Difference between revisions of "Ibn al-Arabi" - New World Encyclopedia

Middle Eastern scholar; Medieval era
	Name: Ibn Arabi
	Birth: 1165 C.E. in Spain
	Death: 1240 C.E. in Damascus
	School/tradition:
Main interests
Notable ideas
Influences	Influenced
Al-Ghazali	Shah Nimatullah [citation needed];

Revision as of 23:54, 3 December 2006

Ibn al-'Arabi, was a Muslim mystic and philosopher. He was born 1165 in Murcia, Andaluz (in what is now Spain) and died 1240 in Damascus.

Name

Abū `Abd-Allah Muḥammad ibn `Ali ibn Muḥammad ibn al-`Arabi al-Ḥātimī al-Ṭā’ī (أبو عبد الله محمد بن علي بن محمد بن العربي الحاتمي الطائي)

Also known in the Western world as Doctor Maximus and in the Islamic world by the titles of Muhyi id-Din (محيي الدين "Revivifier of religion") and al-Shaykh al-Akbar (الشيخ الأكبر "Great Master")

Biography

He is sometimes described as a mystical philosopher. Even in his lifetime he was acknowledged to be one of the most important spiritual teachers within Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam.

A vastly prolific writer, Ibn Arabi is generally known as the prime exponent of the idea that would later be termed wahdat al-wujud (وحدة الوجود, "unity of being"), though he has never used this term in any of his writings. His emphasis, as with any mystic, lay rather on the true potential of the human being and the path to realising that potential, which reaches its completion in the Perfect or Complete Man (al-insan al-kamil). Ibn Arabi wrote at least 300 works, ranging from minor treatises to the huge 37-volume Meccan Revelations (al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya) and the quintessence of his teachings, The Seals of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam). Approximately 110 works are known to have survived in verifiable manuscripts, some 18 in Ibn Arabi’s own hand. He exerted an unparalleled influence, not only upon his immediate circle of friends and disciples, many of whom were considered spiritual masters in their own right, but also on succeeding generations, affecting the whole course of subsequent spiritual thought and practice in the Arabic, Turkish and Persian-speaking worlds. In recent years his writings have also become increasingly the subject of interest and study in the West, leading to the establishment of an international academic Society in his name.

Ibn Arabi’s life can be divided into three discrete phases: born in Medinat Mursiya the present day Murcia in south-eastern Spain in 560AH/1165C.E., he spent the first thirty-five years of his life in the Maghreb, the western lands of Islam which stretched from al-Andalus to Tunis; then he embarked on pilgrimage and spent the next three years in or around Mecca, where a series of dramatic experiences initiated the writing of several works including his magnum opus, the Meccan Illuminations ; the final phase of his life was spent in the Levant and Anatolia, where he raised a family, and in addition to an unceasing literary output and instruction given to numerous disciples, he became adviser to kings and rulers. He settled in Damascus, where he lived for 17 years, dying in 638AH/1240C.E., and his tomb is still an important place of pilgrimage.

A profound visionary capacity, coupled with a remarkable intellectual insight into human experience and a thorough comprehension of all the traditional sciences, marks out Ibn Arabi from comparable figures in Islam. It has been tempting for scholars to characterise him as a mystical philosopher, a formulation which is rather at odds with his own teachings on the limitations of philosophical thinking. He was as much at home with Qur'an and Hadith scholarship as with medieval philology and letter symbolism, philosophy, alchemy and cosmology. He could write with equal facility in prose or poetry, and utilised the polysemous ambiguity of the Arabic language to great effect. The characteristic resonances of rhymed prose (saj’), which are to be found in the Qur'an, abound in his works.

In recent years Western scholars such as William Chittick and Michel Chodkiewicz have begun to explore the radical way in which Ibn Arabi’s thought is underpinned and inspired by the infallible revelation of the Qur'an. He adopts the rich vocabulary of spiritual phenomenology which previous mystics had built up, and gives it both a scriptural basis and an ontological root.

This all-inclusiveness and flexibility equally make him one of the most demanding of authors, and one whose subtlety lesser minds have often struggled to comprehend, some falling into rejection and outright opposition. He combines a detailed architecture of spiritual experience, theory and practice, with descriptions of the attainments of other masters he met as well as his own personal visions, insights and dreams. It is his propensity to recount stories from his own direct experience, primarily in order to make a teaching point, that allows readers to gain such a detailed insight into the inner world of one of the greatest mystics the world has known, and also allows us to reconstruct his life and times with some accuracy.

Wahhabi Criticism and its Defence

Wahhabi Criticism

"Some Sunnis reject the notion that Ibn Arabi was a Muslim. Reasons for Ibn Arabi being branded a heretic were some of his statements in his books such as Fusoos Al-Hikam and Al-Ahkaam. One example is where Ibn Arabi said, "Al-`Abdu Rabbun Warrabbu `Abdun" meaning The slave (human) is the Lord/God and the Lord/God is the slave (human)." Sufis claim that such statements were always considered to be the most elevated exposition of mystical thought in Islam, and therefore unsuitable for the untrained mind. Ibn Arabi has also said, "Al-Rabbu Rabbun Fa in tanazzal, wal abdu abdun fa in tarakka" (Lord is Lord however low He comes down and a slave is a slave however high in status he goes up). This clearly shows that he accepted the existence of creations."

Its defence

Shaikh wrote his books using Arabic used by highly literate persons. He also made heavy use of terminologies. This was common for all Sufi masters but they first taught their students the basics before handing them their books. Plus they burned down most of their works before death fearing that the later untrained generations might misunderstand them. His book Fusoos Al-Hikam for example came under heavy fire and he was declared Kafir by many scholars. This book got translated in many languages and many times. In Urdu, the most authentic translation is supposed to be that of Maulvi Abdul Qadeer Siddiqui. His translation is in the curriculam of Punjab University. He has made an interpretive translation and explained the terms and grammar on its way clarifying the Shaikh's stance on each occasion. e.g. he says Shaikh used a lot of Mushaakla. A Mushakala is a type of simile where a phrase is return back with a different meaning e.g.

The Arabic couplet of dark ages is, "He told me shall I sew you a shirt, I told him to sew me a bread instead". Here we know the bread can not sewn, it is cooked. However the hungry poet is in a dire need of food and want to eat.
Quran says in the chapter Cow, "They mock and God mocks, and God is the best mocker". Here we know that mockery is against the grace of the God's majesty. It means God returns the mockery upon the mocker.
Quran says in the chapter Burooj, "They plot and God plots". Here again, we know that plotting is against the grace of God as well. It means god knows their plot and fouls it.

Works

:ar:كتب ابن عربي|complete list of Ibn Arabi Books in Arabic
The Seals of Wisdom (also translated as The Bezels of Wisdom),or Fusus al-Hikam, often described as his Magnum Opus.
The Meccan Illuminations (Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya), his largest work discussing a wide range of topics from mystical philosophy to Sufi practices and records of his dreams/visions.
The Diwan, his collection of poetry spanning five volumes, mostly unedited.
The Holy Spirit in the Counselling of the Soul (Ruh al-quds), a treatise on the soul which includes a summary of his experience from different spiritual masters in the Maghrib.
Contemplation of the Holy Mysteries (Mashahid al-asrar), probably his first major work consisting of fourteen visions and dialogues with God.
Divine Sayings (Mishkat al-anwar), an important collection made by Ibn Arabi of 101 hadith qudsi
The Book of Annihilation in Contemplation (K. al-Fana' fi'l-mushahada), a short treatise on the meaning of mystical annihilation (fana).
Devotional Prayers (Awrad), a widely read collection of fourteen prayers for each day and night of the week.
Red Sulphur (Al-Kabrit al-ahmar).
Journey to the Lord of Power, a detailed technical manual and roadmap for the "journey without distance".
Sufis of Andalusia, reminiscences and spritual anecdotes about many interesting people whom he met in al-Andaluz.

External links

www.ibnarabisociety.org Ibn Arabi society page about Ibn Arabi
www.ibn-arabi.com Anqa Publishing Home Page
Books by Ibn Arabi Fons Vitae Publishing Ibn Arabi Series
The Seals of Wisdom (فصوص الحكم)
Selections from Ibn Arabi's "Meccan Revelations" (al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya)
Ibn Arabi & Mystical Journey:The Journey to the Lord of PowerJohn G. Sullivan Department of Philosophy Elon College
Correspondences between the Sufi Ideas of Ibn Arabi and Physics
www.irfanokulu.net Ibn Arabi

Credits

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↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Sufism and Taoism, by Toshihiko Izutsu (California 1983) [1]

[Taoism-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Sufism and Taoism, by Toshihiko Izutsu (California 1983) [1]

[1]

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 A vastly prolific writer, Ibn Arabi is generally known as the prime exponent of the idea that would later be termed ''[[Wahdat-ul-Wujood|wahdat al-wujud]]'' (وحدة الوجود, "unity of being"), though he has never used this term in any of his writings. His emphasis, as with any mystic, lay rather on the true potential of the human being and the path to realising that potential, which reaches its completion in the Perfect or Complete Man ([[al-insan al-kamil]]). Ibn Arabi wrote at least 300 works, ranging from minor treatises to the huge 37-volume Meccan Revelations ([[al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya]]) and the quintessence of his teachings, The Seals of Wisdom ([[Fusus al-hikam]]). Approximately 110 works are known to have survived in verifiable manuscripts, some 18 in Ibn Arabi’s own hand. He exerted an unparalleled influence, not only upon his immediate circle of friends and disciples, many of whom were considered spiritual masters in their own right, but also on succeeding generations, affecting the whole course of subsequent spiritual thought and practice in the Arabic, Turkish and Persian-speaking worlds. In recent years his writings have also become increasingly the subject of interest and study in the West, leading to the establishment of an international academic Society in his name.
-Ibn Arabi’s life can be divided into three discrete phases: born in Medinat Mursiya the present day [[Murcia]] in south-eastern Spain in 560AH/[[1165]]AD, he spent the first thirty-five years of his life in the [[Maghreb]], the western lands of [[Islam]] which stretched from [[al-Andalus]] to [[Tunis]]; then he embarked on [[pilgrimage]] and spent the next three years in or around [[Mecca]], where a series of dramatic experiences initiated the writing of several works including his magnum opus, the Meccan Illuminations ; the final phase of his life was spent in the [[Levant]] and [[Anatolia]], where he raised a family, and in addition to an unceasing literary output and instruction given to numerous disciples, he became adviser to kings and rulers. He settled in [[Damascus]], where he lived for 17 years, dying in 638AH/1240C.E., and his tomb is still an important place of pilgrimage.
+Ibn Arabi’s life can be divided into three discrete phases: born in Medinat Mursiya the present day [[Murcia]] in south-eastern Spain in 560AH/1165C.E., he spent the first thirty-five years of his life in the [[Maghreb]], the western lands of [[Islam]] which stretched from [[al-Andalus]] to [[Tunis]]; then he embarked on [[pilgrimage]] and spent the next three years in or around [[Mecca]], where a series of dramatic experiences initiated the writing of several works including his magnum opus, the Meccan Illuminations ; the final phase of his life was spent in the [[Levant]] and [[Anatolia]], where he raised a family, and in addition to an unceasing literary output and instruction given to numerous disciples, he became adviser to kings and rulers. He settled in [[Damascus]], where he lived for 17 years, dying in 638AH/1240C.E., and his tomb is still an important place of pilgrimage.
 A profound visionary capacity, coupled with a remarkable intellectual insight into human experience and a thorough comprehension of all the traditional sciences, marks out Ibn Arabi from comparable figures in Islam. It has been tempting for scholars to characterise him as a mystical philosopher, a formulation which is rather at odds with his own teachings on the limitations of philosophical thinking. He was as much at home with [[Qur'an]] and [[Hadith]] scholarship as with medieval philology and letter symbolism, philosophy, alchemy and cosmology. He could write with equal facility in prose or poetry, and utilised the polysemous ambiguity of the Arabic language to great effect. The characteristic resonances of rhymed prose (saj’), which are to be found in the [[Qur'an]], abound in his works.