Cycles
Sky Map
Reader
Reading
Time
Gematria
Sigils
Revelations
Urim & Thummim
Psalms
Codes
Ibn al-Farid
1181 CE – 1235 CE · Cairosufi
Description
Ibn al-Farid or Ibn Farid; was an Arab poet as well as a Sufi waliullah. His name is Arabic for "son of the obligator", as his father was well regarded for his work in the legal sphere. He was born in Cairo to parents from Hama in modern Syria, lived for some time in Mecca, and died in Cairo. His poetry is full of Sufi inspiration and imagery, and he was esteemed as the greatest mystic poet of the Arabs. Some of his poems are said to have been written in ecstasies.
Facts
| Native name | عمر بن علي بن الفارض |
| Born | ʿUmar ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Fāriḍ,, 22 March 1181, Cairo, Ayyubid Egypt, now Egypt |
| Died | 1235 (aged 54-55), Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Ayyubid Sultanate, now Egypt |
| Resting place | Mokattam Hills, now City of the Dead (Cairo) southeastern Cairo, Egypt |
| Occupation | Arabic poet, writer, philosopher |
| Notable works | Dīwān Ibn al-Fāriḍ دیوان ابن الفارض |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Biography | Ibn al-Farid's father moved from his native town, Hama in Syria, to Cairo where Umar was born. |
| Ecstasies | During the later part of his life, Ibn al-farid was known to enter into spiritual raptures known as jadhabat in Arabic, a common occurrence in sufism. |
| Legacy | Every Friday, Cairenes gather at Ibn al-Farid's tomb to listen to readings of his poems. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Ibn al-Farid, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| In remembrance of the Beloved we drank a wine — drunk before the vine was created | Qasidat al-Khamriyya |
| The Great T-poem: the mystic's ascent through the stations to union | al-Ta'iyya al-Kubra |