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Ibn Arabi
1165 CE – 1240 CE · Andalusia/Mecca/Damascussufi
Description
Ibn 'Arabī was a Sunni Muslim Arab scholar, Sufi mystic, poet, and Muslim philosopher from al-Andalus, who exercised notable influence within Sufi metaphysics and Islamic thought in general. There are 850 works attributed to Ibn 'Arabi, though only 700 of these are considered authentic, and only 400 are extant. His cosmological teachings became a dominant intellectual framework in many regions of the Muslim world.
Facts
| Born | (1165-07-28)28 July 1165, Murcia, Taifa of Murcia (now Murcia, Region of Murcia, Spain) |
| Died | 16 November 1240(1240-11-16) (aged 75), Salihiyya, Damascus, Ayyubid Sultanate |
| Resting place | Mount Qasioun, Damascus, Syria |
| Children | Sa'ad al-Din, Imad al-Din; Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (stepson) |
| Parent | Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Arabi al-Hatimi al-Tai (father) |
| Era | Medieval philosophy 12th century philosophy 13th century philosophy |
| Region | Middle Eastern philosophy Islamic philosophy |
| Main interests | SufismTafsirEpistemologyOntologyPoetryFiqh |
| Notable work | Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya |
| Occupation | Mufassir, Muhaddtih, Theologian, Philosopher, Academic, Poet |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Mujtahid often confused to be a Zahiri |
| Creed | Founder of Akbarism |
| Teacher | Shaykh Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Tamīmī (Junaydiyya), Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Mahdawī (Qadiriyya) |
| Personal (Ism) | Muḥammad, محمد |
| Epithet (Laqab) | Muḥyī d-Dīn, محيي الدين, |
| Toponymic (Nisba) | al-Ḥātimī, الحاتمي, aṭ-Ṭāʾī, الطائي |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Early life | Ibn 'Arabī was born in the Taifa of Murcia, in present-day southeastern Spain, on the 17th of Ramaḍān 560 AH (28 July 1165), although other sources suggest the 27th of Ramaḍān 560 AH (6 August 1165 AD) as an alternative birthdate. |
| Death | Ibn Arabi died on 22 Rabī' al-Thānī, 638 AH (16 November 1240), at the age of 75. |
| Legacy | After his death, Ibn Arabi's teachings quickly spread throughout the Islamic world. |
| Islamic law | Although Ibn Arabi stated on more than one occasion that he did not blindly follow any one of the madhhab (schools of fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence), he was responsible for copying and preserving books of the literalist Zahiri school, to which there is fierce debate over his adherence. |
| Theoretical mysticism | Ibn Arabi is considered to be a foundational figure in the development of Islamic mysticism. |
| Reaction | The reaction of Ibn 'Abd as-Salam, a Muslim scholar respected by both Ibn Arabi's supporters and detractors, has been of note due to disputes over whether he himself was either a supporter or detractor. |
| Works | Approximately 800 works are attributed to Ibn Arabi, although only some have been authenticated. |
| In fiction | In the Turkish television series Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Ibn Arabi was portrayed by Ozman Sirgood. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Ibn Arabi, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| The Real is the creation and the creation is the Real — wahdat al-wujud, the oneness of being | Fusus al-Hikam |
| Each prophet a bezel of divine wisdom; Muhammad the synthesis of all | Fusus al-Hikam |
| The Meccan Revelations: the cosmos as the self-disclosure of the divine names | al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya |