Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Kharraz (q.s.) in Brief

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Huzan al-Qushayri (r.a.) recorded, in his Risalah al-Qushayriyyah, that Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Kharraz (q.s.) came from Rayy, and resided in Makkah.  He wrote that Shaykh al-Kharraz (q.s.) studied with Shaykh Abu Hafsw ‘Amr ibn Salamah al-Haddad (q.s.), and Shaykh Abu ‘Imran al-Kabir (q.s.).  He wrote, “He was one of those who practiced scrupulous discernment.  He died before the year 310.” 

He also wrote, “I heard Shaykh Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami say, ‘I heard Abu Naswr ath-Thusi say, ‘I heard ad-Duqqi say, ‘I came to ‘Abdullah al-Kharraz after I had fasted for four days.  He said, ‘One of you has fasted for four days and hunger has begun to call upon him.’  He then said, ‘If every living soul were to perish for the sake of what it expects from God, do you think that would be a lot?’’’’” 

Shaykh al-Kharraz (q.s.) said, “Hunger is the food of the ascetics, and remembrance of God is the food of the gnostics.”