Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165–1240)

Known as the greatest mystical genius of the Arabs, Ibn 'Arabi was born in Murcia in south-eastern Spain, at a time of the last great flowering of Andalucian culture under Islamic rule.

From the earliest age he showed evidence of an extraordinary visionary capacity, and while still a teenager, had a seminal vision of the three major prophets of the West, Jesus, Moses and Muhammad. He travelled widely in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia Minor, eventually settling in Damascus for the last 20 years of his life.

He wrote a series of inspired works, some 300 in number ranging from short treatises and mystical odes to the 37-volume encyclopaedia Meccan Revelations (al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya) and his spiritual masterpiece on the prophetic wisdoms, Fusus al-Hikam.

Ibn 'Arabi's reach was immense and his influence vast during his lifetime and beyond. His works inspired the great civilizations of the Mughals in India, the Ottomans in Turkey, the civilisations of Indonesia and China right down to the present day. He occupies a status equivalent to Shakespeare in the realm of English language, but Ibn 'Arabi's wealth of meanings extends from the interior unknown essential reality to the most explicit outward expression without ever compromising the principle of unity. With recent translations into European languages a new era of influence is noticeably and interestingly beginning to unfold.

For a more extensive introduction, see the following article:  Ibn 'Arabi: The Treasure of Compassion, by Stephen Hirtenstein

The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society was founded in 1977 to promote a greater understanding of the work of Ibn 'Arabi and his followers. It is an international association with its headquarters in Oxford, England and a branch in Berkeley, California.



Extracts from Ibn 'Arabi's writing

Know yourself – a short treatise on oneness
Theophany of Perfection – a poem
Kernel of the Kernel – instructions on the journey towards perfection
Wisdom of the Prophets (Fusus al Hikam)
The Twenty-nine Pages – an introduction to Ibn 'Arabi's terminology and metaphysics 

Talks and Articles

Ibn 'Arabi: The Treasure of Compassion – an introduction to his life and works, by Stephen Hirtenstein; Beshara Magazine 1990 
Ibn 'Arabi: towards a Universal Point of View – the far-reaching implications of Ibn 'Arabi's legacy for the twenty-first century, by Peter Young; MIAS Symposium, Oxford 1999
Ibn 'Arabi and the Circle of Inclusion; by Cecilia Twinch; Huffington Post 2011
The Wisdom of the Heart; by Cecilia Twinch; MIAS Symposium 
Ibn 'Arabi and the Ecological Crisis, by Peter Coates; Beshara School Lectures

Books

Here is a first introduction, taken from the great number of books available in the English language on Ibn 'Arabi, his life and his work:

– Ibn 'Arabi: The Voyage of No Return, by Claude Addas; translated by David Streight (2000)
– Quest for the Red Sulphur: The Life of Ibn 'Arabi, by Claude Addas; translated by Peter Kingsley (31 Dec 1993)
– The Unlimited Mercifier: The spiritual life and thought of Ibn 'Arabi, by Stephen Hirtenstein (1999)

For more information go to: 
The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society
Anqa Publishing – a UK publishing company dedicated to the works of Ibn 'Arabi.