Ibn Arabi - Sufism & the Unity of Existence

Ibn Arabi was one of the most influential #Sufi thinkers and philosophers in history. Born on August 7, 1165, in Murcia, #IbnArabi was an Andalusian philosopher and #mystic who is widely regarded as one of the best-known Sufis. Due to his great influence on the general development of Sufism, he is also referred to as "The Greatest Master" of #Sufi thought.

Ibn Arabi's father was a general in the service of Ibn Mardanīš, a local ruler of the region around Murcia, who was then proclaiming his independence from the Almoravids. After Ibn Mardanīš was later defeated, the father of Ibn Arabi moved to Seville with his family and entered the service of Caliph Abu Yaʿqūb Yūsufa. Thus, from 1172, Ibn Arabi spent his childhood in Seville, where he enjoyed a quiet and aristocratic upbringing. However, around the age of fifteen, he began to lead a withdrawn and ascetic life. At that time, he had no teachers, but he already had numerous mystical experiences, visions, and insights that he would later write down. Around the year 1184, at the age of nineteen, he can be called a Sufi. By 1201, he was touring various cities in Andalusia such as Cordoba, Algeciras, Ronda, Almeria, and Granada. From 1193, he also began to travel outside of Andalusia, eventually leaving Andalusia and northwestern Africa to spend the rest of his life in the Middle East.

The first phase of his life up to 1201 can be seen as the time of #spiritual maturation. This is reflected in the numerous writings and books that he wrote during this time. Such as Kitab al-Mashahihid al-qudsiyya, al-Isra, at Tadbirat al ilahiyya, Mawaqiʿ an-nujum. Most of his teachings are found in these works. He later dealt with them in detail but did not revise or retract on them. During the second phase of his life, he decided to travel to Cairo, Jerusalem, Hebron, Aleppo and make a pilgrimage to Mecca. The purpose of his travels in the East was not to gain knowledge but rather to make known his own beliefs in those regions.

In his book "Fusus al-Hikam" and much of what he says in "al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah," Ibn Arabi affirms the #Oneness of #God by negating any other existence. This means that there is nothing in existence except for God's existence and His attributes. Everything else is merely an appearance and a manifestation of His existence.

According to Ibn Arabi's doctrine of the #UnityofExistence, all things in existence are ultimately one reality that does not contain any duality or plurality.   God and the world, which are often seen as separate entities, are both included in this.   According to Ibn Arabi, existence can be referred to as the truth (al-Haqq) when viewed from the perspective of its unity, and as the created (al-khalq) when viewed from the perspective of its multiplicity.   However, these two names or aspects refer to the same entity.

Ibn Arabi held the belief that the unity of existence was self-evident and did not necessitate any evidence or proof.   On the other hand, he thought that one could attain it by practicing Sufism, where the person acknowledges the oneness of their self with the truth.   He believed that understanding this unity required more than just intellect and that it also needed the assistance of #revelation and taste.