IBN 'ABBAD

in full Abu 'abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Abi Ishaq Ibrahim An-nafzi Al-himyari Ar-rundi born 1333, Ronda, Spain died 1390, buried Bab al-Futuh, Mor. Islamic theologian who became the leading mystical thinker of North Africa in the 14th century. Attracted to Morocco by the famous madrasahs (religious colleges), Ibn 'Abbad emigrated there at an early age. He abandoned legal studies in a quest for mystical knowledge. In 1359 he settled in the town of Sal and became an adherent of the Shadhiliyah order of mystics, which emphasized a personal commitment to Sufism (Islamic mysticism) and institutionalized spiritual asceticism. The order's spread and popularity in North Africa owed much to Ibn 'Abbad's teachings and writings. Because the order and Ibn 'Abbad represented moderate mystical tendencies, there was no conflict between them and the traditional theologians of Morocco, and in 1375 he was appointed an imam (leader of public prayers) by the ruler of Morocco. As a scholar, Ibn 'Abbad was especially noted for two collections of his correspondence, Rasa'il kubra (Major Correspondence) and Rasa'il sughra (Minor Correspondence), which contained spiritual directions and instructions to his followers.