Summary
Ibn al-Arabi presents the wisdom of divinity or the divine command through the 27 prophets from Adam to Muhammad. The sheik in his wisdom asserts that the perception of something or someone of itself or themselves is not the same as the perception achieved through another thing or individual. He gives an example of something looking at itself in a mirror which is different from what that thing perceives of itself. It is through this concept that the reality of creation or God’s breathing into man (Adam) gave existence to the entire universe –unordered at first but became orderly following Adam’s reception of the divine spirit. Therefore, Adam became the essential principle of reflection for the universe as well as of God through the spirit of the form breathed into him. Ibn al-Arabi also postulates that angels are of the same form psychologically and physically as humans, reflected through Adam.
To comprehend this wisdom by the sheik, he ascertains that one cannot achieve by thinking rationally or intellectually; instead, one can only achieve this through divine disclosure gained after receiving the spirit. Therefore, man (Adam) embodies all the realities as man and pupil for it is through him that the world and humanity as we know it exists and by him as the Vice-Regent God preserves his creation. On this accord, all the names that refer to the divine image of God are manifested in the human form through which all existence integrates. As such, the angels are limited beings because they lack the comprehensiveness of Adam’s essence and divine names and, therefore, they can only understand those holy names unique to them that they use to glorify God.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The deities (universals) are intangible and unmanifest beings, yet they are conceived and known in the minds thereby imposing their effects on all existence. Therefore, God is not only life and knowledge but also living and knowing which is also true for man and angels. Thus, knowledge of God can only be achieved through an understanding of ourselves because we are his representatives in quality and value, except self-sufficiency. As such, when God looks upon us, he looks at himself. However, unlike God, we are dependent on him for existence. Therefore, the sheik resolves that Adam is the single soul and spiritual essence from which humankind was created.
Description
The document is a book that contains analects of religious philosophy regarding western spirituality. The book was initially written in hard copy scrolls composed of twenty-seven chapters touching on different areas of wisdom. Nonetheless, due to the advancement in technology, the book can as well be found online as a pdf or an e-book. The book was originally written in Arabic but was translated to English later in 1980 by R.W.J. Austin and Burckhardt. The book presents spiritual wisdom that resonates with all religions through prominent Islam and Christian figures such as Abraham, Adam, Muhamad, David, etc. Thus, the book explores the inner and insightful spiritual meanings of the Quran with implications to other faiths such as Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox. Also, other traditions such as the Native Americans traditions are implicated.
The book Bezels of Wisdom was originally written by Ibn al-Arabi between1223 and 1240, a Sufi Mystic and philosopher termed as one of the world’s great spiritual teachers, (MIAS, n.d). Ibn al-Arabi was not only visionary and spiritual at a young age but also an excellent teacher embracing esoteric spirituality, concepts which gave insight to the philosophical development of the book. The book was intended for the Sufi as a guideline for improving their overall spiritual life. As Chittick (1982) ascertains, the book served as metaphysical speculation within Sufism, but later on, influenced Islam and Islamic philosophy. As such, the book down the line became a sensation for other religions both Muslim and non-Muslim drawing from its wisdom. Having traveled the world and garnering vast knowledge, Ibn al-Arabi wrote the book in Damascus at the twilight of his life as a synopsis of his controversial life teachings revealed to him in a spiritual revelation and dream. In essence, what Ibn al-Arabi might have wanted the audience to draw from his writings is that all religions are equally fundamental and salient and that a perfect human being who is the self-manifestation of God is one who knows all religions, (Abrahamov, 2015).
Reasons for Composing the Book
Ibn al-Arabi sought to bring about cohesion and togetherness in not only the Sufi tradition but also Islam. Also, he strived to proffer a wealth of spiritual and intellectual insight and discipline regarding the central issues of human experience and existence. Thus, he attempted to provide a vast depository of traditional and mystical learning in the bid to offer solutions to the significant difficulties inherent to the divine-human enigma. Moreover, following the controversy and heated debate regarding his life’s teachings some of which came from great leaders across the world and most from Sufi scholars, Ibn al-Arabi wrote the book as an elaboration and synopsis of his teachings. Thus his philosophical teachings represented a culmination of Sufi exposition as well as Islamic intellectual expression.
Furthermore, Ibn al-Arabi authored the book or scrolls that formed the book as a documentation of the spiritual manifestations and dreams divinely revealed to him. Having traveled the world, Ibn al-Arabi wrote the book from his experiences as an in-depth and insightful expression of the wisdom he garnered about spirituality and religion. From his divine and spiritual revelations, Ibn al-Arabi sought to impart that man, in his sovereign perfection is the complete image of the reality of the universe and how those who genuinely know themselves essentially know God. He also sought to explain the exposition of the unity of man and God as a unified reality manifested and mirrored in all things in the world. Further, he yearned to espouse that all individuals are inherently different, and as such, have different and unique paths to the truth (God), which unites all paths. Thus, he theorized that; “the color of the water is the color of the receptacle,” which essentially meant that man and the universe are the images and reflections of God. Ultimately, he aimed to show how the twenty-seven prophets from Adam to Muhammad had an immense impact on his wisdom and prophetic career, (Chittick, 2007).
References
Abrahamov, B. (2015). Ibn Al-Arabi's Fusus Al-Hikam: An Annotated Translation of “The Bezels of Wisdom.” Routledge.
Al-Arabi, I. (1980). The bezels of wisdom . Paulist Press.
Chittick, W. C. (1982). Ibn’Arabi’s Own Summary of The Fusûs: The Imprint of The Bezels of the Wisdom. Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn’Arabi Society , 1-44. Retrieved from http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/articlespdf/naqshalfusus.pdf
Chittick, W. C. (2007). Ibn'Arabi: Heir to the prophets . Oneworld Publications.
MIAS. (n.d). Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi 1165 -1240AD. Retrieved from http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/ibnarabi.html
