Due to a lack of extant works by Ibn Masarra of Córdoba available to Asín, his book treats the general context of the School and teachings of early Muslim mystics in al-Andalus. Asín discusses the Batini, the Mutazili, the Shi'a, the Sufi, the Greco-Roman mystic Plotinus (205-270), and Pseudo-Empedocles in particular. Mentioned several times by Asín is a perspective he favored: eastern Christianity's early influence on the young religion before Islam's arrival in the west. Asín infers that Ibn Masarra's school influenced Ibn al-Arif (1088–1141) of Almería. This Ibn al-'Arif became the focus of an emerging Sufi circle later called the "muridin". His followers spread out over al-Andalus, but they became too strong in the opinion of the governing power; they were variously suppressed by the Almoravids who then ruled al-Andalus from Marrakech. Asín then discusses the influence of the school on Jewish figures of al-Andalus, for example, Judah ha-Levi (c. 1085-c. 1140), and in particular on Solomon ibn Gabirol (c. 1021-1058), known in Latin as "Avicebron". Ibn Gabirol wrote in Arabic the book "Fons Vitae" which still survives. It apparently shows clear neo-Platonic references to the school of Ibn Masarra.