Al-Mursi Abu'l-'Abbas (1219 in

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

– 1287 CE) () was a saint from

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

during the

Nasrid The Nasrid dynasty ( ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; ) was an Arab dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada from 1232 to 1492. It was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula. Twenty-three sultans ruled Granada from the foun ...

period and who later in his life moved to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

in Egypt. His complete name is Shahab al-Din Abu'l-'Abbas Ahmad ibn 'Umar ibn Mohammad al-Ansari al-Mursi. Al-Mursi Abul-'Abbas, as he is now commonly called, is one of the four master saints of Egypt, the other three being

Ahmad al-Badawi Aḥmad el-Badawī (, ), also known as Elsayyid Elbadawī ( ), or as Elsayyid for short, or reverentially as Elsayyid Elbadawi by Sufi Muslims who venerate saints, was a 13th-century Arab Sufi Muslim mystic who became famous as the founder o ...

, al-Dessouqi and al-Haggag. His legacy and reverence in Egypt were such that Mursi became a common name in the country.

In al-Andalus

Shahab was born in

al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

, in 616 H (1219 CE) to a wealthy family in the trading business and was well educated in religious sciences. He grew up helping his father in the trading business. He was known for his honesty and for his many contributions to the needy. He left Spain with his family in 640 H (1242 CE) in the face of increasing Christian control over Spain. He was accompanied by his father, brother, and his mother. However, his parents did not make it to

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, their destination.

Meeting al-Shadhili

In Tunisia, Shahab heard about Shaykh Abu’l-Hassan ash-Shadhili, founder of the

Shadhiliyya The Shadhili Order () is a tariqah or Sufi order. The Shadhili order was founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili in the 13th century and is followed by millions of people around the world. Many followers (Arabic '' murids'', "seekers") of the Shadhi ...

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

brotherhood, and he accompanied him when the latter moved to

in Egypt. Many Muslim scholars from Spain chose to live in

as Muslim Spain gradually fell under the domination of hostile Christian forces. Al-Shadhili was fond of Shahab who was becoming one of his best students. Abu'l-'Abbas al-Mursi (the Murcian) - as Shahab became known in Alexandria - married al Shadhili's daughter and had two daughters and a son from her. He lived 43 years in Alexandria as a Muslim teacher until he died in 686 H (1287 AD).

Meeting Ibn 'Ata' Allah

As a young man Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah did not hold this view, and only later came to see Sufism as being integral to Islam. Ibn 'Ata' Allah's early opposition to Sufism manifested itself in arguments with the students of Abu’l ‘Abbas al-Mursi. This was until 674 AH/1276 CE when Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah attended a public lecture given by Abu’l ‘Abbas al-Mursi, whereupon he changed from an opponent to Sufism to one of Abu’l ‘Abbas al-Mursi’s most serious and promising students. This change of heart came as a result of Abu’l Abbas’ knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence (''fiqh'') which forced Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah to reassess the judgement of his fellow students.

His mosque in Alexandria

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

was built over his tomb in the Anfoushi district of Alexandria, which over time became the most famous of all of Alexandria's mosques, the El-Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque.

Bibliography

*D. M. Dunlop, "A Spanish Muslim Saint: Abul-'Abbas al-Mursi", in: ''The Muslim World'', Volume 35 Issue 3, P. 181 - 196 *Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari, ''The Subtle Blessings in the Saintly Lives of Abul Al-Abbas Al-Mursi & His Master Abu Al-Hasan Al-Shadhili'', translated by Nancy Roberts, ed. Fons Vitae, 2005 *Hizb Abul 'Abbas al Mursi: "The Litany of Abul 'Abbas al Mursi", in: ''Awrad Book- English Invocations of the Shadhili Order'', compiled by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller Cairo, Egypt 2006 p. 59;

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbas al-Mursi, Abu 1219 births 1287 deaths People from Murcia Sufi mystics Egyptian Sufis Shadhili order 13th-century people from al-Andalus Medieval Alexandrian people