A disciple of Ibn Sabʿīn and influenced by Andalusī Sufis such as Abū Madyan, al-Shushtarī combined vernacular poetic forms with esoteric philosophical thought.

[2] Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Numayrī al-Shushtarī was born around 1203 in Shushtar, a village near Guadix (then Wādī Āsh) in the Sierra Nevada region northeast of Granada.

He received an aristocratic upbringing and a comprehensive education in religious sciences, including Quranic exegesis (tafsīr), Prophetic traditions (ḥadīth), jurisprudence (fiqh), and grammar (naḥw).

Al-Shushtarī's exposure to Andalusī poetic forms, such as the zajal and muwashshaḥ, later informed his innovative approach to religious poetry, blending mystical themes with vernacular styles.

These works reflect a fusion of mystical thought and vernacular creativity and have been studied by scholars such as ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Nābulusī and Aḥmad ibn ʿAjība.

[8] In al-Risāla al-Miʿrājiyya, al-Shushtarī discusses the concept of cyclical time through eight hierarchical levels, culminating in an eschatological interpretation of the Quranic verse yudabbiru al-amr min al-samāʾ ilā al-arḍ thumma yaʿruju ilayhi fī yawmin kāna miqdāruhu alf sanah (Q 32:5).

His enduring influence is reflected in the continued recitation of his poetry within Sufi orders and the scholarly interest his works generate in both Islamic and Western contexts.

His innovative use of Andalusī poetic forms to express complex spiritual themes exemplifies the integration of vernacular traditions with esoteric thought, ensuring his lasting legacy as a poet, philosopher, and mystic.