2.4.1 - Discipling the Soul

For this reason, Shaykh Muhyiddin began to seek the guidance of the shaykhs of his time. Throughout the years of his youth in Andalusia and Maghreb, he associated himself with many prominent shaykhs in the West, but he particularly committed himself to two great Seville scholars: Abu al-Abbas Ahmed al-Ureybi and Abu Imran Mousa al-Mirtuli, as well as his Quran teacher Shaykh Abu Yusuf al-Kumi, as we mentioned before. Additionally, during the three decades he spent in the West, whenever he hears of any prominent shaykh, he travels to him to benefit from him and learns on his hands. At the end of this Chapter below, we shall mentions many of these shaykhs whom he himself cited in his books as the shaykhs whom he accompanied and benefited from in the Way of the Hereafter.

The following story shows that Shaykh Muhyiddin was brilliant in his behavior and his soul was voluntarily modest, despite his high social degree, which often produces arrogance, except with the mercy of Allah. The Shaykh thus directed his contemplation with deep luminosity so he did not need to waste a lot of time and effort in taming himself. He said in the context of talking about respecting charity, both in giving and taking:

One of the first scenes that we have tasted in this Way, was that I once held in my hands something usually despicable for the public (which were some kind of salted fish as he described in another text [Futuhat: I.506]). Usually, people like us did not carry such things due to the frivolous nature of the soul and the love of excellence for those who do not notice the glory of all things. Then I saw the Shaykh (perhaps he means Shaykh Abu al-Abbas al-Ureybi, who will be mentioned shortly) coming forward with his companions. They said to him: O our master, do you see him! He is doing great in the Way, by struggling against himself; as you see what he is carrying in the middle of the market where people can see him as well. The Shaykh said to them: Perhaps he did carry that for the sake of a struggle against himself. They said to him, then what! He said: Ask him.

When I reached them, and I saluted the shaykh, then he said to me: What was the thought you had in mind when carried this in your hand, which is despicable and disguised while the people of your rank who are elites in the world do not hold such that in their hands? I said to him: O my Shaykh, I don’t think this is the consideration of one like yourself, because Allah did not disguise this when He created it just as He created the Throne and other things people magnify. How then I do when I am a poor servant, how can I disguise such a thing.

The Shaykh then kissed me and prayed for me, and he told his companions: Do you see how high is this thinking comparing to struggling against oneself!

[Futuhat: I.588].