He is Taajuddin Abu l-Fadl Ahmad bn Muhammad bn Abdul-Karim bn Ata Allah Al-Iskandari. He is of Arab origin and was born in Alexandria (in Egypty) where his family resides. His exact date of birth was not known, it’s between the years 658 AH and 679 AH.

His father was a contemporary of Abu al-Hasan al-Shazli. Ibn Ata occupied himself with religious teachings. He was strongly against Sufism at the early stage of his life which only changed the moment he met Abu l-Abass Almursy and he became the grand sheikh of Sufism right after the death of Abu l-Abass in the year 686H until he traveled to Cairo and took up teaching at Al-Azhar, and he had a profound knowledge of the words of Ahl al-Haqaiq wa Arbab Al-Taraiq (the people of facts and the masters of the doctrines), as Ibn Taghri Bardi says. He taught so many students, one of them is Taqiyyudin Alsubki who was a contemporary of Ibn Taymiyyah, a strong antagonist of Sufism.

Al-Iskandari died in the year 709 AH, and was buried in the cemetery of Sayyid Ali Abi l-Wafa under the mountain of Al-Moqattam. He authored many publications, reaching up to twenty-two, including his well-known book “Al-Hikam” which was explained by Ibn Ajibah.