Sufis of Andalusia: The "Ruh al-Quds" & "al-Durrat al-Fakhirah"

by Ibn ʿArabi, R.W.J. Austin (Translator)

Publish By Suhail Acdmy

Genres: Islam, Spirituality, History, Metaphysics, Religion

173 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Note to arabic readers : For the original arabic version of the books, check "other editions" in the book that interests you)

Universally known by the title of "Muhyi al-Din" (The Reviver of the Religion) and "al-Shaykh al-Akbar" (The Greatest Shaykh) Ibn 'Arabī (Arabic: ابن عربي‎) (July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an Arab Sufi Muslim mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdullāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn al-`Arabī al-Hāṭimī al-Ṭā'ī (أبو عبد الله محمد بن علي بن محمد بن العربي الحاتمي الطائي).

Muhammad ibn al-Arabi and his family moved to Seville when he was eight years old. In 1200 CE, at the age of thirty-five, he left Iberia for good, intending to make the hajj to Mecca. He lived in Mecca for some three years, where he began writing his Al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya (The Meccan Illuminations). In 1204, he left Mecca for Anatolia with Majd al-Dīn Isḥāq, whose son Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qunawī (1210-1274) would be his most influential disciple.

In 1223, he settled in Damascus, where he lived the last seventeen years of his life. He died at the age of 76 on 22 Rabi' II 638 AH/November 10, 1240CE, and his tomb in Damascus is still an important place of pilgrimage.

A vastly prolific writer, Ibn 'Arabī is generally known as the prime exponent of the idea later known as Waḥdat al-Wujūd (literally Unity of Being), though he did not use this term in his writings. His emphasis was on the true potential of the human being and the path to realising that potential and becoming the perfect or complete man (al-insān al-kāmil).

Some 800 works are attributed to Ibn 'Arabā, although only some have been authenticated. Recent research suggests that over 100 of his works have survived in manuscript form, although most printed versions have not yet been critically edited and include many errors.

Reviews

[Elizabeth L'Abate]

We learn through his biographies of Sufi Saints what Ibn Arabi considered important in spiritual attainment. He never praises any Sufi for giving good talks, but paises Sufis, who, when they were in the audience , would inspire others to give great talks....

[Sarah Ouardaoui]

This was a beautiful read!

RWJ Austin did such an amazing job at giving context into the life of Ibn al-Arabi and explaining the Sufi Way in detail- around a third of the book was just that!
He explains that there are three stages in the following of the Way:

"The first stage is that of the awareness of one's nothingness and the battle with the ego [...]
The second stage is one of hope (raja') in God's bounty (ikram) and wonder at His beatuy (jamal). It is also the stage of complete devotion (tabattul) and faith (iman). This is the point at which man realizes himself as the perfect microcosmic reflection of God, true servant towards Him and true lord in respect of his central position in the cosmic order [...] In the third stage, that of knowledge and identity, the essence of man is at once annihilated in and identified with the Absolute Reality"

For the actual translation of Ibn al-Arabi's work; it was basically a collection of selected biographical passages from his books "Ruh Al-Quds" and "Al-Durrat al-Fakhirah", focusing on the saints he met and who influenced him thoroughout his life- around 71 mystics in total.
I found it so fun to read, as every little passage was about a different ascetic and described their characteristics and the various interactions they had with Ibn al-Arabi. It was also so refreshing to see that a couple of his mentors were deeply devoted women like Shams, the Mother of the Poor, and Fatima of Cordoba. I loved what Fatima had to say about why she loved Ibn al-Arabi the most out of all the other saints:

" The rest of you come to me with part of yourselves, leaving the other part of you occupied with your other concerns, while Ibn al-'Arabi is a consolation to me, for he comes to me with all of himself. When he rises up it is with all of himself and when he sits it is with his whole self, leaving nothing of himself elsewhere. That is how it should be on the Way."

I thought this was very profound as it emphasized the importance of being present and giving your undivided attention to the people around you. This is part of being a spiritual seeker; preventing your soul from becoming fragmented between different concerns, even if they're of holy or divine nature.

This book is full of very thoughtful and inspirational passages and if I could include all the ones I highlighted, this review would probably be ten pages long. Ibn al-Arabi's style of writing is very graceful, and mystical. I hope to be able to read some more of his work in Arabic; when I get more familiar with his prose as it can be a bit hard to understand in its original language.

This was a breath of fresh air after reading what Al Ghazzali was saying in the previous book I read. However, I've heard that his earlier writings were much better and much less biased, so I'm willing to maybe give him another chance.
For now, I love Ibn al-Arabi and I'm looking forward to learning more about his work and mystic/ religious philosophies.

[Umkulthoom A]

Ordinary people extra ordinary spirits

I didn't know how to break the hardness of my habits until I read of of the Sufi who daily reconciling their deeds. Every day inshallah I intend to reconcile my book of records.

[Mo Durrani]

All philosophy, spirituality, and religious doctrine points in one direction, and that much is reassuring.

It is man who is not in agreement with one another.

[ഉപ്പാന്റെ കുട്ടി]

I want to read this book.
Help me I don't have other resources

[Ashley]

This book is a fascinating account by Ibn 'Arabi, the great 12th century Andalusian Sufi mystic and scholar, of other profound sufis of his time, in response to a friend's criticism that such mystics were lacking in their times.

[Rob Squires]

Includes an informative biography of the great Sufi mystic and theologian Muhyideen Ibn 'Arabi, but is essentially a collection of brief biographies of various ascetics and mystics--both men and women--that Ibn 'Arabi met during his early years in Andalusia. A fascinating, fun, and inspiring read.

[Cuneyt]

Not much can be said when the author is Ibn Arabi. Truly inspiring. Loved it!