2.9.16 - The Young Shaykh Abdullah al-Khayyat or al-Qarraz

Shaykh Muhyiddin mentions in the Holy Spirit that some of the masters of the Way of Sufism are young and some old. He then mentioned that he met Abdullah al-Qarraz in al-’Udais Mosque in Seville, and he was only ten or eleven years old. He was very shabby with a lean face, a thoughtful person, intense in his ecstasy and sadness. He says: shortly before I met him I had received inspirations on the Way which nobody knew about. Therefore, when I saw him in the mosque I wanted to appear as his spiritual equal. I looked at him and he looked back at me and smiled. I then made a sign to him and he did the same to me. Then, suddenly, Ifelt like a fraud in his presence. He said to me, ’Be diligent, for blessed is he who knows for what he was created. Then he performed the afternoon prayer with me, took his shoes, greeted me and was off. I went after him to find out where he lived, but I found no trace of him, nor could anyone tell me of his whereabouts. I have not seen or heard of him till this day.

He is to be distinguished from his companion Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Khayyat whom we mentioned in section [ref:al-khayat at the top of this chapter above.