Ibn Arabi (Part 1): Biography

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FURTHER READING
Binyamin Abrahamov, Ibn ʿArabī and the Sufis (Oxford, 2014)

Claude Addas, Quest for the Red Sulphur: The Life of
Ibn ʿArabī, trans. Peter Kingsley (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1993).

Claude Addas, ‘Andalusī Mysticism and The Rise of Ibn ʿArabī,’ in The Legacy of Muslim Spain, ed. Salma Khadra Jayyusi, vol 2 (Leiden; E.J. Brill: 1992).

Claude Addas, Ibn ʿArabī: The Voyage of No Return, trans. David
Streight (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 2000).

Denis Gril, ‘Hadith in the work of Ibn ʿArabī: The uninterrupted
chain of prophecy’, JMIAS 50, 2011

Ibn ʿArabī, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, 9 vols. (Beirut: Dār
al-Sādr, 1997)

Ignaz Goldziher, The Ẓāhirīs: Their Doctrine and Their History, ed.
and trans. by Wolfgang Behn (Leiden: Brill, 1971)

‘MIAS Archive Report: Catalogue of Ibn ʿArabī’s Works,’ Muhyiddin Ibn

[lightforthesouls]

I don't comment very often but you have taken a subject that is difficult not only to understand much less explain..I wish you luck and give you my support..waslaaam rich Bennett

[chogorisufi]

Love you my brother! Would love to sit with you one day and open up Shajarat-al-Kawn over several cups of tea 😊 in Sha Allah

[nicoletasora]

Thank You so much for this wonderful explanation . I am intrested in Ibn Arabi's life and teachings and your video was a great place to start

[alimohammad]

Salam habibi, absolutely fantastic! I am really excited for the history of the Hanafi Madhab. It is a subject I am definitely interested in! Habibi what is the qasidah or music you played in the end?

[MuslimTemplar]

This was well done. Have you thought about doing biographies of other Sufis like Rumi, Yunus Emre, Baha' al-Din Naqshband, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Abdul Qadir Gilani, Khidr, Mu'in al-Din Chishti and others?

[fire.smok]

I remember hearing that the way Ibn al-Arabi’s journey started was that when he was in the middle of a feast drinking wine, he heard a voice saying “you were not created for this, O Muhammad” (Muhammad was his first name), and this startled him and he went outside to a graveyard/cave and had his visions and then the story continues the way described in this video. Is this untrue? Or is there difference in opinion on this matter? In this video the book you read has a different variation at the start of the story, that the reason that triggered him into his mystic path was seeing the caliph prostrating.

[superlightninX]

🕉⚜️HAMZA⚜️🕉
This video has found me..
on my suggestions ..
Not by coincidence..
because I believe everything
happens for a reason.
It seems my path is
being made a new.
Thank You.

[ziyadzahid]

MashAllah
May Allah Bless Ibn Arabi
May Allah Bless Shayk Abdul Qadir Jilani
May Allah Bless all his Friends

[ibnnoor]

When I first explored the teachings of Ibn Arabi, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about some of his ideas. Take his concept of وحدة الوجود (Unity of Being)—it feels like it dangerously blurs the line between the Creator and creation, almost tipping into pantheism. I’m also troubled by his inclusive view of religions, where he suggests that all paths ultimately lead to God. It feels like this perspective waters down the unique truth of Islam and the finality of Muhammad's message. And don’t get me started on his take on Pharaoh's faith—where he suggests Pharaoh’s last-minute repentance might have been accepted by God. That just doesn’t sit right with me, especially since the Quran clearly states that Pharaoh's repentance came too late.

Then there are his ideas on تجلي (divine manifestation) and the عالم المثال (Imaginal World). To me, these concepts add unnecessary layers of metaphysical complexity that seem to confuse God's clear transcendence over creation. His symbolic interpretations of the Quran, the تفسير إشاري (symbolic exegesis), also raise red flags for me because they stray so far from the apparent meanings, potentially twisting the text’s message.

I’ve also noticed his emphasis on divine love as the reason for creation, which, while it sounds poetic, seems to humanize God's actions in a way that doesn’t align with what I’ve learned about His transcendence. And his habit of reinterpreting prophetic traditions to fit his mystical worldview? To me, that risks undermining the authority of the سنة (Sunnah), which is so crucial for understanding and practicing Islam the right way.

Interestingly, scholars, including those from the Hanafi tradition, are pretty divided on Ibn Arabi. Some excuse him, arguing that many of these controversial statements are misattributed or misunderstood, and they still hold him in high regard. Others, particularly within more traditional Hanafi circles, are far less forgiving, directly attributing these views to him and even going as far as to excommunicate him (تكفير) or label him a فاسق for stepping outside orthodox beliefs. Then there’s a third group that not only agrees with these attributed ideas but fully embraces them, even when they clash with mainstream Sunni positions. It’s striking—and a bit unsettling—how sharply opinions about him can differ, showing just how complex and polarizing his legacy really is.

[fghhfhhn]

Imam Al-Suyuti wrote a book defending Ibn Arabi. I think that Ibn Arabi’s writings are very thick. There is a Sufi. Ibn Arabi said that he did not understand his writings. He is Al-Junayd, the leader of the sect.

[nabilghanem]

Very good video Mr Hamza. Mashallah! Just one comment … I thought Ibn Arabi’s answe to Ibn Rushd was … : Yes and No … not just No…

[CavitRumeli]

Most of the provided readings are from Claude Addas? He is not a scholar with capacity to really understand the metaphysics of Ibni Arabi. Shayhul Akbar as a historical figure is one thing his metaphysics is sth else.