Ibn 'Arabi: Heir to the Prophets (Makers of the Muslim World)

The importance of Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240) for Islamic mysticism lies in the fact that he was a speculative thinker of the highest order, albeit diffuse and difficult to understand. His central doctrine is the unity of all existence. In this text, William Chittick explores how, through the work of Ibn Al-Arabi, Sufism moves away from anguished and ascetic searchings of the heart and conscience and becomes a matter of speculative philsophy and theosophy. Read more... Abstract: Renowned expert William Chittick covers the life and works of this legendary Sufi writer. Read more... Content: Cover Title page Copyright page Contents INTRODUCTION Abbreviations Used in the Text Ibn 'Arabi's Life 1 THE MUHAMMADAN INHERITANCE The Inheritor God's Wide Earth Knowing Self Understanding God Reading the Qur'an The Muhammadan Seal Opening Inheritance 2 THE LOVER OF GOD Imperfect Love The Divine and Human Form Assuming the Traits of the Names 3 THE DIVINE ROOTS OF LOVE Perfection Poverty Felicity Human Love Love's Throne The Genesis of Love The Entities The Nonexistent Beloved Wujud 4 THE COSMOLOGY OF REMEMBRANCE The House of God The Perfect Servant Achieving the Status of AdamAll-Comprehensiveness Knowledge of the Names The Breath of the All-Merciful The Book of the Soul Prophecy Remembrance 5 KNOWLEDGE AND REALIZATION The Soul's Haqq The Rights of God and Man Giving Things their Haqq The Ambiguity of Creation Realization Following Authority Reliable Knowledge The Form of God Benefit Knowledge 6 TIME, SPACE, AND THE OBJECTIVITY OF ETHICAL NORMS Lost in the Cosmos Ethics Constant Transformation Eternity Time Location Time and Space The Methodology of Realization 7 THE IN-BETWEEN The Gods of Belief ControversiesThe Soul's Root The Soul Cosmic Imagination The Worldview of In-Betweenness Relativity 8 THE DISCLOSURE OF THE INTERVENING IMAGE Love Death Self-Awareness 9 THE HERMENEUTICS OF MERCY Surrender Constitutional Diversity Sweet Torment Primordial Nature Essential Servanthood Mercy's Precedence The Mercy of Wujud The Return to the All-Merciful Good Opinions of God Interpreting the Qur'an Resources Index Muhyi Ad-Din Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) was an outstanding Spanish-born mystic and one of the most prolific writers in Islamic history. He made major contributions to the fields of Qur'an commentary, jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, cosmology and spiritual psychology, and he was also a great poet of love. Although he is known as the first spokesman for the 'oneness of being,' his real focus was the diverse modalities of human perfection. He marks a transition in Sufism from practical instructions on healing the heart and aphorisms on the divine mysteries to an equal stress on the theoretical issues that had long been the topic of philosophy and theology. This book by a leading expert covers Ibn 'Arabi's life and teachings. Accessible yet authoritative, it also includes a guide for further reading, and will prove an indispensable resource for readers of all backgrounds.

About the Author:
William C. Chittick is Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Asian and Asian-American Studies, Stony Brook University

"Muhyi ad-Din Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) was an outstanding Spanish-born mystic and one of the most prolific writers in Islamic history. He made major contributions to the fields of Qur'an commentary, jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, cosmology, and spiritual psychology, and he was also a great poet of love. Although he is known as the first spokesman for 'the oneness of being, ' his real focus was the diverse modalities of human perfection. He marks a transition in Sufism from practical instructions on healing the heart and aphorisms on the divine mysteries to an equal stress on the theoretical issues that had long been the topic of philosophy and theology." "This book by a leading expert covers Ibn 'Arabi's life and teachings. Accessible yet authoritative, it also includes a guide to further reading, and will prove an indispensable resource for readers of all backgrounds"--Jacket

The importance of Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240) for Islamic mysticism lies in the fact that he was a speculative thinker of the highest order, albeit diffuse and difficult to understand. His central doctrine is the unity of all existence. In this text, William Chittick explores how, through the work of Ibn Al-Arabi, Sufism moves away from anguished and ascetic searchings of the heart and conscience and becomes a matter of speculative philsophy and theosophy.

Renowned expert William Chittick covers the life and works of the legendary Spanish-born Sufi writer Ibn Arabi in this new biography. Discussing not only Ibn Arabi's work on the subject of mysticism, Chittick also examines Ibn Arabi's love poetry.