2.2.20.1 - Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Khayyat

Ibn al-Arabi was particularly influenced by Shaykh Muhammad al-Khayyat, as he mentioned in the Holy Spirit, when he remembers his brothers whom he have lived with and benefited from. He says that al-Khayyat returned to the Way long before his brother, and he had a mother with whom he was very righteous, and he served her until she died. He was so fearful that when he prayed, his heart beats could be heard loudly at a distance. He was quick to cry, prolific, long silent, contemplating, always sad, groaning, often looking down at the ground, never joking, with little cohabitation, innocent of flattery, strong in counseling, never shy in telling the truth to anyone, ... and he has a unique character with strong aspiration.

He used to attend in person to the needs of the poor, benefiting them with food and clothing. He was indeed a most kindly and sympathetic man, treating the young with mercy and the old with respect. To every man he gave his due and many were indebted to him, his only debt being to God. after this manner have I always found him, may God admit us both into His forgiveness.

Then the Ibn al-Arabi adds:

I adored him when I was young, and when he enters the mosque, everyone admires him, and I have never seen him starting the chat with anyone, and he only answers according to necessity; I always wished of all to be like him, because he preserves his religion. When I entered the Way, I took him as my brother, and was full of joy by that. I adhered to him and benefited from his manners and ethics.

[Quds: p. 59-60].

It is clear that Shaykh Muhammad al-Khayyat had a great influence on Shaykh Muhyiddin, and perhaps he invited him with his brother Ahmed Abu al-Abbas to the Way of Sufism, and they were a group of brothers in God. Shaykh Muhyiddin also says that he used to meet with Muhammad al-Khayyat and his brother Ahmed, with a fourth person whom he does not mention, but perhaps he is Shaykh Abu Jafar al-Ureybi, who had a great role in educating Shaykh Muhyiddin, as we will see below. Al-Ureybi used to visit Muhammad al-Khayyat in his house where he met with Ibn al-Arabi who recalls these days when he was writing the Holy Spirit in Mecca in 600/1203 and says that he was with this group alike in everything was opened to them, and that he had never seen better days in his life than those past days [Quds: p. 59].

Shaykh Muhyiddin says in Ruh al-Quds: I had an empty jug in my house and one day I was preparing a gruel for the brethren, but had no honey or butter in the house to put into it. I then took the empty jug to him. He took it, held it in his hands and said over it, Eat in the name of God! Then he proceeded to pour butter and honey from it on to the gruel.

One day when we were at the house of one of our brethren he bought for us sweet pancakes and honey which we set about eating. When the honey had run out the owners of the house bade us be patient until some more could be bought. However, the Shaykh told us to dip our morsels once more into the dish and we would find what we were after. We did this and when we raised the morsels to our mouths they were dripping with honey. Then one of our number expressed a wish to see the honey. He then told us to clasp our hands together. As we did so I saw honey oozing from the edges of the dish until it was filled. Then we began to eat again and there was more than enough for al.