Background
Shahab was born in Murcia in al-Andalus, then under Almohad rule, in 616 H (1219 CE) to a wealthy family in the trading business and was well educated in religious sciences.
Shahab was born in Murcia in al-Andalus, then under Almohad rule, in 616 H (1219 CE) to a wealthy family in the trading business and was well educated in religious sciences.
His complete name is Shahab al-Din Abu'l-'Abbas Ahmad ibn 'Umar ibn Mohammad al-Ansari al-Mursi. Al-Mursi Abul-'Abbas, as he is now commonly called, is one of the four master saints of Egypt, the other three being Ahmad al-Badawi, al-Dessouqi and al-Haggag. His legacy and reverence in Egypt were such that Mursi became a common name in the country.
He grew up helping his father in the trading business. He was known for his honesty and for his many contributions to the needy. He left Spain with his family in 640 H (1242 CE) in the face of increasing Christian control over Spain.
He was accompanied by his father, brother, and his mother. Al-Shadhili was fond of Shahab who was becoming one of his best students. A mosque was built over his tomb in the Anfoushi district of Alexandria, which over time became the most famous of all of Alexandria's mosques, the El-Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque.