Location: The city of Fayoum
He is the Sheikh Muhamed Al Sufi. He lived in the tenth century after the Prophetic migration (peace be upon him). He (may God be pleased with him) was from the great gnostics and it was said he would eat only from the work of his own hands. He brought forth in all plainness what he learned from the words of the Greatest Sheikh (Mohy El-Deen ibn Arabi) with utmost eloquence. He once said:
“Know that treading the path (of the Gnostic) consists of two ways: the way toward God and the way in God. So as long as the seeker advances by means leading to spiritual annihilation than he is on the path toward God. So if he detaches himself from contingent existence he advances toward the one who is worshipped. This level cannot be achieved except through the path of the Divine Names just as my master Umar bin Farid indicated with his words:
‘Upon the features of the (divine) Names do their actions run, even if their actions appear off target.’
Therefore in the beginning (of the path) you are you and the Name is the Name. Midway you are partly you and partly the Name and in the end it is you without the Name. This is because its internalization manifests on your natural disposition due to its strong effect so nothing is seen from you except only the action of the Name. To the average spectator you are just you with no Name. But the one with penetrative vision knows the true strength of the elixir and the one who has achieved this station will return with it while simultaneously being neither separate or one with it.”
There is a station where the seeker enters in the Lordly presence without mediation of the Names. He said:
“Advancing by abstract meanings is the work of the great scholars while advancing by tangibles is the work of the novice scholars.”