2.2.22.2 - The Advice of Shaykh al-Qattan to His Father

Muhammad Ibn al-Arabi used to love these poor people and feel compassionate for them, and he accompanied them and served them to benefit and learn from them. He once hosted the poor ascetic Shaykh Abdullah al-Qattan to his house, and he eat with him some food in the presence of his father, but the shaykh could not keep quiet even in the house of Abu Muhammad Ali Ibn al-Arabi, who, as mentioned above, was a follower of the sultan.

Once Muhammad invited Shaykh al-Qattan to his house at night to stay with him, and when he sat down Muhammad’s father came, and they prayed the evening together and Muhammad offered food, and they sit and eat and his father joined them, but Shaykh al-Qattan looked at him and said: “O You, man with gray hair, are you not ashamed of God? How long will you accompany these obsessives? How little is your shyness? Have you been safe from death to come to you while you are in such a bad situation? Look at your son; a young man in his full lust, yet he suppresses all his passion and expels his devil, and he accompanied the people of Allah, while you are an ill elder on the brink of a hole of fire?” At that, Muhammad’s father cried and admitted his condition and his son marveled at it [Quds: pp. 70-72].

It seems that his hosting of Shaykh Al-Qattan happened before he entered the Way of Sufism, because al-Qattan described him here as a young man in his lust, suppressing his passion and expelling his devil, perhaps at the age of fifteen years or shortly thereafter, or shortly before. This supports what we have decided above that Shaykh Muhyiddin was inclined to Sufism and his men before committing to them for quite a while. [Quds: pp. 70-72]

There is no doubt that accompanying Abdullah al-Qattan has left a deep impact in the soul of Ibn al-Arabi, who will remain faithful to this shaykh, always remembering him well, and in the next chapter we will see how he will visit him again in Cordoba after returning from his long journey to the city of Fez in Maghreb, accompanied by his companion, Abdullah Badr al-Habashi, who will accompany him on all his subsequent travels. As we shall mention him in section ref(al-habashi of Chapter III, Badr al-Habashi was a slave to Abu al-Futuh al-Harrani and then he was released by Shaykh Muhyiddin, to accompany him all his life until he died in Konya, and we will also mention in section ref(al-habashi-death of Chapter V, but we will notice throughout this chapter that Shaykh Muhyiddin always tries to introduce his companion Badr to all the shaykhs he meet, including Abdullah al-Qattan.

In the Holy Spirit, Shaykh Muhyiddin states: I myself used to associate with this man and he had great affection for me On one occasion I invited him to spend the night at our house. after he had been seated my father, may God have mercy on his soul, came in. My father was one of the Sultans men! but when he entered the Shaykh greeted him, since he was an old man. When we had performed the prayer I brought food for the Shaykh and sat down to eat, my father joining us in order to benefit from the Shaykhs spiritual grace. after a while the Shaykh looked at him and said, O unhappy old man, is it not time you felt some shame before God? How long are you going to associate with these oppressors? How shameless you are! How can you be sure that death will not come upon you in your evil state? Then, pointing to me, he said, There is a lesson for you in your son, for here is a young man with all his bodily appetites in full bloom, who has nevertheless subdued his lusts, cast out his devil, turned to God and associates with Gods people, while you, an old man, are on the brink of the abyss, My father wept at his words and realized plainly his plight. As for myself, I was completely taken aback by all this.

I introduced him in Cordoba to my companion al-Habashi and we walked with him to his house. I heard him say one day, I am amazed at one who wants a horse before he has begun to thank God for his food and clothing. He himself never had more than the bare necessities by way of food or clothing. He was the scourge of tyrants and attended all raids into Christian territory, on foot and without provisions.