The Unity of Being (Wahdat al-Wujud)

This video focuses on the Sufi doctrine called "Wahdat al-Wujud" (sometimes The Oneness of Being), strongly associated with Ibn 'Arabi (d. 1240) and his school of thought.

Souces:
Chittick, William (2005). "Ibn Arabi: Heir to the Prophets". OneWorld Publications.

Chittick, William (1998). "The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabi's Cosmology". State University of New York Press.

Chittick, William (2005). "The Sufi Doctrine of Rumi". World Wisdom, inc.

Chodkiewicz, Michel (1982). "The Spiritual writings of Amir 'Abd al-Kader". State University of New York Press.

Chodkiewicz, Michel (1993). "Seal of the Saints: Prophethood and sainthood in the doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi". Translated by Liadain Sherrard. The Islamic Texts Society.

Ibn 'Arabi - "The Ringstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam)". Translated by Caner Dagli. Kazi Publications.

Ibn Arabi - "The Interpreter of Desires (Tarjuman al-ashwaq)". Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson. London: Royal Asiatic Society.

Ibn Arabi - "The Universal Tree and the Four Birds (al-ittihad al-kawni). Translated by Angela Jaffray. Oxford: Anqa Publishing.

Mahmud Shabistari - "Garden of Mystery: The Gulshan-i raz of Mahmud Shabistari". Translated by Robert Abdul Hayy Darr. Archetype.

Fakhruddin 'Iraqi - "Divine Flashes (Lama'at)". Translated by William C. Chittick & Peter Lamborn Wilson. The Classics of Western Spirituality Series. Paulist Press.

#Sufism #Mysticism #Spirituality

[shadowkill]

Many many years ago when I began my spiritual path on my own, I kept meditating on la illah ha il Allah, doing deeper and deeper into it. It was like layers of veils were being peeled off of my mind, and every time that would happen, a deeper meaning of this Divine Statement would come to mind, and I would likewise dive into that. It kept occurring until the meaning came to me that there is no reality except God. And in that moment, I felt real.

[wrenlittle]

I love your seminars. As an old Christian woman with an open heart I enjoy learning about my brothers and sisters.
How lovely and deep are their thoughts. We are so close but hold ourselves apart.

[SeekersofUnity]

This exposition of Wahdat al-Wujud was so fine, a diamond of a video and gift to the world. Ibn Arabi would be proud to see youtube used to spread and explain ideas of unity like this. Keep em coming.

[alwilliams]

This is the best episode of anything on YouTube ever, full stop. I don't mean this as hyperbole. I want our future to include more people that "get" this concept.

[AminTavassoli]

I am Persian. I'm living now in the UK but I know many Sufis in Iran. This video was amazing and it's just incredible how accurate and beautiful you explained Wahdat al-Wujud! Thank you so much for this. Such videos make man drunker than any wine! When we define something, we distinguish it from other things by showing its attributes. But the concept of "Nothingness" cannot be described with a certain number of characteristics, otherwise, "Nothingness" would become "something", and therefore, it would be not "Nothingness" anymore and it would be limited to those characteristics of a thing. Therefore, when Nothingness cannot be defined, it means that it cannot be distinguished. Therefore, "Nothingness" must have all the characteristics and attributes at the same time and consequently, Nothingness is in fact Everything! and it means Nothingness is the very Being and has infinite attributes. and when we say God is infinite, then, God seems like "Nothingness" for the mind while it is also everything at the same time but it is not a certain limited thing because it is infinity! I want to add a Persian poem from Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammad, known as Mowlavi in Iran, who is the Persian poet known as Rumi:

مرد و زن چون یک شود آن یک تویی ** چون که یک جا محو شد آنک تویی‌‌
این من و ما بهر آن بر ساختی ** تا تو با خود نرد خدمت باختی‌‌
تا من و توها همه یک جان شوند ** عاقبت مستغرق جانان شوند
مثنوی ۱ از ۱۷۸۶ تا ۱۷۸۸

When man and woman become one, Thou art that One; when the units are wiped out, lo, Thou art that (Unity).
Thou didst contrive this “I” and “we” in order that Thou mightst play the game of worship with Thyself,
That all “I's” and “thou's” should become one soul and at last should be submerged in the Beloved.
Masnavi 1 (1786 - 1788)

[DK-jubk]

The line about God and creation viewing each other in mirrors was awesome

[KirurUwU]

Peace! I just felt like I should express some appreciation for your work on this channel. As a Muslim, it seems to me to be a great contribution and help in clearing up misconceptions around various people, their thoughts, and movements. I can also learn here about other religions, if they are as well respresented as I find Islam here to be. Keep up the good work!

[miralabualjadail]

One of the best explanations for an often misunderstood concept: "The Akbarian Wahdat al-Wujud (Oneness of Being) transcends duality without denying it: Haqq is Haqq and khalq is khalq. To use numerical symbolism... the number 1, 000 gets all its reality from the number 1, without which it is nothing. Even so, one cannot write 1 = 1, 000 or 1, 000 = 1, which would be to deny the unity of the one or the multiplicity of the multiple. The notion of theophany comes clear in its crucial sense: the three zeroes of the number 1, 000 (the word 'sifr, ' which designates zero means, precisely, 'nothing, ’ ‘emptiness’) in themselves are nonexistent. But preceded by the number 1, they express the series of epiphanies by means of which this principial 1 manifests to itself and by which each is unique: an instantaneous lightning flash of a Name which is not God, but which is not, either, other than God." - Michel Chodkiewicz

[mohamedbarnewi]

dude my youth has been centered around contemplating and consuming these things, but you manage to rock my world every time. thank you so much.

[calicaluang]

Beautifully explained, please continue making videos on Ibn Arabi(qs) and Muslim gnostics and mystics

[wickedharis-coc]

your Arabic Pronounciation is so good😍

[heghinbarseghyan]

I study Oriental studies and I am very interested in Islam and in religions generally. As a student I find your videos very interesting and informative. When I want to watch one of your videos, I need to grab a pen and a notebook, and I usually end up making many notes. Thank you for the great academic content. I am looking forward to watching all of your videos, and do further reading on the topics that interest me more. I hope one day I will know as much about religions as you do. :) Also thank you for always mentioning the main sources you use.

Much love and respect from Armenia!

[Aaron-bdsj]

You've become my favorite religious YouTuber and I just started watching your videos. Amazing.

[Oatmeal_Mann]

I come back to this video over and over again. To me this is the best description of God that I have yet found.

[chital_shikari]

God is Greater, the Greatest.

I type this with tears in my eyes. Thank you for this video and for this channel. May God bless you and Guide you to Him. Ameen.

[tahirabbasi]

I am so impressed by this young scholar. He has been blessed by the Divine

[PragyaChawla]

Bought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much. ‏لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ

[faizullakhan]

Having watched your other videos I feel you enjoyed doing this segment on Ibn Al Arabi the most. The excitement in your voice is unmistakable. Keep up the good work.

[developer-daniel]

I came to this realization by myself when I later found out about wahdatul wajood, reality makes so much more sense now. Because I've slightly experienced it first hand.

[ajbella]

This is the Truth and it transcends ALL religions. I have came to these same Truths and am just hearing about all of this right now. Pretty amazing