I praise whom my grandfather, the master Abu Abd Allah al-Khasibi ibn al-Khasib of sound judgment, praised; I blame whom he blamed; and I follow his trace and his tradition in all the traits he uniquely identified and clarified. I am an ally to his successor and son, the trustworthy Sheikh Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jali, may the prayers of Allah the Supreme King be upon him. I profess his religion and am guided by his guidance. I accepted this from him and believed in it; it is my religion by which I hope for my salvation, upon which I live, and upon which I shall be transferred by the success granted by Allah, His mercy, and His great favor.

His spiritual fatherhood was confirmed for me from that day. He increased his contact with me and was diligent in instructing me; he disciplined me, taught me, and favored me with strange sciences, gifting me the rarities of the Hidden Secret. His favors upon me were consecutive, and his blessings toward me were continuous and redoubled throughout his life until he was moved to the mercy of Allah. His passing was in the first ten days of Shawwal in the year four hundred and nine. May Allah ennoble his resting place and be pleased with him.

We began by mentioning spiritual fatherhood at the opening of this epistle because every religious cause has its root in the knowledge of fatherhood; if fatherhood is sound, the bond is sound and every covenant is strengthened. In this, we followed what the Masters—may Their might be glorified—commanded regarding the urging to seek fatherhood, the investigation of its authenticity, the preservation of Allah’s secret, and the prohibition of disclosing it except to the people of faith who are worthy of it, those whose trustworthiness, merit, honesty, and reason you have recognized.