4.1.4 - Shaykh Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Sullami (Anjal, 597/1201)

Then Ibn al-Arabi says that he entered this station in the month of Muharram in the year ninety-seven and five hundred AH, when he was traveling in Abjisel of the countries of Maghreb, and he was overwhelmed with happiness, but he did not find anyone in this station, which made him feel lonely. Then, when he left Abjisel, he met one of the men in a nearby town called Anjal, where he prayed the afternoon prayer in the mosque and he met the Prince Abu Yahya Ibn Wajtin, and he was his friend. Happy to meet him, the Prince invited him to stay with him, but he excused and stayed with his registrar, who was also his acquaintance, thus Shaykh Muhyiddin complained to his friend his loneliness in this station despite the delight he felt. At that Shaykh Muhyiddin says that when he was talking about this station a shadow of a person loomed to him, so he got up from his bed to him hoping to find some release with him and he embraced, and when he examined him he found him Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Sullami (died 421/1030), the author of the famous book “the Strata of Saints”: “Tabaqat al-Awliya”.

Shaykh Muhyiddin explained that the spirit of Abu Abdul-Rahman epitomized to him and Allah sent him out of mercy to speak in this station. The Shaykh said to him: I see you you are in this station (of Nearness)? He replied: when I died I was in this station, thus I remained in it. Then Shaykh Muhyiddin explained to Abu Abdul-Rahman his loneliness and being lonely in this station. He replied to him: the stranger always feels lonely, but what do you want after that divine care preceded to you to be in this station! You should thank Allah, my brother, because who may ever get to this? Are you not satisfied that Khader is your companion in this station!

Then there was a long discussion between them, which Shaykh Muhyiddin mentioned in chapter one hundred and sixty of the Meccan Revelations, as well as in his book al-Qurba, dedicated for this station.