I'm betting it was less borrowing and more that both were Freemasons (Robert Jordan has specifically said there are elements inspired by the fraternity). The f

I'm betting it was less borrowing and more that both were Freemasons (Robert Jordan has specifically said there are elements inspired by the fraternity). The fraternity doesn't require a specific religious belief, but lodges generally slant Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. Many of the various degrees delve into Islamic lore and philosophy. For example, the most public-facing Masonic group (not a degree itself) is the Shriners (they raise money for a bunch of children's hospital they run) and the trapping are Islamic. Rather than copying per-se, both are simply taking what they learned as they rose through the different degrees and are applying that shared philosophy to their writings.