Tracing his roots back through the Greek Gnostics of Alexandria to Hermes Trismegistos (Thrice Great Hermes, Master of the Egyption Mysteries) and beyond to Zoroaster, Abdullah called his group the "Gnostic Society".
Initially his teaching was based on the psychological methods of GI Gurdjieff, the Armenian spirtual teacher who first taught in Moscow in 1912, then later in Western Europe and USA from 1921 until his death in Paris in 1949. His “Fourth Way” emphasised balanced development of the moving, emotional and thinking functions, together with “Self-remembering” (activation of Deep Mind consciousness).
After being intiated into the Chisti Sufi order around 1960, Abdullah included the spiritual teaching of Sufi Hazrat Inyat Khan. During 1967 Abdullah travelled to the Middle East where, in response to his inner call, he was directed to his most influential teacher Shaikh Abdul al Khyum. In Kandahar, Afghanistan, he was intiated into the Naqshbandi Sufi order, given the spiritual name “Abdullah Isa”, taught the 7 points of the Naqshibandi meditation and the method of “heart to heart” connection between teacher and student. At this time he passed through the “3rd initiation” to attain the “lesser realisation” as spoken of by the Buddha and understood by all true inner teachings.Though the conditions at that time and place demanded Abdullah first become a Muslim, he later held no similar requirement for his own students.
The Sufis work internally within whatever outer conditions they find themselves. To identify them with Muslims is a big mistake. Religion is simply a part of the outer conditions and has almost nothing to do with the inner work of any true spiritual teaching.