Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari al-Shadhili (died 709 AH / 1309 CE) was one of the most celebrated Sufi masters of medieval Islam, the third sheikh of the Shadhiliyya order after al-Shadhili himself and Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi, and the author of al-Hikam al-Ataiyyah — the most widely read and commented upon text in the Sufi tradition.

He was born in Alexandria and studied Islamic law and hadith, becoming a Maliki jurist of considerable skill before his encounter with Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi converted him to the Shadhili path. He had initially been skeptical of Sufi practices and reportedly debated against them, but his initiation under al-Mursi transformed him into one of its most articulate defenders.

Al-Hikam (The Book of Wisdom) consists of approximately 264 aphorisms organized around themes of spiritual insight, the relationship between the servant and Allah, the nature of tawba (repentance), and the stations of the heart. Its aphorisms are among the most beautiful and condensed expressions of Islamic spirituality ever composed. Commentaries on al-Hikam were written by Ibn Abbad al-Rundi, Muhammad Murtada al-Zabidi, Ahmad ibn Ajiba, and dozens of other scholars, making it one of the most commented-upon texts in Islamic literature.

He also wrote Miftah al-Falah (Key to Success) on the practice of dhikr (remembrance of Allah), Kitab al-Tanwir (on the spiritual illumination of the heart), and al-Qasd al-Mujarrad (on divine names). He died in Cairo in 709 AH and is buried in the al-Qarafa cemetery. His Hikam continue to be memorized, taught, and recited throughout the Muslim world.