Card 3. Sh. Ibn Mashish met his Shaykh as a child

Card project – TOPIC 3
Sh. Ibn Mashish met his Shaykh as a child
 

From the tabaqat:

Sayyiduna Sh. Ibn Mashish was the Shaykh of Imam Abul Hasan al-Shadhili , and the Qutb of his time.

He took the spiritual sciences from `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Husayn al-`Attar (“The perfumer”), a spice merchant from the city of Sabta, who was called “az-Zayyat” or “al-Madani” because he resided in the oil sellers’ quarter of Medina (where his tomb is still found). His first encounter with Sheikh `Abd al-Rahman al-`Attar took place when he was at the age of seven. He was in a state of jadhb (spriritual attraction) when the Sheikh came to him, dsiplaying the signs of the people of Allah, and said to him: “I am your Sheikh”. He fortold him of his rank, his spiritual states, and mentioned each of his maqams one by one. Then he said: “I am your intermediary (wâsita) in every state and maqam”.

Ibn Mashish was asked: Did your Shaykh come to you or did you come to him?
He repplied: It was both ways.

1. A child can be a wali of great ranks, experiencing the jadhb (attraction in the presence of Allah)
2. The Shaykh and the murid are pre-destined for each other, Allah brings them together.
3. The Sh. guides the murid through all the stages til he reaches the presence of Allah

Ideas:
– Something related to perfume, perfume / spice sellers
– Symbolical ladder of maqams where the Shaykh is guiding his disciple

Bio details:

Salat Mashishiyya was a gift to him from the P(s)

He was martyred by an evil man called (Abu Tawajin), who sent ment to asssault him when he came up from the well, where he did wudu, waiting for fajr time to enter