The Unlimited Mercifier

by Stephen Hirtenstein

This unique portrait of the great Andalusian mystic uses his own writings to tell the story of his life and teachings. Chapters of biography are interwoven with chapters portraying the central elements of his thought and are supplemented with photographs and maps.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Islam

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Elizabeth L'Abate · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first submersion in the Jemal qualities of Ibn Arabi, the love and beauty and wetness. I don't always agree with the author, but he writes SO beautifully himself, as a writer and student of Sufi waysI was in often awe at some of his sentences, and had to slowly savor them, letting the Word become flesh...

[M. Naveed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although English language have a glittery bulk of Ibn Arabi's themes and ideas but when it comes to his life and times in a sequential way she starts to fade.In fact the events of this extraordinary man's life are no less important than his ideas but sometimes are keys to understand his certain ecstatic lunges and intellectual properties in his writings. The production of his major lyrical masterpiece Tarjuman Al-Ashwaq or Interpreter of Desires and then,rather, reluctant apology of it is a good example for judging the overwhelmness and strains of external events upon the auther. Today we are in a good position to understand more better the intrinsic implications and porfound effects of external events on human behavior and thought perhaps we are living in the age of constant events. In 'The Unlimited Mercifier: The Spiritual Life and Thought of Ibn Arabi. Stephen Hirtenstein brings the chief events and major thoughts of this formidable man to the general reader in a chronological order and precise way. The book covers more than sixty years of eventful lifespan in four divided parts and fifteen vividly written chapters. The author filled the book with pictures of various historical and geographical locations,maps and samples of hand writings relating to Ibn Arabi to a careful reader the effort provides good tools for contemplating on the life and thoughts of this everlasting genius whose importance is almost omnipresent. The other good book relating to his life and thoughts is Ibn Arabi The Voyage of No Return by Claude Addas.In Chittick's words: Claude Addas's Ibn 'Arabi is a fine overview of his life and teaching but is not as "reader-friendly" as Hirtenstein's.

[Hans Harmakaputra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives good introduction to Ibn 'Arabi's life and works. Unfortunately, it is not as clear as Chittick when it comes to the introduction to Ibn 'Arabi's thoughts. Recommended for those who interested in constructing Ibn 'Arabi's life-span.

[Fatih Gökmen]

great..