Ibn Arabi:
The Mystic Traveler
of the World
If the believer understood the meaning of the saying
“the colour of the water is the colour of the receptacle”, he would
admit the validity of all beliefs and he would recognise God in
every form and every object of faith.
- IBN ARABI -
Early Life and
Education
Seville was founded as the Roman city
of Hispalis. Known as Ishbiliyah after
the Islamic conquest in 71.
Journeys
in search of
Spirituality
Spiritual Life and Encounters
Dream: Army coming, A Handsome man standing there (Surah Yaseen)
Other accounts of references regarding the mystical journey of Ibn Arabi.
Wife: Nilam Binth Abu Shuja’; Tarjuman al-Ashwaq and Dhakha’ir al-A‘laq Sharh
Tarjuman al-Ashwaq
Major
Contributions
Tarjuman al-Ashwaq (“Interpreter of Yearnings”)
This short collection of love poetry
was inspired by his meeting during his first pilgrimage to
Mecca with Nizam, the beautiful and gifted daughter of a
great scholar from Isfahan. He later wrote a long commentary
on the poems to prove to one of his critics that they deal with
spiritual truths and not profane love. It was the first of Ibn
Arabi’s works to be translated into English.
Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya (“The Meccan Openings”)
“"Ibn Arabi's monumental work
spans metaphysics, cosmology, spirituality, and jurisprudence,
exploring Islamic rituals, the path to God, cosmic hierarchy,
the esoteric Arabic letters, the 99 names of God, and prophetic
messages. Written over 20 years during his travels, it was later
revised in Damascus.“
Fusus al-hikam (“Ringstones of Wisdom”)
"Considered the essence of Ibn
Arabi's teachings, this work contains 27 chapters, each
exploring the spiritual wisdom of a prophet. Esteemed by his
students, it has inspired over 100 commentaries over the
centuries."
Articles in Academic Field
James Morris’s” “How to study the Futhuhat Ibn Arabi’s own advice”, “Introduction to
the Meccan Revelations”
Eric Winkel’s “Understanding, and Translating, the Futuhat al-Makkiyya”
William Chittick’s “Two Chapters from the Futuhat”
Michel Chodkiewicz’s “Mi’raj al-kalima—From the Risala Qushayriyya to the Futuhat
Makkiyya”
Roger Deladeire’s “The Diwan of Ibn Arabi”
Works:
Almost 500 books, as per the rumors, but authentically proved 85-100 books by the report
of Ibn Arabi Society
Criticism and Quietness among the scholars and respected by Sufis.
Complex reading for the ordinary readers, can’t understand comprehensively unless using
the commentaries, his companions said.
Controversial Ideologies
Wahdat al-Wujud:
("oneness of being") is a term linked to Ibn al-Arabi (d. 1240), though he never used it. First
attributed to him by Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328), it has sparked varied interpretations, analyzed by William
Chittick in Rûmî and Wahdat al-wujûd (1994). The term combines wahda (oneness), central to tawhid, and
wujud (existence), often denoting God’s reality. Controversy arises as wujud also refers to created things.
Critics claim it conflates God with creation, while defenders argue Ibn al-Arabi’s metaphysics aligns with
the Ash‘arite view: creation as God’s signs (ayat) and traces (athar) is neither identical to nor separate from
Him, balancing transcendence and immanence.
Al Insan-al Kamil
The ‘perfect man’ or the ‘perfect human’, we show that it is through the
imagination that human beings might come to know God, and hence, come to self-
realisation. Coming to self-realisation implies that human beings take account of their
own haqq [right and proper action], and of their haqq in relation to others. The ‘perfect
human’, therefore, assumes responsibility for himself, his actions and his intuitive
connection with God.
Thanks!
