these stories in 585, who is: Abu Abdullah Ibn al-Kharaz al-Tanji].