[Tariqas] A Reading of Ibn Arabi
Sukru Kaya
tariqas@stderr.org
Wed, 1 Jan 1997 11:25:20 +0200
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Ahlu-s-Sunnah in Defense of Ibn Arabi (www.dolcetta.com/ibnarabi.htm)
From: Majlis al-Ulema of the Italian Muslim Association
islam@spqr.net
This is a fatwa of refutation from the Mashaykh who sit in the Majlis of =
Ulema in Rome, written against false declarations by LaMole786 and =
Farrukh, may Allah lead them to tawbah and istighfar and bring them back =
to the sawa' Sabil.
May Allah protect this Ummah against those laypersons who, while being =
stonehearted to Rahmah and blinded to Haqq - dare opening their filthy =
mouths to spread lies against our noble forefathers Ulema' ul-Muhtadun, =
those awliya' of al-Rahman who are the heirs of Rushdah min al-Khulafa', =
the guardians of Sunnah and the listeners of secrets ar-Rabbaniyyah that =
are whispered between the veils.
Let you be informed, Brothers and Sisters, that no accuse against Shaykh =
al-Akbar Muhiddin Ibn 'Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i is supported by Jam'at, =
since undue accusing him of kufr comes from a single misguided heretic =
sect, the one founder by sahibu-l-Fitnah Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harrani and =
even aggravated by Muhammad Ibn Abdi-l-Wahhab and his likes.
What LaMole786 says in his ignorance is an ugly accusation, frequently =
repeated by Bilal Philips and the like, against one of the greatest Ahl =
al-Sunnah Shuyukh in the history of Islam.
Wahhabis hatred for Ahl as-Sufiyyah will undoubtedly cause statements of =
innovation and even kufr to come out of their mouths against =
'Awliya'Ullah al-mutaqarrabun. It must be noted that this sectarian =
attack against Shaykh Ibn al-'Arabi is not limited to just him but to =
other great Mashaykh as well. Numerous Wahhabi ignoramuses have accused =
Ibn al-'Arabi of kufr in their websites and books. We take refuge by =
Allah this garbage our eyes were compelled to read for the of abiding by =
the wajib kifayah of refutation of bid'ah and dalalah.
Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, in his translation of Ahmad ibn Naqib =
al-Misri's "Umdat al-salik," explains Ibn al-'Arabi's background and =
elaborates on why some people have misunderstood and misrepresented his =
true position:
"Muyiddin ibn al-'Arabi is Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-'Arabi, =
Abu Bakr Muhyi al-Din al-Hatimi al-Ta'i, The Greatest Sheikh (al-Shaykh =
al-Akbar), born in Murcia (in present-day Spain) in 560/1165. A =
"mujtahid" Imam in Sacred Law, Sufism, Qur'anic exegesis, hadith, and =
other Islamic sciences, and widely regarded as a friend (wali) of Allah =
Most High, he was the foremost representative of the Sufi school of the =
"oneness of being" (wahdat al-wujud), as well as a Muslim of strict =
literal observance of the prescriptions of the Qur'an and sunna. He =
first took they way of Sufism in A.H. 580, and in the years that =
followed authored some 600 books and treatises in the course of travels =
and residences in Fez, Tunis, Alexandria, Cairo, Mecca, Baghdad, Mosul, =
Konya, Aleppo, and finally Damascus, where he lived till the end of his =
life and completed his "al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya" [The Meccan Revelations] =
and "Fusus al-Hikam" [The Precious Stones of the ring-settings of the =
Wisdoms]. Since interest in his work continues among even non-Muslim =
scholars, a number of hermeneutical obstacles are worth mentioning here =
that have in some measure so far hindered serious efforts to understand =
the Sheikh's works, by friend and foe alike.
The first lack of common ground with the author, who has written,
"We are a group whose works are unlawful to peruse, since the Sufis, one =
and all, use terms in technical senses by which they intend other than =
what is customarily meant by their usage among scholars, and those who =
interpret them according to their usual significance commit unbelief."
While this may not be particularly intimidating to someone who is =
already an unbeliever, it does at least implicitly deny the validity of =
a do-it- yourself approach to the Sheikh's thought and point up the =
relevance of the traditional maxim,
'Knowledge is to be taken from those who possess it.'
A related difficulty is that the context of much of Ibn al-'Arabi's =
"Futuhat" and other works is not only the outward Islamic sciences, but =
also their inner significance, not by any means an "esoteric symbolism" =
that nullifies the outward content of the Sheikh's inquiries, but a =
dimension of depth, a reflective counterpart to their this-worldly =
significance whose place and existential context is the world of the =
spirit, to which the physical universe-in which many of his would-be =
interpreters are firmly enmeshed and know nothing besides, especially =
those who are atheists-is like a speck of dust in the sea. While the =
present discussion cannot adequately do justice to the topic, one may =
yet observe that the heart of someone familiar only with the "What will =
I eat," "What will I say," "Will it prove feasible," and other physical =
and intellectual relations of instrumentality that make up this world is =
no more capable of real insight into the world of someone like the =
Sheikh than a person inches away from a giant picture is capable of =
"seeing" the picture he believes is "before his very eyes." The way of =
Ibn al-'Arabi is precisely a "way," and if one has not traveled it or =
been trained to see as Ibn al-'Arabi sees, one may well produce =
intelligent remarks about one's perceptions of the matter, as attested =
to by a whole literature of "historical studies" of Sufism, but the fact =
remains that one does not see.
A third difficulty is he problem of spurious interpolations by copyists, =
as once happened to 'Abd al-Wahhab Sha'rani, who had to bring his own =
handwritten manuscript to court to prove he was innocent of the unbelief =
that enemies had inserted into his work and published in his name. The =
"Hashiya" of Ibn 'Abidin notes that this has also happened to the "Fusus =
al- Hikam" of Ibn al-'Arabi, the details being given in a promulgation =
by the Supreme Ottoman Sultanate exonerating the author of the =
statements of unbelief (kufr) it said that it was interpolated into the =
work. This is supported by the opinion of Mahmud Mahmud Ghurab, an Ibn =
al-'Arabi specialist of Damascus who has published more than twelve =
books on the Sheikh's thought, among them "al-Fiqh 'ind al-Shaykh =
al-Akbar Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi" [Sacred Law According to the Greatest =
Sheikh, Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi], which clarifies Ibn al-'Arabi's =
position as a Zahiri Imam and mujtahid in Sacred Law; and "Sharh Fusus =
al-Hikam" [Exegesis of "The Precious Stones of the ring-settings of the =
Wisdoms], in which Ghurab indicates eighty-six passages of the "Fusus" =
that he believes are spurious, adducing that they contradict the letter =
and spirit of "al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya," which must be given precedence =
because we possess a manuscript copy in the author's own handwriting, =
while there are no such copies of the "Fusus."
One may summarize the above-mentioned difficulties and others by the =
general observation that without a master with whom to read these texts, =
someone who has himself read them with a teacher aware of their place in =
the whole of the Sheikh's work, one is in danger of projecting one's own =
limitations onto the author. This happens in our times to various groups =
of interpreters, among them non-Muslim "sufis" who have posthumously =
made Ibn al-'Arabi an "honorary syncretist", saying that he believed all =
religions to be equally valid and acceptable-which Ghurab says is an =
ignorant misreading, and to which the Sheikh himself furnishes a =
sufficient reply in his account of his convictions ('aqida) at the first =
of the "Futuhat" where he says,
"Just as I charge Allah, His angels, His entire creation, and all of you =
to bear witness upon me that I affirm His Unity, so too I charge Him =
Most Glorious, His angels, His entire creation, and all of you to bear =
witness upon me that I believe in the one He has elected, chosen, and =
selected from all His existence, Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him =
peace, who He hassent to all mankind entirely (ila jami' al-nas =
kaffatan) to bring good tidings and to warn and to call to Allah by His =
leave" ("al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya").
Other interpreters who commit errors are well-meaning Muslims who do not =
and cannot understand the Sheikh's words, which they read in their =
native Arabic as if it were a newspaper and then level accusations of =
unbelief against the author on the basis of what comes to their minds =
while doing so. For all groups of interpreters, there is a pressing need =
for scholarly modesty and candor about our exegetical limitations, and =
to draw attention to the fact that without a guide in reading the =
Sheikh's thought, one is adrift in a sea of one's own guesswork.
Aside from these basic hermeneutic requirements for reading the work of =
Ibn al-'Arabi, other, existential qualifications are needed, for as =
mentioned above, the Sheikh's method is a way, and as such entails not =
only curiosity, but commitment and most of all submission to Allah Most =
High as the Sheikh had submission to Him, namely through Islam-as well =
as other conditions mentioned by Ibn Hajar Haytami in a legal opinion in =
which, after noting that it is permissible or even meritorious =
(mustahabb) to read the Sheikh's works, but only for the qualified, he =
writes:
"Imam Ibn al-'Arabi has explicitly stated:
'It is unlawful to read [the Sufis'] books unless one attains to their =
level of character and learns the meaning of their words in conformity =
with their technical usages, neither of which is found except in someone =
who has worked assiduously, rolled up his sleeves, abandoned the wrong, =
tightened his belt, filled himself replete with the outward Islamic =
sciences, and purified himself from every low trait connected with this =
world and the next. It is just such a person who comprehends what is =
being said and is allowed to enter when he stands at the door'."
The Sheikh outlines what is entailed by "working assiduously" in a =
series of injunctions (wasaya) at the end of his "Futuhat" that =
virtually anyone can benefit from, and by which one may infer some of =
the outward details of the Sheikh's way. By all accounts, he lived what =
he wrote in this respect, and his legacy bears eloquent testimony to it. =
He died in his home in Damascus, a copy of Ghazali's "Ihya' 'ulum =
al-din" on his lap, in 638/1240."
One can see that Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi was a great =
saint of Islam who adhered to the footsteps of the pious salaf us-salih. =
Unfortunately, many Muslims quote from non-Muslim sources and =
orientalist translators like William C. Chittick and Peter Lamborn =
Wilson to accuse Ibn al-'Arabi of heresy. The ulema of Ahl al-Sunna =
wa'al Jamma' praised Ibn al-'Arabi very much, and continue to praise him =
until this day.
Our Majlis declares about the belief of Ahlus-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah:
The prevalent verdict of Ahlu-s-Sunnah Ulema and their Jam'at is that =
Shaykh al-Akbar Muhi-d-Din Ibnu-l-Arabi was a mu'min, a zayd, an 'alim, =
a faqih, a hafiz, a muhaddith, a Zahiri qadi and a mufassir of Qur'an. =
The mistake of calling him kafir or a mushrik (astaghfir-Ullah =
al-'Azhim) started with Ibn Taymiyyah's ignorance and survives in his =
misguided disciples. Ahl al-Tasawwuf wa-l-Ihsan agree on the fact he was =
a wali, having a high status by Allah. A relevant number of Mashaykh of =
Tasawwuf think he was a Qutb in his time, and turuq like 'Alawiyyah and =
Darqawiyyah also think he was the Khatm al-Wilayyah al-Muhammadiyyah.
His doctrine of "wahdatu-l-wujud" is the more complete expression of =
manzilat al-ahadiyyah in a intoxicated and permanent maqam =
ar-Rububiyyah. Sober Mashaykh like 'Ala-u-Dawlah as-Simnani criticized =
some points of his doctrine from a stricter Ash'ari point of view, but =
notwithstanding this, they were treating him with the maximum respect =
and never dared accusing him of kufr or bid'ah.
Imam Rabbani as-Sarhindi developed the sober doctrine of =
"wahdatu-s-shuhud," but thid does not prevent him treating Ibn 'Arabi as =
a great wali and a murshid kamil. One line of his "Futuhat" or "Fusus" =
is more valuable than all of the abstruse books by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn =
Baz, Albani and Qaradawi together.
A masterpiece of a refutation against those who falsely think about Ibn =
Taymiyyah as "'alim" and "mujaddid" and accept his baseless takfir =
against Shaykh al-Akbar Ibn al-'Arabi is in the book =
Al-Ni'matu-l-Kubrah, by Imam Shihabu-d-Din Ahmad Ibn Hijr al-Haytami =
as-Shaf'i. This text is highly praised by Shaykh 'Abdu-s-Samad Ibn =
Hamid, a Sunni scholar from Cameroon. Another precious work is "Maqalat =
as-Sunniyyah" by Shaykh 'Abdullah al-Harari.
Numberless Sunni Ulemas call Sidi Muhiddin "Shaykh al-Akbar". His =
doctrine is praised and defended by numberless ulema, among which: =
Shaykh 'Abdu-r-Razaq al-Kashani (Ta'wilat), Shaykh Sadru-d-Din al-Qunawi =
(Sharh Fusus al-Hikam), Jalalu-d-Din Rumi (Mathnawi and Diwan), =
Fakhru-d-Din al-Hamadani (Rub'iyyat) Ibnu-l-Farid al-Misri (Ghazal), =
Mahmud Shahristani (Ghulshan-e Raz), 'Abdu-l-Karim al-Jili (Al-Insan =
al-Kamil), Ibn Hamzah al-Fanari (Miftah al-Uns), Nuru-d-Din Jami =
(Nafahat al-Uns), Imam Rabbani (Maktubat, expecially letter 55 & 163, =
Muntahabat, Ta'idu Ahl as-Sunnah, and Ithbat an-Nubuwwah), Khalid =
al-Baghdadi (Ihtiqad-Nama, and Risalah fi Tahqiq ar-Rabitah), =
'Abdu-l-Ghani an-Nablusi (Fayd al-Muqbas, and Khulasah at-Tahqiq), =
Khwaja Muhammad Hasan Khan (Al-Usul al-Arba'h), Yusuf an-Nabhani =
(Khulasah al-Kalam, Hujjat-Ullahi 'ala al-'Alamin, and Shawaiq al-Haqq), =
Malik ibn Shaykh Dawud (Haqiqah al-Islamiyyah fi Raddi 'ala al-Mazhaim =
al-Wahhabiyyah), Muhammad Hayat Sindi (Risalah Ghayah at- Tahqiq), Omar =
Nasfi ('Aqaid an-Nasafiyyah), Shah Ghulam 'Ali Dehlawi (Mukatib =
as-Sharifah), Ahmad Waliyy-Ullah Dehlawi (Al-Insaf, Ikd al-Jayyid, and =
Al-Mikyas), Ahmad Ibn Zayni Dahlan (Futuhat al-Islamiyyah, and Khulasah =
al-Kalam), Jajalu-d-Din as-Suyuti (Karasatu-t-Tanwir), Sulayman Ibn =
'Abdi-l-Wahhab (As-Shawaiq al-Ilahiyyah), Fadli-r-Rasul (Sayf =
al-Jabbar), the Egyptian Jami'at al-Madari (Nahs as-Sawiyyi fi Raddi =
'ala Sayyid Qutb wa Faisal Mawlawi), Ahmed Rida Khan Berlewi (Fatawah =
al-Haramayn), Siraju-Din 'Ali Ushi (Nukbat al-Laali), Abu Muhammad =
al-Wailturi (Fatawah 'Ulama' al-Hind), Qadi Habib al-Haqq Permuli =
(Tanqid wa Tardid), Tahir Muhammad (Zahirat al-Fiqh al-Kubra), Muhammad =
Rebhami (Riyad an-Nasihin), Muhammad Yusuf al-Banuri (Al-Ustadh Mawdudi =
and Kashf as-Sublah), Sa'id ar-Rahman at-Tirahi (Habl al-Matin), =
Muhammad Bawa Wiltori (Hidayah al-Muwaffiqin), 'Abdu-l-Wahhab =
as-Shahrani (Tadhkirah al-Awliyyah, and Mizan al-Kubra) Mudarris =
Hamid-Ullah Najwi (Al-Basayr li-l-Munkir at-Tawassuli bi-Ahl =
al-Maqabir), Muhammad Khadimi (Al-Bariqah), Muhammad Birjiwi (Tariqah =
al-Muhammadiyyah), 'Abdu-r-Rahman Kutti (Sabil an-Najat), Rauf Ahmad =
Mujaddid (Durr al-Ma'arif), Dawud ibn Said Sulayman (Al-Mihah =
al-Wahbiyyah), Dawud al-Musawi al-Baghdadi (Ashadd al-Jihad) Mahmud =
Effendi al-Alusi (Kashf an-Nur), Muhammad Ibn 'Abdi-Lllah al-Khani =
(Al-Bahjah as-Saniyyah), Hasan Dhu Zajwa'i at-Turki (Ir'am al-Murid), =
Hajj Ibrahim Yare as-Somali (Tarbiyyah ar-Rabbaniyyah), Shaykh Ibrahim =
al-Ahmadi al-Idris (Azhimah al-Qadr), Mo'allim Hussein al-Badawi =
as-Siddiqi (Kalimat al-Muhlasin), Ahmad 'Ali al-Layji al-Katibi =
as-Shahir (Fajr as-Sadiq), 'Abdu-l-Hakim al-Arwasi (Sa'adah =
al-Abadiyyah, with tafsir by Shaykh Hilmi 'Ishiq), Zahir Shah Ibn =
'Abdi-l-'Azhim Miyanu-d-Din (Diya' as-Sudur), Mustafa Ibn Ahmad Ibn =
Hasan al-Shati al-Hanbali (Nuqul as-Shari'ah), Muhammad Najib al-Mati'i =
al-Hanafi (Tathir al-Fu'ad), Taqiyyu-d-Din 'Ali as-Sabaki (Shifa' =
as-Siqam, and Intisar al-Awliyya' ar-Rahman), Effendi Sadiq az-Zahawi =
(Fajru-s-Sadiq), Sulayman Islambuli (Miftah al-Falaq, and Khutbatu 'Id =
al-Fitr), 'Abdu-l-Majid Ibn Muhammad al-Khani (Sa'adah al-Abadiyyah), =
'Ali Muhammad al-Balkhi (Al-Hadiqah an-Nadiyya), Muhammad Mahbubu-l-Haqq =
Ansari (Hujjah al-Qati'ah), Qasim Ibn Qatalubgha' al-Hanafi al-Bankoghi =
(Nur al-Yaqin), Qadi Habibu-l-Haqq Firmulewi (Dalayl al-Hujjaj), Ibn =
Ata' Allah al-Iskandari, (Hikam, Lataif al-minan fi manaqibi Abi 'Abbas =
wa Shaykhihi Abi Hasan, Miftah al-Falah wa Misbah al-Anwar, and Kitab =
at-Tanwir fi Isqah at-Tadbir), 'Aziz Ahmad (Ta'lim as-Shaykh Ahmad =
as-Sirhindi), Al-Aflaki (Manaqib al-'Arifin), Muhammad 'Abdu-l-Qayyum =
al-Qadiri al- Hazarawi (At-Tawassul bi-n-Nabi wa as-Salihin), Muhammad =
Hafiz at-Tijani (Ahl al-Haqq al-'Arifun bi-Llah), 'Abdu-s-Samad =
at-Tijani (Allah wa al-Rakam Sitta wa Sittin), and many others.
Even the shi'ite Ruh-Ullah al-Musawi al-Khomeini praised Shaykh al-Akbar =
very much in his letter to Mikhail Gorbachev.
Many of these pro-Ibn Arabi books are forbidden by the so-called Saudi =
Dar al-Ifta', but - al-hamdu Lillah - are preserved through a waqf from =
Shaykh al-Arwasi. We ask everyone who reads this message to recite =
al-Fatihah for his blessed soul.
May Allahu Ta'ala bless Shaykh al-Akbar Muhi-d-Din Ibn al-'Arabi =
al-Hatimi at-Ta'i al-Andalusi and those who spoke the Haqq about this =
wali, and may Allah 'Azza wa Jall protect him from the false accusations =
and takfir by wahhabis, orientalists, and shayatin. Amin.
Shaykh Abu Ibrahim Ali Ibn Husseyn as-Siddiqi
Shaykh Abu Omar Abdul Hadi as-Shaf'i
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Majlis al-Ulema of the Italian Muslim Association
http://shell.spqr.net/islam/
islam@spqr.net
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D5><FONT =
color=3D#000080><STRONG>Ahlu-s-Sunnah in Defense=20
of Ibn Arabi <FONT=20
face=3D"MS Shell =
Dlg">(www.dolcetta.com/ibnarabi.htm)</P></FONT></STRONG></FONT></FONT>
<P align=3Djustify><B><FONT color=3D#000080 size=3D4>From: Majlis =
al-Ulema of the=20
Italian Muslim Association<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:islam@spqr.net">islam@spqr.net</A></FONT></B></P>
<P align=3Djustify><B><FONT color=3D#000080 size=3D4>This is a fatwa of =
refutation=20
from the Mashaykh who sit in the Majlis of Ulema in Rome, written =
against false=20
declarations by LaMole786 and Farrukh, may Allah lead them to tawbah and =
istighfar and bring them back to the sawa' Sabil.<BR><BR>May Allah =
protect this=20
Ummah against those laypersons who, while being stonehearted to Rahmah =
and=20
blinded to Haqq - dare opening their filthy mouths to spread lies =
against our=20
noble forefathers Ulema' ul-Muhtadun, those awliya' of al-Rahman who are =
the=20
heirs of Rushdah min al-Khulafa', the guardians of Sunnah and the =
listeners of=20
secrets ar-Rabbaniyyah that are whispered between the veils.<BR><BR>Let =
you be=20
informed, Brothers and Sisters, that no accuse against Shaykh al-Akbar =
Muhiddin=20
Ibn ‘Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i is supported by Jam'at, since undue =
accusing him of=20
kufr comes from a single misguided heretic sect, the one founder by=20
sahibu-l-Fitnah Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harrani and even aggravated by Muhammad =
Ibn=20
Abdi-l-Wahhab and his likes.<BR><BR>What LaMole786 says in his ignorance =
is an=20
ugly accusation, frequently repeated by Bilal Philips and the like, =
against one=20
of the greatest Ahl al-Sunnah Shuyukh in the history of =
Islam.<BR><BR>Wahhabis=20
hatred for Ahl as-Sufiyyah will undoubtedly cause statements of =
innovation and=20
even kufr to come out of their mouths against ‘Awliya'Ullah =
al-mutaqarrabun. It=20
must be noted that this sectarian attack against Shaykh Ibn =
al-‘Arabi is not=20
limited to just him but to other great Mashaykh as well. Numerous =
Wahhabi=20
ignoramuses have accused Ibn al-‘Arabi of kufr in their websites =
and books. We=20
take refuge by Allah this garbage our eyes were compelled to read for =
the of=20
abiding by the wajib kifayah of refutation of bid‘ah and =
dalalah.<BR><BR>Shaykh=20
Nuh Ha Mim Keller, in his translation of Ahmad ibn Naqib =
al-Misri’s “Umdat=20
al-salik,” explains Ibn al-‘Arabi’s background and =
elaborates on why some people=20
have misunderstood and misrepresented his true =
position:<BR><BR>“Muyiddin ibn=20
al-‘Arabi is Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn =
al-‘Arabi, Abu Bakr Muhyi al-Din=20
al-Hatimi al-Ta’i, The Greatest Sheikh (al-Shaykh al-Akbar), born =
in Murcia (in=20
present-day Spain) in 560/1165. A “mujtahid” Imam in Sacred =
Law, Sufism,=20
Qur’anic exegesis, hadith, and other Islamic sciences, and widely =
regarded as a=20
friend (wali) of Allah Most High, he was the foremost representative of =
the Sufi=20
school of the “oneness of being” (wahdat al-wujud), as well =
as a Muslim of=20
strict literal observance of the prescriptions of the Qur’an and =
sunna. He first=20
took they way of Sufism in A.H. 580, and in the years that followed =
authored=20
some 600 books and treatises in the course of travels and residences in =
Fez,=20
Tunis, Alexandria, Cairo, Mecca, Baghdad, Mosul, Konya, Aleppo, and =
finally=20
Damascus, where he lived till the end of his life and completed his =
“al-Futuhat=20
al-Makkiyya” [The Meccan Revelations] and “Fusus =
al-Hikam” [The Precious Stones=20
of the ring-settings of the Wisdoms]. Since interest in his work =
continues among=20
even non-Muslim scholars, a number of hermeneutical obstacles are worth=20
mentioning here that have in some measure so far hindered serious =
efforts to=20
understand the Sheikh’s works, by friend and foe alike.<BR><BR>The =
first lack of=20
common ground with the author, who has written,<BR><BR>“We are a =
group whose=20
works are unlawful to peruse, since the Sufis, one and all, use terms in =
technical senses by which they intend other than what is customarily =
meant by=20
their usage among scholars, and those who interpret them according to =
their=20
usual significance commit unbelief.”<BR><BR>While this may not be =
particularly=20
intimidating to someone who is already an unbeliever, it does at least=20
implicitly deny the validity of a do-it- yourself approach to the =
Sheikh’s=20
thought and point up the relevance of the traditional =
maxim,<BR><BR>'Knowledge=20
is to be taken from those who possess it.'<BR><BR>A related difficulty =
is that=20
the context of much of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s “Futuhat” =
and other works is not only the=20
outward Islamic sciences, but also their inner significance, not by any =
means an=20
“esoteric symbolism” that nullifies the outward content of =
the Sheikh’s=20
inquiries, but a dimension of depth, a reflective counterpart to their=20
this-worldly significance whose place and existential context is the =
world of=20
the spirit, to which the physical universe—in which many of his =
would-be=20
interpreters are firmly enmeshed and know nothing besides, especially =
those who=20
are atheists—is like a speck of dust in the sea. While the present =
discussion=20
cannot adequately do justice to the topic, one may yet observe that the =
heart of=20
someone familiar only with the “What will I eat,” =
“What will I say,” “Will it=20
prove feasible,” and other physical and intellectual relations of=20
instrumentality that make up this world is no more capable of real =
insight into=20
the world of someone like the Sheikh than a person inches away from a =
giant=20
picture is capable of “seeing” the picture he believes is =
“before his very=20
eyes.” The way of Ibn al-‘Arabi is precisely a =
“way,” and if one has not=20
traveled it or been trained to see as Ibn al-‘Arabi sees, one may =
well produce=20
intelligent remarks about one’s perceptions of the matter, as =
attested to by a=20
whole literature of “historical studies” of Sufism, but the =
fact remains that=20
one does not see.<BR><BR>A third difficulty is he problem of spurious=20
interpolations by copyists, as once happened to ‘Abd al-Wahhab =
Sha‘rani, who had=20
to bring his own handwritten manuscript to court to prove he was =
innocent of the=20
unbelief that enemies had inserted into his work and published in his =
name. The=20
“Hashiya” of Ibn ‘Abidin notes that this has also =
happened to the “Fusus al-=20
Hikam” of Ibn al-‘Arabi, the details being given in a =
promulgation by the=20
Supreme Ottoman Sultanate exonerating the author of the statements of =
unbelief=20
(kufr) it said that it was interpolated into the work. This is supported =
by the=20
opinion of Mahmud Mahmud Ghurab, an Ibn al-‘Arabi specialist of =
Damascus who has=20
published more than twelve books on the Sheikh’s thought, among =
them “al-Fiqh=20
‘ind al-Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin ibn al-‘Arabi” =
[Sacred Law According to the=20
Greatest Sheikh, Muhyiddin ibn al-‘Arabi], which clarifies Ibn =
al-‘Arabi’s=20
position as a Zahiri Imam and mujtahid in Sacred Law; and “Sharh =
Fusus al-Hikam”=20
[Exegesis of “The Precious Stones of the ring-settings of the =
Wisdoms], in which=20
Ghurab indicates eighty-six passages of the “Fusus” that he =
believes are=20
spurious, adducing that they contradict the letter and spirit of =
“al-Futuhat=20
al-Makkiyya,” which must be given precedence because we possess a =
manuscript=20
copy in the author’s own handwriting, while there are no such =
copies of the=20
“Fusus.”<BR><BR>One may summarize the above-mentioned =
difficulties and others by=20
the general observation that without a master with whom to read these =
texts,=20
someone who has himself read them with a teacher aware of their place in =
the=20
whole of the Sheikh’s work, one is in danger of projecting =
one’s own limitations=20
onto the author. This happens in our times to various groups of =
interpreters,=20
among them non-Muslim “sufis” who have posthumously made Ibn =
al-‘Arabi an=20
"honorary syncretist", saying that he believed all religions to be =
equally valid=20
and acceptable—which Ghurab says is an ignorant misreading, and to =
which the=20
Sheikh himself furnishes a sufficient reply in his account of his =
convictions=20
(‘aqida) at the first of the “Futuhat” where he =
says,<BR><BR>“Just as I charge=20
Allah, His angels, His entire creation, and all of you to bear witness =
upon me=20
that I affirm His Unity, so too I charge Him Most Glorious, His angels, =
His=20
entire creation, and all of you to bear witness upon me that I believe =
in the=20
one He has elected, chosen, and selected from all His existence, =
Muhammad (Allah=20
bless him and give him peace, who He hassent to all mankind entirely =
(ila jami’=20
al-nas kaffatan) to bring good tidings and to warn and to call to Allah =
by His=20
leave” (“al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya”).<BR><BR>Other =
interpreters who commit errors=20
are well-meaning Muslims who do not and cannot understand the =
Sheikh’s words,=20
which they read in their native Arabic as if it were a newspaper and =
then level=20
accusations of unbelief against the author on the basis of what comes to =
their=20
minds while doing so. For all groups of interpreters, there is a =
pressing need=20
for scholarly modesty and candor about our exegetical limitations, and =
to draw=20
attention to the fact that without a guide in reading the Sheikh’s =
thought, one=20
is adrift in a sea of one’s own guesswork.<BR><BR>Aside from these =
basic=20
hermeneutic requirements for reading the work of Ibn al-‘Arabi, =
other,=20
existential qualifications are needed, for as mentioned above, the =
Sheikh’s=20
method is a way, and as such entails not only curiosity, but commitment =
and most=20
of all submission to Allah Most High as the Sheikh had submission to =
Him, namely=20
through Islam—as well as other conditions mentioned by Ibn Hajar =
Haytami in a=20
legal opinion in which, after noting that it is permissible or even =
meritorious=20
(mustahabb) to read the Sheikh’s works, but only for the =
qualified, he=20
writes:<BR><BR>“Imam Ibn al-‘Arabi has explicitly =
stated:<BR><BR>‘It is unlawful=20
to read [the Sufis’] books unless one attains to their level of =
character and=20
learns the meaning of their words in conformity with their technical =
usages,=20
neither of which is found except in someone who has worked assiduously, =
rolled=20
up his sleeves, abandoned the wrong, tightened his belt, filled himself =
replete=20
with the outward Islamic sciences, and purified himself from every low =
trait=20
connected with this world and the next. It is just such a person who =
comprehends=20
what is being said and is allowed to enter when he stands at the=20
door’.”<BR><BR>The Sheikh outlines what is entailed by =
“working assiduously” in=20
a series of injunctions (wasaya) at the end of his “Futuhat” =
that virtually=20
anyone can benefit from, and by which one may infer some of the outward =
details=20
of the Sheikh’s way. By all accounts, he lived what he wrote in =
this respect,=20
and his legacy bears eloquent testimony to it. He died in his home in =
Damascus,=20
a copy of Ghazali’s “Ihya’ ‘ulum al-din” =
on his lap, in 638/1240.”<BR><BR>One=20
can see that Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn al-‘Arabi was a great =
saint of Islam=20
who adhered to the footsteps of the pious salaf us-salih. Unfortunately, =
many=20
Muslims quote from non-Muslim sources and orientalist translators like =
William=20
C. Chittick and Peter Lamborn Wilson to accuse Ibn al-‘Arabi of =
heresy. The=20
ulema of Ahl al-Sunna wa’al Jamma’ praised Ibn =
al-‘Arabi very much, and continue=20
to praise him until this day.<BR><BR>Our Majlis declares about the =
belief of=20
Ahlus-Sunnah wa-l-Jama‘ah:<BR><BR>The prevalent verdict of =
Ahlu-s-Sunnah Ulema=20
and their Jam'at is that Shaykh al-Akbar Muhi-d-Din Ibnu-l-Arabi was a =
mu’min, a=20
zayd, an ‘alim, a faqih, a hafiz, a muhaddith, a Zahiri qadi and a =
mufassir of=20
Qur'an. The mistake of calling him kafir or a mushrik (astaghfir-Ullah=20
al-‘Azhim) started with Ibn Taymiyyah’s ignorance and =
survives in his misguided=20
disciples. Ahl al-Tasawwuf wa-l-Ihsan agree on the fact he was a wali, =
having a=20
high status by Allah. A relevant number of Mashaykh of Tasawwuf think he =
was a=20
Qutb in his time, and turuq like ‘Alawiyyah and Darqawiyyah also =
think he was=20
the Khatm al-Wilayyah al-Muhammadiyyah.<BR><BR>His doctrine of =
“wahdatu-l-wujud”=20
is the more complete expression of manzilat al-ahadiyyah in a =
intoxicated and=20
permanent maqam ar-Rububiyyah. Sober Mashaykh like ‘Ala-u-Dawlah =
as-Simnani=20
criticized some points of his doctrine from a stricter Ash’ari =
point of view,=20
but notwithstanding this, they were treating him with the maximum =
respect and=20
never dared accusing him of kufr or bid'ah.<BR><BR>Imam Rabbani =
as-Sarhindi=20
developed the sober doctrine of “wahdatu-s-shuhud,” but thid =
does not prevent=20
him treating Ibn ‘Arabi as a great wali and a murshid kamil. One =
line of his=20
“Futuhat” or “Fusus” is more valuable than all =
of the abstruse books by Ibn=20
Taymiyyah, Ibn Baz, Albani and Qaradawi together.<BR><BR>A masterpiece =
of a=20
refutation against those who falsely think about Ibn Taymiyyah as =
“’alim” and=20
“mujaddid” and accept his baseless takfir against Shaykh =
al-Akbar Ibn al-‘Arabi=20
is in the book Al-Ni’matu-l-Kubrah, by Imam Shihabu-d-Din Ahmad =
Ibn Hijr=20
al-Haytami as-Shaf’i. This text is highly praised by Shaykh =
‘Abdu-s-Samad Ibn=20
Hamid, a Sunni scholar from Cameroon. Another precious work is "Maqalat=20
as-Sunniyyah" by Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Harari.<BR><BR>Numberless =
Sunni Ulemas call=20
Sidi Muhiddin “Shaykh al-Akbar”. His doctrine is praised and =
defended by=20
numberless ulema, among which: Shaykh ‘Abdu-r-Razaq al-Kashani =
(Ta’wilat),=20
Shaykh Sadru-d-Din al-Qunawi (Sharh Fusus al-Hikam), Jalalu-d-Din Rumi =
(Mathnawi=20
and Diwan), Fakhru-d-Din al-Hamadani (Rub‘iyyat) Ibnu-l-Farid =
al-Misri (Ghazal),=20
Mahmud Shahristani (Ghulshan-e Raz), ‘Abdu-l-Karim al-Jili =
(Al-Insan al-Kamil),=20
Ibn Hamzah al-Fanari (Miftah al-Uns), Nuru-d-Din Jami (Nafahat al-Uns), =
Imam=20
Rabbani (Maktubat, expecially letter 55 & 163, Muntahabat, =
Ta’idu Ahl=20
as-Sunnah, and Ithbat an-Nubuwwah), Khalid al-Baghdadi (Ihtiqad-Nama, =
and=20
Risalah fi Tahqiq ar-Rabitah), ‘Abdu-l-Ghani an-Nablusi (Fayd =
al-Muqbas, and=20
Khulasah at-Tahqiq), Khwaja Muhammad Hasan Khan (Al-Usul =
al-Arba’h), Yusuf=20
an-Nabhani (Khulasah al-Kalam, Hujjat-Ullahi ‘ala =
al-‘Alamin, and Shawaiq=20
al-Haqq), Malik ibn Shaykh Dawud (Haqiqah al-Islamiyyah fi Raddi =
‘ala al-Mazhaim=20
al-Wahhabiyyah), Muhammad Hayat Sindi (Risalah Ghayah at- Tahqiq), Omar =
Nasfi=20
(‘Aqaid an-Nasafiyyah), Shah Ghulam ‘Ali Dehlawi (Mukatib =
as-Sharifah), Ahmad=20
Waliyy-Ullah Dehlawi (Al-Insaf, Ikd al-Jayyid, and Al-Mikyas), Ahmad Ibn =
Zayni=20
Dahlan (Futuhat al-Islamiyyah, and Khulasah al-Kalam), Jajalu-d-Din =
as-Suyuti=20
(Karasatu-t-Tanwir), Sulayman Ibn ‘Abdi-l-Wahhab (As-Shawaiq =
al-Ilahiyyah),=20
Fadli-r-Rasul (Sayf al-Jabbar), the Egyptian Jami’at al-Madari =
(Nahs as-Sawiyyi=20
fi Raddi ‘ala Sayyid Qutb wa Faisal Mawlawi), Ahmed Rida Khan =
Berlewi (Fatawah=20
al-Haramayn), Siraju-Din ‘Ali Ushi (Nukbat al-Laali), Abu Muhammad =
al-Wailturi=20
(Fatawah ‘Ulama’ al-Hind), Qadi Habib al-Haqq Permuli =
(Tanqid wa Tardid), Tahir=20
Muhammad (Zahirat al-Fiqh al-Kubra), Muhammad Rebhami (Riyad =
an-Nasihin),=20
Muhammad Yusuf al-Banuri (Al-Ustadh Mawdudi and Kashf as-Sublah), =
Sa‘id=20
ar-Rahman at-Tirahi (Habl al-Matin), Muhammad Bawa Wiltori (Hidayah=20
al-Muwaffiqin), ‘Abdu-l-Wahhab as-Shahrani (Tadhkirah al-Awliyyah, =
and Mizan=20
al-Kubra) Mudarris Hamid-Ullah Najwi (Al-Basayr li-l-Munkir at-Tawassuli =
bi-Ahl=20
al-Maqabir), Muhammad Khadimi (Al-Bariqah), Muhammad Birjiwi (Tariqah=20
al-Muhammadiyyah), ‘Abdu-r-Rahman Kutti (Sabil an-Najat), Rauf =
Ahmad Mujaddid=20
(Durr al-Ma’arif), Dawud ibn Said Sulayman (Al-Mihah =
al-Wahbiyyah), Dawud=20
al-Musawi al-Baghdadi (Ashadd al-Jihad) Mahmud Effendi al-Alusi (Kashf =
an-Nur),=20
Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdi-Lllah al-Khani (Al-Bahjah as-Saniyyah), Hasan =
Dhu Zajwa’i=20
at-Turki (Ir‘am al-Murid), Hajj Ibrahim Yare as-Somali (Tarbiyyah=20
ar-Rabbaniyyah), Shaykh Ibrahim al-Ahmadi al-Idris (Azhimah al-Qadr), =
Mo’allim=20
Hussein al-Badawi as-Siddiqi (Kalimat al-Muhlasin), Ahmad ‘Ali =
al-Layji=20
al-Katibi as-Shahir (Fajr as-Sadiq), ‘Abdu-l-Hakim al-Arwasi =
(Sa‘adah=20
al-Abadiyyah, with tafsir by Shaykh Hilmi ‘Ishiq), Zahir Shah Ibn =
‘Abdi-l-‘Azhim=20
Miyanu-d-Din (Diya’ as-Sudur), Mustafa Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hasan =
al-Shati al-Hanbali=20
(Nuqul as-Shari‘ah), Muhammad Najib al-Mati‘i al-Hanafi =
(Tathir al-Fu’ad),=20
Taqiyyu-d-Din ‘Ali as-Sabaki (Shifa’ as-Siqam, and Intisar =
al-Awliyya’=20
ar-Rahman), Effendi Sadiq az-Zahawi (Fajru-s-Sadiq), Sulayman Islambuli =
(Miftah=20
al-Falaq, and Khutbatu ‘Id al-Fitr), ‘Abdu-l-Majid Ibn =
Muhammad al-Khani=20
(Sa’adah al-Abadiyyah), ‘Ali Muhammad al-Balkhi (Al-Hadiqah =
an-Nadiyya),=20
Muhammad Mahbubu-l-Haqq Ansari (Hujjah al-Qati’ah), Qasim Ibn =
Qatalubgha’=20
al-Hanafi al-Bankoghi (Nur al-Yaqin), Qadi Habibu-l-Haqq Firmulewi =
(Dalayl=20
al-Hujjaj), Ibn Ata’ Allah al-Iskandari, (Hikam, Lataif al-minan =
fi manaqibi Abi=20
‘Abbas wa Shaykhihi Abi Hasan, Miftah al-Falah wa Misbah al-Anwar, =
and Kitab=20
at-Tanwir fi Isqah at-Tadbir), ‘Aziz Ahmad (Ta‘lim as-Shaykh =
Ahmad as-Sirhindi),=20
Al-Aflaki (Manaqib al-‘Arifin), Muhammad ‘Abdu-l-Qayyum =
al-Qadiri al- Hazarawi=20
(At-Tawassul bi-n-Nabi wa as-Salihin), Muhammad Hafiz at-Tijani (Ahl =
al-Haqq=20
al-‘Arifun bi-Llah), ‘Abdu-s-Samad at-Tijani (Allah wa =
al-Rakam Sitta wa=20
Sittin), and many others.<BR><BR>Even the shi‘ite Ruh-Ullah =
al-Musawi=20
al-Khomeini praised Shaykh al-Akbar very much in his letter to Mikhail=20
Gorbachev.<BR><BR>Many of these pro-Ibn Arabi books are forbidden by the =
so-called Saudi Dar al-Ifta’, but - al-hamdu Lillah - are =
preserved through a=20
waqf from Shaykh al-Arwasi. We ask everyone who reads this message to =
recite=20
al-Fatihah for his blessed soul.<BR><BR>May Allahu Ta’ala bless =
Shaykh al-Akbar=20
Muhi-d-Din Ibn al-‘Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta’i al-Andalusi and =
those who spoke the=20
Haqq about this wali, and may Allah 'Azza wa Jall protect him from the =
false=20
accusations and takfir by wahhabis, orientalists, and shayatin.=20
Amin.<BR><BR>Shaykh Abu Ibrahim Ali Ibn Husseyn as-Siddiqi<BR>Shaykh Abu =
Omar=20
Abdul Hadi=20
as-Shaf'i<BR>------------------------------------------------------------=
-----------<BR>Majlis=20
al-Ulema of the Italian Muslim Association<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://shell.spqr.net/islam/">http://shell.spqr.net/islam/</A><BR=
><A=20
href=3D"mailto:islam@spqr.net">islam@spqr.net</A><BR>--------------------=
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