The Meccan Revelations: Preface
PROJECT ORIGINS AND INTENTION
The translations in this volume originated from a project conceived by Michel Chodkiewicz to create the first representative overview of Ibn 'Arabî's major work, Meccan Revelations (al-Futûbât al-Makkiya). Recognizing the immense challenge of selecting from and translating a work of such scale, Chodkiewicz assembled an international team of scholars in late 1984. With financial support from the Rothko Chapel and editorial assistance from Dr. Martine Gillet, the bilingual volume, Les Illuminations de La Mecque, was published in Paris in 1988.
PROJECT IMPACT AND EVOLVING SCHOLARSHIP
This project significantly advanced the study of Ibn 'Arabî's works, particularly the Futûhât. Professor Chodkiewicz went on to publish two foundational studies, while other collaborators, including Professor Denis Gril, Professor William Chittick, and James W. Morris, continued to produce important editions, translations, and studies. Consequently, the years since the initial publication have seen a global transformation in the understanding and appreciation of Ibn 'Arabî's writings, both within the Islamic world and in Western academic and spiritual circles.
PUBLICATION OF THE ENGLISH EDITION
The original French edition became difficult to access in the English-speaking world due to its size, cost, and eventual unavailability from the original publishers. To address this, Pir Publications has undertaken the initiative to publish the English-language translations, which comprised over two-thirds of the original volume, as a separate book. This new edition is intended to make these essential translations widely available. Pir Publications has also announced a future volume that will include English translations of the original French chapters and Professor Chodkiewicz's introduction.
Concise Summary
This preface recounts the history of the translation project, from its inception as a bilingual French-English edition to its current publication as a standalone English volume, intended to make Ibn 'Arabî's foundational work more accessible.
SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION
The Meccan Revelations: Introduction
VOLUME STRUCTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY
This volume has been assembled with the intention that each section, along with its introduction and notes, be self-contained and accessible to readers unfamiliar with Ibn 'Arabî's work. The chosen passages are substantial enough to convey the deep connection between his unique writing style and its purpose of spiritual realization. This introduction provides background information on Ibn 'Arabî's life, the origins of The Meccan Revelations, its key assumptions, its overall structure, and suggestions for further reading.
THE INDISPENSABLE ROLE OF NOTES
It is absolutely essential for the reader to understand that the notes are an integral and indispensable part of the translation. They are necessary for several reasons. First, Ibn 'Arabî frequently uses common Arabic terms from the Qur'an and hadith in specific, technical senses that may be provocative or unfamiliar even to his original audience. For example, he uses "Muhammadan" to mean spiritually universal, and Shar' to refer to the ongoing process of spiritual inspiration. Second, he plays on the multiple meanings of key Arabic terms, which function more like musical chords than simple words with single equivalents. Translators often include the transliterated Arabic to help readers familiar with the terminology. Third, the text constantly shifts between different fields of traditional learning, such as philosophy and theology, which may be unfamiliar to modern readers. Finally, the work contains many cross-references to other parts of the book that are essential for understanding specific passages, and the notes help reconstruct the experience of reading the text in its entirety.
IBN 'ARABI'S LIFE AND LEGACY
Born in Murcia, Andalusia, in 1165, Ibn 'Arabî's spiritual gifts were apparent from a young age. He traveled extensively throughout Spain and North Africa before leaving for the Hajj in 1202, an event that inspired The Meccan Revelations. He spent his mature years traveling and teaching privately in the Islamic East, eventually settling in Damascus where he died in 1240. Externally, he lived the ideal of the "hidden" Friends of God, conforming outwardly to normative religious and social practices while avoiding public displays of spiritual gifts. Though accompanied by only a small group of disciples, his prolific writings later established his role as the "Seal of Muhammadan Sainthood."
Within a few centuries of his death, his works, especially the Bezels of Wisdom and The Meccan Revelations, became a foundational source of inspiration for the creative movements that shaped the institutions and masterworks of the Islamic humanities, profoundly influencing the development of Islam as a world religion. His honorific title, "the greatest Master" (al-Shaykh al-Akbar), only begins to suggest the extent of his impact. Over the past century, his writings have also inspired intellectuals and spiritual seekers outside of traditional Islamic cultures, providing a conceptual framework for communicating universal spiritual realities in a global civilization.
THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE MECCAN REVELATIONS
The inspiration for The Meccan Revelations occurred during Ibn 'Arabî's first pilgrimage to Mecca in 1202. He described the work as arising from what God inspired in him while circumambulating the Ka'ba. The actual composition took place over many years of travel, with the first version completed in 1231 and a final revised version finished in 1238, shortly before his death. Ibn 'Arabî asserted that all his books were composed not in the ordinary way, but through a form of divine inspiration, stating, "I have not written a single letter of this book that was not in accordance with a divine 'dictation'." This unique origin is reflected in a literary style that parallels the deeper structures of the Qur'an and has remained inimitable.
CONTRAST WITH THE BEZELS OF WISDOM
While the guiding ideas in The Meccan Revelations are the same as in his more famous Bezels of Wisdom (Fusûs al-Hikam), they are expressed with vivid attention to their experiential roots. The Futûhât is filled with compelling illustrations from his own spiritual life and the lives of earlier Sufis and prophets, focusing on the living process of spiritual realization. In contrast to the highly compressed, metaphysical language of the Bezels, most chapters of the Futûhât are written in a more discursive and explanatory prose, making them more accessible than his earlier, highly symbolic works from his youth in North Africa and Andalusia.
FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS AND SYMBOLIC LANGUAGES
Ibn 'Arabî's teachings should be approached not as doctrines to be believed, but as "working assumptions" or "orientations" designed to awaken the reader's own spiritual insight. A fundamental assumption is the profound correspondence between three "books": the book of creation (being), the book of revelation, and the book of the human soul. His writings are designed to awaken insights accessible to each individual reader in their specific situation. His distinctive rhetoric of "allusion"—marked by sudden shifts in perspective, paradox, and mystery—is modeled on the Qur'an and aims to break through habitual beliefs to enable an immediate perception of "things as they really are."
The ultimate human goal is "immediate knowing" ('ilm), a divine gift realized through the practice of spiritual intelligence, or tahqiq. This process involves seeking what is truly real (al-haqq), undergoing inner realization, and actualizing ethical imperatives. To guide this process, Ibn 'Arabî uses several symbolic "languages." These include the theological language of the divine Names, which map cosmology and cosmogenesis, and the psychologically precise symbolism of eschatology, which maps the soul's journey of realization. His use of these scriptural languages is interwoven with the terminologies of Islamic philosophy, science, and the practical traditions of Sufism.
IBN 'ARABI'S INTRODUCTION TO HIS READERS
In his own introduction to the work, Ibn 'Arabî explains that he chose not to begin with a chapter on theological creeds because it would distract the properly prepared reader. He states that one who persists in remembering God and empties the heart of thought can receive divine secrets and supernal understandings directly from God. He quotes Abu Yazîd al-Bastamî, who said, "You all took your knowledge like a dead person...from another dead person. But we took our knowing from the Living One who never dies!" Such inspired knowing, he argues, is concealed from theologians and anyone who relies solely on intellectual inquiry. He then offers three successive "creeds" for different audiences: one for the uneducated and intellectual speculators; a second for the people of external forms; and a third for the elite people of God, the "verifiers" who follow the path of spiritual unveiling. He states that the credo of the "quintessence" of the spiritual elite is not given in any single place but is scattered throughout the book, to be recognized only by those whom God has granted understanding. He explains this is because most intellects are veiled by their thoughts and fall short of perceiving such profundities due to a lack of spiritual purification.
THE ARCHITECTONIC STRUCTURE OF THE FUTÛHÂT
The work is divided into 560 chapters organized into six main sections, a structure that appears to date from its initial inspiration in 1202.
I. Section on the fields of [inspired] knowing (Chapters 1-73): This section introduces all the book's major themes, covering cosmology, spiritual types, eschatology, and a detailed phenomenology of spiritual experience related to Islamic ritual practices.
II. Section on (proper) modes of action (Chapters 74-189): This part focuses on the "interactions" between the soul and its Source, framed in terms of the spiritual "stations" (maqâm) on the path of realization, centered on the ideal of becoming a "pure servant."
III. Section on spiritual states (Chapters 190-269): This section addresses the classical Sufi distinctions of passing spiritual states, analyzing them in their wider ontological and epistemological contexts to highlight their role and dangers in the process of realization.
IV. Section on spiritual "points of descent" (Chapters 270-383): These dense and often lengthy chapters correspond in inverse order to the inner meanings of each Sura of the Qur'an, with each "waystation" (manzil) representing a place where God descends to the soul.
V. Section on spiritual "mutual points of encounter" (Chapters 384-461): The chapters in this section are complex reflections and insights connected with key passages from the Qur'an or other divine sayings.
VI. Section on spiritual stations (Chapters 462-560): This vast final section is mostly devoted to identifying a series of spiritual "Poles"—the chief of a particular spiritual type—and the inner realization of a particular spiritual motto or formula of invocation. The final three chapters serve as recapitulations of the entire work, covering the divine Names, the secrets concealed in the preceding chapters, and a vast collection of practical advice.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
A number of translations, biographies, and studies of Ibn 'Arabî have been published in recent years. For his life and teachings, S. Hirtenstein's The Unlimited Mercifier is recommended for general audiences, while C. Addas's Quest for the Red Sulphur offers a more academic introduction. William Chittick's The Sufi Path of Knowledge provides a detailed introduction based on hundreds of translations from the Futûhât. For the Bezels of Wisdom, T. Izutsu's A Comparative Study of the Key Philosophical Concepts in Sufism and Taoism remains a comprehensible introduction. M. Sells's Stations of Desire offers a superb entry into the poetic dimension of his work. Foundational studies include M. Chodkiewicz's The Seal of the Saints and An Ocean Without Shore, as well as Henry Corbin's Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn 'Arabî. For ongoing scholarship, the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabî Society is an essential resource.
Concise Summary
This introduction provides a comprehensive guide for new readers, detailing the volume's accessible structure, the critical importance of its notes for understanding Ibn 'Arabî's technical language, his life and profound legacy, and the experiential nature of The Meccan Revelations compared to his other works. It outlines his core assumptions about reality, his pedagogical method of using symbolic languages to foster spiritual realization, and the grand, six-part structure of the original text.
SECTION 3: CHAPTER 6: The Origin of Creation
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 6
A CONCISE EXPOSITION ON CREATION
The origin of all creation is a reality called the Dust, and the first existent to appear within it was the Muhammadan Reality. This creation came into existence from the Known Reality, which itself cannot be described as either existent or non-existent. It emerged within the Dust, taking on the form that was already known within God's own Self. The purpose of creation was to make the divine realities manifest, and its ultimate goal is deliverance from the mixture of opposing qualities, so that each world may recognize its share from its Producer.
Man is small in his body and temporal origin, yet he is theomorphic, created as God's vicegerent in a world that is subjected to him. A person's most perfect state is in this world, where one is a composite of faith and infidelity, felicity and wretchedness. Though theophany in the next world is more elevated, knowledge in this world is more complete. I am the spirit of the Great Existence; I belong to the Eternal but am manifest in the newly arisen. Every existence revolves around my own, for though I may be called a servant, I am also the All-Aware Existence.
THE FOUR OBJECTS OF KNOWLEDGE
All things that can be known fall into four categories. The first is God, who is Nondelimited Being, existing through His own Essence. Knowledge of Him is limited to knowing that He exists and knowing His Attributes of Perfection; knowledge of His Essence is prohibited and cannot be grasped by logic or definition, as "Nothing is like Him."
The second object of knowledge is the Universal Reality, which is qualified by neither existence nor nonexistence. It is eternal when describing the Eternal and temporally originated when describing the originated. This reality is the root of all existents and the sphere of life; one can say it is the world and not the world, God and not God. For example, the quality of "woodness" is the reality within a timber, a chair, and a coffin, just as "whiteness" is the reality manifest in cloth, paper, and pearls.
The third object of knowledge is the entire world, including the angels, the celestial spheres, the air, and the earth. The fourth object of knowledge is man, the vicegerent to whom God has subjected all that is in the heavens and the earth. One who knows these four objects has no other knowledge to seek.
THE PROCESS OF DIVINE CREATION
God was, and nothing was with Him, and He is now as He was. When He desired the world to exist, a reality called the Dust arose from His sacred Desire through a theophany directed toward the Universal Reality. This Dust can be compared to plaster a builder uses to mold any desired shape. Then God manifested Himself through His Light to that Dust, which some call "Universal Hylé." The entire world existed in potentiality within the Dust, and each thing received from His Light according to its own preparedness.
The nearest thing in the Dust to receive the Light was the Reality of Muhammad, also called the Intellect. He is therefore the lord of the entire world and the first thing to become manifest in existence. The world came into existence in the likeness of the Knowledge subsisting in God's Self. We exist in accordance with His knowledge of us, so our form is the shape eternally present in His knowledge. Our likeness is eternal through God's eternity, as it is one of His Attributes.
THE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF CREATION
God created the jinn and mankind to serve Him, with "jinn" here referring to all that is hidden, including angels. The entire world—every stone, plant, and animal—is intelligent, living, and speaking, though this is only perceived through spiritual unveiling, not by ordinary senses. People are blind to the mystery of life that fills the entire cosmos. The purpose of creation was to manifest the authority of the divine Names, for attributes like generosity or compassion would be nullified without an object upon which to act.
The ultimate goal of creation is deliverance from mixture. God mixed two "handfuls," one good and one corrupt, and from this dough He differentiated individuals. The goal is to separate these two handfuls so each may be isolated in its own world, with the corrupt being separated from the good and placed in Gehenna. Those who die with some of this mixture remaining will be delivered from it either at the Reckoning or in Gehenna through intercession, while those fully separated in this life are transferred directly to bliss or chastisement after death.
MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM: THE SPHERES OF THE WORLDS
There are four worlds, which exist both in the Greater World (everything outside man) and the Smaller World (man himself). The one is a transcription of the other. The Highest World includes the Muhammadan Reality (whose human equivalent is the holy spirit), the Throne (the body), the Footstool (the soul), the Inhabited House (the heart), the angels (spirits and faculties), and the celestial spheres of the planets, which correspond to man's cognitive faculties like memory, intellect, reflection, and imagination.
The World of Transmutation consists of the sphere of ether or fire (equivalent to yellow bile and the digestive faculty), air (blood and the attractive faculty), water (phlegm and the expulsive faculty), and earth (black bile and the retentive faculty). The seven strata of the earth correspond to the skin, fat, flesh, veins, nerves, muscles, and bones in the human body.
The World of Inhabitation includes the Spirituals (faculties in man), the world of animals (that which has sensation), the world of plants (that which grows), and the world of inanimate things (that which has no sensation).
Finally, the World of Relations encompasses accidents (like colors), quality (health and sickness), quantity (bodily proportions), location (the placement of body parts), time, relation ("this is my father, so I am his son"), position (language), activity ("I ate"), and passivity ("I became satiated"). This world also includes the diversity of forms, which corresponds to the human faculty that receives meanings related to character, such that a clever person is an elephant, a stupid one is a donkey, and a brave one is a lion.
Concise Summary
This chapter outlines a complete cosmology, explaining that creation originated from the "Dust" through a theophany of divine Light, with the purpose of manifesting God's Names, and details the profound correspondences between the macrocosmic worlds and the microcosm of man.
SECTION 4: CHAPTER 73: The Perfect Man
THE CROWN OF THE KING
The "Crown of the King" is the Perfect Man. Just as a sultan's signature crowns a royal document, the Perfect Man—who by his very essence gathers together all realities—serves as the crowning mark on existence itself. He is the one referred to in the Prophet's words, "God created Adam upon His own form." The divine perfection only becomes fully manifest in composite things, and the Perfect Man is the ultimate composite being. He is the "first" in divine intention, the "last" in actual existence, "manifest" through his physical form, and "nonmanifest" in his inner meaning.
MAN'S COMPREHENSIVE NATURE
The Perfect Man's unique status stems from his ability to unite nature and intellect within himself. His composition is both the most subtle and the most gross, and he possesses the capacity for disengagement from physical matter and the faculties that govern bodies. No other creature has this quality, which is why he alone was singled out for the knowledge of all the divine Names and the All-Comprehensive Words. Although the angels are a higher level of creature, they were his students when he taught them the Names, demonstrating that the human plane of existence is more perfect and complete than theirs.
THE FUNCTION OF THE PERFECT MAN
As the locus of theophany for all the Divine Names, the Perfect Man is the noblest adornment of creation. It is through him that the divine judgment concerning reward and punishment becomes manifest in the world. Just as a king's commands are executed through his crown or signature, it is through the Perfect Man that the order of the universe is established and overthrown; in him, God decrees, determines, and judges.
Concise Summary
This section identifies the Perfect Man as the "Crown of the King," the being through whom divine perfection is made manifest in creation because he uniquely combines all realities and serves as the locus for God's decrees.
SECTION 5: The Glories of the Face
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 73
THE NATURE OF THE FACE
The "face" of a thing refers to its essential reality.
THE VEILS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS
Generally, these Glories are the lights associated with professing God's
Incomparability (tanzîh), which involves negating from Him anything unworthy, namely the properties of nonexistence.
The Divine Names themselves are of two kinds, forming veils of light and darkness.
Names of Light: These denote ontological realities.
Names of Darkness: These denote Incomparability.
The Prophet said that God has "seventy thousand veils of light and darkness; were they to be removed, the Glories of His Face would incinerate everything perceived by the creatures' eyes."
UNITY AND THE ROLE OF THE NAMES
If the Divine Names—which are the veils—were lifted, the
Unity (ahadiyya) of the Divine Essence would become manifest.
Concise Summary
This section explains that the "Glories of the Face" are the lights of the Divine Essence, veiled by the Divine Names, which act as barriers of both light (similarity) and darkness (incomparability) that are necessary for creation to exist.
SECTION 6: The Beauty of God and the Beauty of the World
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 73
DIVINE BEAUTY AND CREATION
The world's beauty originates from God's self-manifestation in His name, "the Beautiful."
THE ONENESS OF LOVE AND BEING
The love that different parts of the world have for each other ultimately derives from God's love for Himself.
nothing exists except God.
Similarly, God's Speech is His Knowledge, and His Knowledge is His Essence.
KNOWLEDGE BEYOND THE INTELLECT
Those who truly know God learn things about Him that the intellect cannot grasp through its own reflection.
Not every form of knowledge can be expressed in words; many are sciences of direct spiritual experience, or "Tastings" (
'ulum al-adhwaq).
Concise Summary
This passage asserts that the world's beauty is a direct manifestation of God's own beauty, and since only God truly exists, all love within creation is ultimately God's love for Himself. True knowledge of this reality is attained not through intellect alone but through direct spiritual tasting.
SECTION 7: The Breath of the All-Merciful
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 198
THE THREE REALMS
The entirety of reality consists of God and creation, which can be understood through three fundamental principles:
Sheer Being: This is God, without beginning or end, who can never receive nonexistence.
Sheer Nonexistence: This is that which is impossible to exist.
Sheer Possibility: This is the world, which lies between Being and nonexistence. It receives existence for a reason and nonexistence for a reason.
It is a composite of darkness (nature) and light (the All-Merciful Breath), which bestows existence.
CREATION THROUGH THE BREATH
The world is both a carrier (form, body) and what is carried (meaning, spirit).
Breath toward it, which is the Spirit of God.
HIERARCHY OF FORMS
The process of creation unfolds through a hierarchy of forms, each animated by the divine Breath:
Celestial Forms: The passive pillars of the heavens, when breathed upon, come alive. The parts that accept ignition are called stars.
Spiritual Forms: Forms engendered from a spiritual movement are called the Universal Body, Throne, and Footstool. The parts that ignite are stars, like pupils in a face.
Intellective Forms: An intellective form arises from a disengaged intellect. When the Lord shapes it and breathes into it, the part that ignites is a light of knowledge, the part that moves is a work, and the essence carrying both is a soul.
Divine Forms: A divine form can be all-comprehensive (man) or not (the Intellect). When God breathes into the Intellect, it is made to carry all knowledge of existence until the Day of Resurrection.
When He breathes into the form of the First Man, he is made to carry the knowledge of the Divine Names. In man, who emerges on the form of God, the property of the Breath comes to its end.
Creation is thus renewed at every breath, as the Breath of the All-Merciful is forever turning its attentiveness and nature is forever undergoing generation.
THE IMMUTABLE REALITY OF THE WORLD
The world is a reliable "mark" (
'alâma), not of God Himself—since God is independent of the worlds—but of the immutable entities (a'yân... al-thâbita) of possible things.
He who relies upon the world in this respect has relied upon something sound and unchanging.
Concise Summary
This section describes creation as the result of the "Breath of the All-Merciful" animating forms that arise from the realm of "sheer possibility," with man representing the most perfect and comprehensive form. The world is a reliable sign of its own immutable realities, which are the properties of things as they are manifest in God.
SECTION 8: The Most Beautiful Names
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 558
THE DIVINE PRESENCE
The "Most Beautiful Names" are the
Divine Presences, which are sought by the properties of all possible things.
THE ALL-COMPREHENSIVE NAME "ALLAH"
The name
"Allah" is the Presence that comprehends all other Presences, and therefore, every worshipper of God worships nothing but this Presence.
CLASSIFICATION OF DIVINE NAMES
All Divine Names, however many there may be, can be reduced to one of three kinds, and all of them denote the Essence:
Names of Incomparability: These denote God's transcendence.
Names Affirming Attributes: These make known the affirmative Attributes of the Essence, such as the Knower, the Powerful, and the Willing.
They also include names that denote relations and correlations, like the First and the Last, and names that denote Acts, like the Creator and the Provider.
THE PROPER HUMAN RESPONSE
This comprehensive Presence, contained in the name Allah, evokes specific states in the one who knows it:
bewilderment, worship, and a profession of Incomparability.
Concise Summary
This chapter explains that the Most Beautiful Names are Divine Presences encompassing God's Essence, Attributes, and Acts, with the name "Allah" being the all-comprehensive name that is the true object of all worship. Contemplating this reality leads the knower into a state of profound bewilderment.
SECTION 9: The Mahdi's Helpers
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 366
THE ROLE OF THE MAHDI
God has a viceregent (
khalifa), the Mahdi, who will appear at the end of time when the earth is filled with injustice and will then fill it with justice.
'ulama'), because they will see him judging differently from their imams.
THE NATURE OF THE HELPERS
The Mahdi will be supported by a group of divine men who uphold his call; they are his
Helpers (wuzara').
NINE SPIRITUAL QUALITIES
The Helpers must possess nine essential spiritual qualities. These include:
Penetrating vision.
Understanding the divine address when it is delivered.
The knowledge of how to translate from God.
Appointing the various ranks of authority.
Mercy in anger.
Knowledge of the forms of spiritual sustenance.
Knowledge of the interpenetration of things.
Striving to satisfy the needs of mankind.
Possessing the knowledge of the Unseen that he requires.
THE SPIRITUAL REALITY OF THE MAHDI'S STAGE
The distinctive spiritual qualities of the Mahdi and his Helpers are not limited to an eschatological future.
already realized by those saints (awliya') who have attained this degree of spiritual realization and have reached the "end of time" within themselves.
Concise Summary
This chapter describes the eschatological role of the Mahdi, a divinely guided ruler who will restore the Pure Religion, and his spiritually perfected "Helpers," who possess nine essential qualities. These qualities represent a spiritual station that can be realized by saints in any era.
SECTION 10: The Soul's Return
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 302
THE FATE OF THE SPIRIT AFTER DEATH
When spirits separate from their physical bodies, there are differing views on what occurs.
barzakh), similar to the forms one sees in dreams, until they are raised up in their physical bodies on the day of Resurrection.
THE VISIBLE PRESENCE OF THE UNSEEN WORLD
The Garden of Paradise, which is attained in the other world, is
already visible in this world to those with unveiled spiritual perception.
Similarly, they see the great rivers like the Nile and Euphrates as the rivers of honey, water, wine, and milk that are in the Garden.
THE AWAKENED SENSES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
The people of God have eyes, ears, hearts, and tongues that are different from the ordinary physical ones.
Concise Summary
This section discusses the soul's state after death and reveals that the realities of the next world, such as Paradise and Hell, are already present and visible in this world to those with unveiled spiritual senses. The "people of God" perceive these truths with awakened inner faculties that are distinct from ordinary physical perception.
Here is an analysis of the selected sections.
SECTION 11: The Voluntary Death
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 351
THE CHOICE OF RETURN
Since every soul must inevitably return to God and meet Him, one faces a choice: return willingly or be returned by compulsion. The Prophet taught that God’s disposition mirrors our own in this meeting: "Whoever loves to meet God, God loves to meet him; and whoever is averse to meeting God, God is averse to meeting him."
DEATH IN LIFE
Knowing that meeting God requires death, the spiritual seeker chooses to bring about this death sooner, while still living in this world. This voluntary death is the act of dying to all personal concerns, activities, and desires, so that one meets God in the very Source of life. For those who achieve this, the experience of physical death will not bring any change to their state or increase their certainty, for they have already tasted their "first death" in this world.
THE NATURE OF PHYSICAL DEATH FOR THE KNOWER
For the person who returns to God in this way, physical death is not a momentous event. It is simply the soul, which is already with God, ceasing to govern the physical body. That body reverts to its origin in the dust, like a house whose occupant has traveled away. The soul remains with God in the same condition, and even when it is raised up on the Day of Resurrection, its state of being with God will not change.
THE OTHER WORLD
In the other world, the planes of being are reversed. The person’s inward dimension maintains a single, permanent form, while the outward dimension undergoes rapid transformations corresponding to one’s inner thoughts and desires. This is an abode of swift reaction, where external reality is shaped by the inner state, much like passing thoughts shape one’s inner world here.
Concise Summary
This section describes the "voluntary death," a spiritual practice of dying to the self while physically alive, which allows one to meet God lovingly and transforms the experience of physical death from a compulsory return into a seamless transition.
SECTION 12: The Lesser Resurrection and Initiatic Death
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 369
THE FINAL RETURN
The ultimate end for every person, whether a person of faith or a polytheist, is the return from the multiplicity of creation to the One. The person of faith who is granted spiritual unveiling attains this vision before leaving the world. The one who only attains this certainty at the moment of physical death is subject to the divine Will and may face torments for their sins before reaching a state of felicity.
TWO RESURRECTIONS
God brought two Resurrections into existence:
The Lesser Resurrection: This is the transfer of a person from the life of this world to the life of the intermediate world (barzakh) in an imaginal body. The Prophet said, "When someone dies, his Resurrection has already begun."
The Greater Resurrection: This is the universal Resurrection of the Raising (ba'th) of all humanity from their graves and the supreme Gathering (al-hashr al-a'zam).
THE TOMBS OF THE SPIRITS
Our physical bodies are the coffins and tombs of our spirits; they are what veil the spirits from witnessing the spiritual world. The spirits can only see, and be seen, by being parted from these bodily tombs. This parting is achieved not through physical separation, but by becoming oblivious to the body through spiritual absorption (fana'). When the spirits become oblivious to witnessing their bodies, they witness the One who gives them Being in the very act of witnessing themselves. As the saying goes, "he who knows his self knows his Lord."
THE STAGES OF CERTAINTY
This process marks a movement through the stages of spiritual certainty. By witnessing one's self and thereby witnessing one's Lord, a person moves from the "certainty of knowledge" to the "certainty of seeing." Then, when the person is returned to their bodily "tomb"—that is, back to conscious awareness of the physical world—they possess the highest stage of "true certainty." Through this, one learns the inner differentiation of the Truly Real and understands that the prophetic announcements were true.
Concise Summary
This passage distinguishes between the Lesser Resurrection (an individual's transition to the imaginal world) and the Greater Resurrection (the universal gathering), explaining that true spiritual vision is achieved by "dying" to the physical body, which allows the soul to progress through stages of certainty to a full realization of its Lord.
SECTION 13: The Presence of the Hour
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 73
THE NEARNESS OF THE HOUR
The Hour of Resurrection is so named because it is perpetually "hastening" toward us, passing through the moments of time and our very breaths. "When someone dies," his Hour has arrived and "his Resurrection has already begun." This individual, or Lesser Hour, continues until the Day of the Greater Hour. The arrival of the Hour is closer than the twinkling of an eye; its coming, its judgment, and its execution are a single, instantaneous event that peoples the two Abodes: the Garden and the Flame.
THE POWER OF IMAGINATION
No one can truly be aware of this nearness except the person who understands God's power as manifested in the existence of Imagination (al-khayal). One who knows this power can see the effect of Imagination in sense perception and can witness how years can be folded up into the smallest instant of time.
THE STORY OF JAWHARI
An illustration of this phenomenon is the story of Jawhari. While in a state of ritual impurity, he went to a baker's oven with some dough. He then went to the Nile to perform ablutions. While standing in the water, he had a vision, as if in a dream, that he was in Baghdad. There, he married, lived with his wife for six years, and had several children. He then returned to his ordinary consciousness while still standing in the water, finished his ablutions, picked up his bread, and went home. Months later, the woman from his vision arrived at his house with his children, confirming that she had married him six years prior. Thus, what happened in the Imagination emerged concretely in sense-perception.
SPIRITUAL POWERS AND THE PROPHET'S ASCENSION
This is one of the topics that ordinary intellects consider impossible. However, God is Omnipotent and has created the world with diverse properties. He has singled out His saints by bestowing on them special spiritual powers with unique properties, which are only denied by someone ignorant of the power appropriate to the divine Proximity. The Prophet's Ascension, in which he traversed immense distances in a short period of time, provides a sufficient illustration of this matter.
Concise Summary
The "Hour" of Resurrection is perpetually imminent, closer than a blink of an eye, a reality understood by those who grasp the power of Imagination to compress time. This power, illustrated by the story of Jawhari, is a spiritual gift from God that allows His saints to experience realities beyond ordinary perception.
SECTION 14: The Beatific Vision of the Saints
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 73
VISION ACCORDING TO BELIEF
The vision of God on the "Day of the Visit" is experienced according to each person's beliefs formed in this world. A person who formed their belief about God through a combination of intellectual reflection, immediate spiritual "unveiling," and imitation of their Prophet will see their Lord in three corresponding theophanies at the same instant. Similarly, those who relied on only one of these sources will have their vision limited to that particular kind of theophany.
THE VISION OF THE TRUE FRIENDS OF GOD
The true "Friends of God" (awliya’ Allah) are distinguished from all others. They are not governed by any single spiritual station and are defined by their integral relationship to their Lord. On the Day of the Visit, such people see their Lord with the eye of every belief. The person who wishes to attain this should, in this world, seek out all the different beliefs people profess about God and understand the particular aspect that makes each belief valid for the one who holds it. By doing so, they will reap the fruit of every profession on the Day of the Visit.
THE REALITY BEHIND ALL BELIEFS
The principle behind this is that each person who looks at God is under the influence of one of the divine Names, which manifests Itself to them and gives them their particular belief. Since the relations of all the divine Names to the Truly Real are sound, the vision of God in every belief is sound, despite their differences. The gaze of every person never leaves God. Most people, however, are veiled from the Truly Real by the Truly Real's own overwhelming clarity.
THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING KNOWLEDGE
This group of true Friends of God, who possess this comprehensive knowledge, are in a separate row on the Day of the Visit. When the other believers return from the Visit, each one imagines that the saint belongs to their group alone, because they see that the saint's form of belief during the Visit is just like their own. God is far too exalted to be bound by any single form or delimitation. In understanding this, one comes to know the universality of the felicity of all creation and the vast extent of God's Mercy.
Concise Summary
This passage explains that the beatific vision of God is experienced according to each person's beliefs, but the true "Friends of God" have a comprehensive vision, seeing God with the eye of every belief because they understand that each belief is a valid theophany of a particular divine Name.
SECTION 15: The Imaginal Vision of Ordinary People
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 73
VISION SHAPED BY IMITATION AND DISPOSITION
The share that ordinary people have in contemplating God on the Day of the Visit is determined by what they have understood from imitating the learned religious authorities. This understanding is further shaped by their own individual ranks and natural dispositions, which differ based on the psycho-physical constitution upon which God mounted their spirits. This difference in disposition is the cause of the varied outlooks among scholars on intellectual matters.
THE IMAGINAL NATURE OF COMMON PERCEPTION
The share of the common people in the pleasure of contemplating God is imaginal (tukhuyyilat lahum). They are unable to transcend material forms when perceiving spiritual realities, whether in this world, the intermediate world, or the other world. Indeed, very few even among the learned can conceive of a total transcendence of material forms.
THE ROLE OF THE SHARIA
Because of this common disposition, most of the Sharia (divinely prescribed way) was revealed according to the understanding of ordinary people, using images and similitudes. However, the Sharia also contains allusions intended for the spiritual elect, such as the verses, "There is nothing like Him," and "May your Lord be glorified... beyond all that they describe!" Every individual’s share in the vision of their Lord is ultimately according to the extent of their knowledge and the rank of their beliefs.
Concise Summary
This section clarifies that ordinary people experience the vision of God in an imaginal way, as they are unable to perceive spiritual realities outside of material forms. The divine Law itself is structured to accommodate this level of understanding, primarily using images and symbols.
SECTION 16: THE STATION OF SERVITUDE
The Meccan Revelations: Chapters 130-131
THE NATURE OF SERVANTHOOD AND DIVINE PROXIMITY
Servanthood ('ubudiyya) is a station of lowliness and poverty (iftiqar).
<h4>THE PERFECTION AND ABANDONMENT OF SERVITUDE</h4>
No one realized this station more perfectly than the Messenger of God, for he was an
utter servant who renounced any state that would remove him from servanthood.
nonexistence and that they are merely loci of manifestation for God, who alone has existence.
<h4>ACQUIRED EXISTENCE AND THE ONENESS OF BEING</h4>
The theological problem of how nonexistent things "acquire existence" from God is one of the most obscure.
Being of God Himself.
Concise Summary
This section defines true servanthood as a station of lowliness and poverty, which brings one closest to God, while its "abandonment" is the higher realization that only God truly exists, and creatures are but nonexistent entities through which the One Being becomes manifest.
SECTION 17: THE STATION OF FREEDOM
The Meccan Revelations: Chapters 140-141
FREEDOM AS A STATION OF THE ESSENCE
Freedom is a station of the Divine Essence, not of the Divinity.
<h4>THE PATH TO REALIZING FREEDOM</h4>
The servant realizes this station of freedom by understanding that the ascription of existence to any possible thing is impossible.
level (Divinity), so that it might be known "that there is no god but He."
<h4>THE ABANDONMENT OF FREEDOM</h4>
The abandonment of freedom is
pure and utter servitude.
asbab), because he has realized the wisdom in their establishment and is therefore lowly before their authority.
Concise Summary
This section explains that true freedom is realized by understanding one's own nonexistence, mirroring the independence of the Divine Essence. This station is then "abandoned" for a higher state of utter servitude, in which the knower humbly fulfills the rights of all created phenomena, recognizing them as manifestations of divine wisdom.
SECTION 18: THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF UNRULY UTTERANCES
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 195
DEFINING UNRULY UTTERANCES
An "unruly utterance" (
shath) is a justified claim about one's high spiritual position with God that is made without a divine command and by way of boasting.
al-muhaqqiqun) and testify that their possessor is distant from God in that state, as they issue from a self that still possesses remnants of its own nature.
THE PROPHETIC EXCEPTION
If the speaker is commanded by God to make such a claim, then it is not an unruly utterance but a communication made for the benefit of others.
<h4>THE VERIFIER'S STATE AND FALSE CLAIMS</h4>
Unruly utterances never issue from a true Verifier, for such a person has no object of contemplation but their Lord and clings to their own servanthood.
Concise Summary
This passage defines an "unruly utterance" as a boastful, uncommanded spiritual claim that indicates a flaw in the speaker's state of servanthood, distinguishing it from the divinely commanded communications of prophets and the deceptive acts of false claimants.
SECTION 19: ON WITHDRAWAL
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 205
THE TRUE NATURE OF WITHDRAWAL
For most of the Sufi Tribe,
withdrawal (takhalli) means choosing spiritual retreat (khalwa) and turning away from everything that distracts from God.
"acquired existence."
THE SAMENESS OF RETREAT AND SOCIETY
Those who do not know this reality choose retreat to be isolated with God, believing that the multiplicity of existence veils them from Him.
jalwa) are the same; in fact, society may be more complete, as it offers a constant increase in sciences about God.
Concise Summary
This section redefines spiritual withdrawal not as physical retreat from the world, but as the mental withdrawal from the false belief that things have their own existence apart from God. For one who understands this, being in society is as beneficial as retreat, as all of creation becomes a source of knowledge of the Divine.
SECTION 20: GATHERING AND ITS MYSTERIES
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 222
SUFI DEFINITIONS OF GATHERING
The Sufi Tribe has offered various definitions for the spiritual state of gathering (jam'). One said it is "the allusion of him who alludes to God without creation."
gathering of gathering (jam' al-jam') is "annihilation from the contemplation of anything but God."
IBN AL-'ARABI'S DEFINITION
The author offers his own, more precise definition:
Gathering is to gather in God His attributes and Names that you have attributed to yourself, and to gather in yourself your attributes that God has attributed to Himself, so that "you are you and He is He."
Gathering of gathering is to gather in Him both what belongs to Him and what belongs to you, returning the entire affair to Him.
THE REALITY OF MANYNESS
The observed manyness in the world does not contradict God's unity.
nonexistent possible entities manifesting within the One Being of God.
RECONCILING THE VIEWS
This understanding clarifies the other Sufi sayings. The one who said "Gathering is God without creation" spoke the truth in that God is identical with Being, but did not account for how the preparedness of the nonexistent entities bestows properties upon that Being.
Concise Summary
This section defines "gathering" as the proper discernment between divine and created attributes, and "gathering of gathering" as the realization that all attributes and all of existence ultimately belong to God alone, who is the One Being in which the properties of nonexistent entities become manifest.
Here is an analysis of the selected sections.
SECTION 21: THE WORLD OF IMAGINATION
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 311
THE TWO WORLDS AND THE THIRD PRESENCE
Reality consists of two primary worlds: the World of the Unseen, which is perceived by spiritual insight (basira), and the World of the Visible, which is perceived by physical sight (basar). Born from the combination of these two is a third presence: the World of Imagination ('alam al-khayal). This presence is the vastest of all, as it combines both the Unseen and the Visible.
THE POWER OF IMAGINATION
Imagination is the realm where spiritual meanings manifest in sensory forms. For example, knowledge can appear in the form of milk, and the angel Gabriel can appear in the form of a man. Man is more entitled to this Presence than are spiritual beings, for man possesses an imaginal faculty within his own being. While ordinary people only enter this world in dreams, the spiritual elite can access it while awake.
MAN'S ABILITY TO ASSUME FORMS
It is within man's power to appear in the World of the Visible in an imaginal form other than his own. A person can manifest as they wish, in the form of other people, animals, plants, or minerals. An anecdote is shared of a Sufi master who, through this power of imaginalization, took on the form of a caravan guide in order to ease the mind of his anxious companion. This ability is different from magic or simiya', which only affects the viewer's imagination and has no lasting reality. The effects of this spiritual station, by contrast, are real and permanent.
THE DIVINE ROOT OF TRANSMUTATION
The root of this ability lies in the divine theophany itself, as the world in its totality is the station of God's self-manifestation in diverse forms. No reality can exist in the world that cannot be traced back to a divine reality. This power of transmutation belongs to the pure and utter servant, who is annihilated from the knowledge of his own power, knowing that it truly belongs to his Master. As the Prophet said, "He who knows himself knows his Lord."
Concise Summary
This chapter describes the World of Imagination as a vast presence intermediary between the Unseen and the Visible, where spiritual realities take on sensory forms. This power of imaginalization is innate to man and, when realized, allows the saints to manifest in any form they wish, an ability rooted in the nature of divine theophany itself.
SECTION 22: GOD'S SIGN
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 372
THE WORLD AS GOD'S BEAUTIFUL SIGN
The world was brought into existence upon God's own form and is, therefore, beautiful in the extreme. God is beautiful and loves beauty. He filled the world with signs (ayat) so that we might turn our gaze toward it with remembrance and reflection, and thereby gaze upon Him. It is He who is revealed in every face, sought in every sign, and worshipped in every object of worship.
BEWILDERMENT OF THE KNOWERS
The true knowers of God become enraptured by the world, seeing nothing in it but God's form. This contemplation leads them to a state of bewilderment. They try to separate God from the world but are unable; they try to make Him identical with the world, but cannot verify it. Their understandings become wearied, and they speak of Him in contradictions, saying at one time "He," at another "Not He," and at still another, "He/not He."
LOVE AND IMAGINATION
All love for something is ultimately love for an image of it that one has formed in their own imagination. Therefore, one who loves God loves an image that they have imagined in themselves; these are the people who profess God's Similarity (tashbih). If not for this act of imagining, they would not attach themselves to Him. This is why the divine Law placed God in the qibla (direction of prayer) and stated that the heart of His servant encompasses Him.
PERFECT KNOWLEDGE: INCOMPARABILITY AND SIMILARITY
Those who only profess God's Incomparability (tanzîh), by contrast, are bewildered in blindness, as rational proofs deny them the profession of Similarity. The perfect one, however, is the one in whom the light of faith dominates over the light of the intellect. Such a person concurs with both views—Incomparability and Similarity—and thus gains possession of the degree of perfection, just as the Perfect Man is midway between God being seated on His Throne (Circumference) and being contained within the heart (Center).
Concise Summary
This section posits the world as a beautiful sign of God, which leads the knower into a state of bewilderment. True knowledge requires embracing both God's Similarity to creation (the basis of love and imagination) and His Incomparability, a perfect balance embodied by the Perfect Man.
SECTION 23: WORSHIP AND ITS SECRETS
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 470
THE INTERCONNECTION OF BEING
God is Being, and all things are the forms of Being. The relationship between them is interconnected, like that between matter and form. Worship ('ibada) is, in its essence, lowliness. When a new thing arises from the interconnection of two things, it reveals a mutual love and seeking between those two.
THE MUTUAL NEED OF CREATOR AND CREATURE
This mutual seeking exists between God and His servants. God seeks "calling" from them, and they seek an "answer" from Him. Neither side is independent in the act of creation. Existence arises from two roots: God's power and the possible thing's reception. The possible thing, however, prefers its Lord by attributing the bestowal of existence solely to Him. As a reward, God bestows upon it manifestation in His own form.
THE NATURE OF WORSHIP
Since God created creatures to worship Him, He clothed them in the very attribute through which He sought them. There is no independence in worship; one must seek help from God to worship Him, just as a creature's reception of being is a help to divine Power in creation. Worship is inherent to the created thing because the Creator is necessarily identical with every form the created thing worships. He is worshipped in every object of worship. Furthermore, He is identical with the worshipper in every case, for He is the hearing, sight, and other faculties through which the servant is able to worship. Therefore, He alone worships and is worshipped.
<h4>Concise Summary</h4>
This chapter reveals the secret of worship to be the mutual interconnection and seeking between God and creation, where neither is independent in the act of bringing things into existence. Ultimately, since God is both the object of worship in every form and the very faculties through which worship occurs, He alone is both the worshipper and the worshipped.
SECTION 24: "MY VOYAGE WAS ONLY IN MYSELF..."
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 367
THE PURPOSE OF THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
The spiritual journey's purpose is not to travel to God, for God is already "with you wherever you are"
THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS OF THE SAINTS
While the Prophet Muhammad's ascension was unique in its physical nature, his heirs—the saints—partake in its spiritual reality
After this ascent, the traveler returns and reintegrates his self, now possessing new knowledge
fuqaha')
THE PERSONAL MI'RAJ: ASCENSION THROUGH THE HEAVENS
The author then recounts his own spiritual journey, ascending on the "Buraq of my contingency" and shedding the parts of his bodily nature in the corresponding elemental worlds of earth, water, air, and fire
He then enters the heavens and encounters the prophets:
Adam in the First Heaven: Here, the author learns that all of humanity is in God's "Right Hand," destined for happiness
. Adam explains that God's Anger is temporary and that suffering ends, while His Mercy is universal and encompasses everything. He reveals that all creatures are ultimately submerged in this Mercy . Jesus and Yahya (John the Baptist) in the Second Heaven: Jesus explains that his life-giving powers come from the Universal Spirit (Gabriel) and that anyone who revives the dead does so only as an inheritor of his station
. Yahya clarifies questions about his own reality and explains his movement between the different heavens . Joseph in the Third Heaven: Joseph gives the voyager a lesson on the irreplaceable value of direct experience (dhawq), warning him not to judge the actions of another based on theory, as the stronger state of direct experience always controls the weaker state of imagination
. Idris in the Fourth Heaven: Idris, the cosmic Pole, greets the voyager as the "Muhammadan inheritor." He explains that all prophets agree on the nature of God because their knowledge comes from a common direct relationship, not from fallible reasoning (
nazar)
. He also reveals that creation is endlessly renewed and that "the abode of Being is one," becoming "this world" or the "next world" only in relation to humanity . Aaron in the Fifth Heaven: Aaron greets the voyager as the "perfectly accomplished heir." He corrects the notion held by some mystics that the world disappears during the ecstatic state of annihilation (fana'). He states that while they sincerely describe their experience, the world does not actually disappear; to believe it does is to be lacking in knowledge of the way things are, for "the whole world is precisely the Self-manifestation of the Truly Real"
. Moses in the Sixth Heaven: The author engages Moses in a profound dialogue about the vision of God. Moses explains that he requested the vision on Mount Sinai and was answered when he "fell down stunned," a state equivalent to initiatic death. In that "death," he saw God
. He explains that he was always seeing God but didn't know it was Him until his state was changed. The vision, once known, then accompanied him forever. He clarifies that the "veiled" are those who see God but lack the knowledge that it is Him they are seeing
. Abraham in the Seventh Heaven and the Temple of the Heart: The voyager reaches the seventh heaven and the celestial temple, the "Inhabited House," and suddenly recognizes it as his own Heart
. He sees the angels entering it daily, and the Truly Real manifests Himself to the Heart through "seventy thousand veils of light and darkness" .
THE CULMINATING REVELATION
After leaving the Temple, the voyager halts at the
Lotus-Tree of the Limit, which is in the form of Man and is enveloped in the lights of all actions
"Muhammadan station" as an heir of Muhammad's all-comprehensiveness
Concise Summary
This chapter frames the spiritual journey not as a movement toward God, but as a voyage within the self to witness God's Signs. It culminates in the author's personal ascension through the heavens, where dialogues with prophets lead to a final revelation of the "Muhammadan station," the realization of the unity of all knowledge and being within his own pure servanthood.
SECTION 25: NOTES
The Meccan Revelations: Notes
FUNCTION AND CONTENT
This final section of the document is not a narrative or theological text but consists of the scholarly endnotes corresponding to the translated chapters. Its purpose is to provide the critical apparatus necessary for a deeper and more contextualized understanding of Ibn 'Arabî's complex writings.
The notes serve several key functions:
Clarification of Terms: They explain the technical vocabulary and specific meanings of Arabic terms that are central to Ibn 'Arabî's thought.
Scriptural Citations: They provide the specific references for quotations from and allusions to the Qur'an and Hadith.
Cross-References: They link passages to other relevant sections within The Meccan Revelations and to Ibn 'Arabî's other works, like the Fusus al-Hikam, helping to build a more holistic view of his thought.
Historical and Theological Context: They situate Ibn 'Arabî's ideas within the broader tradition of Sufism, Islamic philosophy, and theology, often referencing the views of earlier masters whom he is engaging or building upon.
Source Information: They provide bibliographical details for both primary Islamic sources and modern scholarly works relevant to the topics discussed.
In essence, this section acts as an academic guide, making the primary text more accessible and illuminating the layers of meaning embedded within it.
Concise Summary
This section contains the scholarly endnotes for the volume, providing essential context, definitions, and scriptural and academic citations that are indispensable for a thorough understanding of the translated texts.
Part 2: Meccan Revelation.
PROJECT ORIGINS AND IMPACT
The translations in this volume are part of a project originally conceived by Michel Chodkiewicz to provide the first representative overview of Ibn 'Arabî's masterpiece,
Meccan Revelations (al-Futûhât al-Makkiya)
Les Illuminations de La Mecque was published in Paris in 1988
THE NEW ENGLISH EDITION
The original French edition became difficult for the English-speaking world to access
Futûhât
Concise Summary
This preface outlines the history of the translation project, which began as a landmark bilingual edition in 1988 and led to a worldwide renewal of Ibn 'Arabî scholarship. This volume represents the English publication of the original French portions to ensure their continued accessibility.
SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION: Toward Reading the Futûhât Makkiyya
The Meccan Revelations: Introduction
IBN 'ARABI'S JOURNEY TO MECCA
When Ibn 'Arabî arrived in Mecca in 1202, he was a man long prepared for the "conquests" or "revelations" (
futûhât) he would receive there
Futûhât, he was already a master of profound doctrinal authority
THE COMPOSITION OF THE FUTÛHÂT
Ibn 'Arabî began composing the
Futûhât in Mecca almost immediately, with the first version being completed in 1231 after many years of travel
THE NATURE OF DIVINE DICTATION
Ibn 'Arabî insists that his works, especially the
Futûhât, were not composed in the ordinary way but through "divine dictation" (imla' ilâhî)
Futûhât is a summa of his earlier ideas, it is also infused with a new spiritual inspiration received at the Ka'ba
STRUCTURE OF THE FUTÛHÂT
The work's 560 chapters are divided into six major sections (
fasl), the outline of which was given to Ibn 'Arabî at the project's inception
Section I (Knowledge) outlines the metaphysical and cosmological foundations
. Section II (Behaviors) deals with the spiritual "stations" (maqâmât), such as repentance and sincerity, and the paradoxical necessity of "abandoning" them to transcend duality
. Section III (Spiritual States) discusses the transient spiritual states (ahwâl), emphasizing that the goal of the Way is knowledge of God, not the pursuit of charismatic gifts
. Section IV (Spiritual Abodes) is devoted to the manâzil, the places where God descends toward the soul
. Section V (Mid-point Encounters) describes the munâzalât, the meeting point between the divine descent and the creaturely ascent
. Section VI (Spiritual Stations) details the stations of the spiritual "poles" (aqtab) who represent the full possession of a particular mode of spiritual realization
.
THE PROLOGUE AND THE FÂTIHA
The opening doxology (khutba) is a dense statement of doctrine. The phrase "Praise be to God" signifies that God is simultaneously the Praiser and the Praised
immutable entities (a'yân thâbita)—the "possibilities" that are eternally present in divine knowledge but do not "exist" for themselves until clothed with existence
THE MYSTERIOUS FATÂ AND THE BIRTH OF THE BOOK
The first chapter reveals that the book's contents were born from a visionary encounter with a mysterious "young hero" (
fatâ) during the author's circumambulation of the Ka'ba
Perfect Man (insân kâmil)
Futûhât is a direct transcription of the realities contained within the Perfect Man.
THE SCIENCE OF LETTERS
The second chapter, on the
"science of letters" ('ilm al-hurûf), is presented as the first transcription of what was "read" in the fatâ
DOCTRINAL THEMES: ESCHATOLOGY, LAW, AND ONENESS
The early chapters introduce foundational themes. The doctrine of the
imaginal world ('alam al-khayal) explains how Paradise is already present for the "people of unveiling"
Law (sharî'a) is central; it is not an outer shell to be discarded but is identical to the essential reality (haqîqa)
"oneness of Being" (wahdat al-wujûd)—a term Ibn 'Arabî rarely uses—is shown to transcend duality without denying it: God is God, and creation is creation, yet "There is nothing in existence...but God"
rahma) and the Law
Concise Summary
This introduction frames the Futûhât Makkiyya as the product of a direct visionary encounter with the Perfect Man at the Ka'ba, revealing its divinely dictated nature, complex six-part structure, and foundational doctrines like the Science of Letters, the oneness of being, and the inseparability of the sacred Law and essential Reality.
SECTION 3: CHAPTER 88: Sources of the Law
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 88
THE FOUNDATIONS OF LAW AND INTERPRETATION
There is unanimity regarding three entities upon which legal prescriptions are based: the Book (the Qur'an), the continuously transmitted prophetic tradition (sunna mutawâtira), and the consensus of the Prophet's Companions (ijmâ'). A fourth, reasoning by analogy (qiyâs), is debated; while some affirm it as a source of law, the author's position is to avoid it personally. Instead, one who fears God receives knowledge directly from Him, as God promises to give discernment (furqân) and light to the God-fearing.
The Qur'an and the Sunna are the two "active" foundations of the Law. Ijmâ' and qiyâs are "passive" foundations, established only by the first two. This fourfold structure of law mirrors the fourfold structure of all existence, which proceeds from four Divine Realities (Life, Knowledge, Will, Power), four physical qualities (heat, cold, dryness, humidity), four elements (fire, air, water, earth), and four humors (bile, black bile, blood, phlegm).
ON REASONING BY ANALOGY (QIYÂS)
Though the author personally avoids reasoning by analogy, he accepts its use by other scholars whose interpretive efforts (ijtihâd) lead them to it. The Lawgiver has validated the judgment of the interpreter (mujtahid), even if he is in error, and rewards him for his effort. The use of speculative thought is itself prescribed by the Qur'an, which asks, "Did they not consider the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth?" Since the Law relies on speculative thought to establish its most fundamental principles, such as the existence of God and the truthfulness of the Messenger, it is surely licit to use it in practical matters where no explicit text from the Book or Sunna exists.
RESOLVING CONTRADICTIONS AND ABROGATION
When faced with two contradictory verses or authentic traditions, a clear hierarchy of rules should be followed. First, one should attempt to reconcile them. If one contains an exception or an addition, it should be adopted. If they are totally contradictory, the more recent of the two should be used. If the date is unknown, one should choose the one that is most apt to remove hardship in matters of religion, for God's religion is easy.
Abrogation (naskh) is not a change in God's knowledge, but rather the divinely intended expiration of the time period during which a certain legal statute was meant to be observed. When this period ends, another measure in the Qur'an or Sunna replaces it as law.
ON CONSENSUS (IJMÂ') AND THE ORIGINAL STATUS OF THINGS
Consensus (ijmâ') refers solely to the unanimous agreement of the Prophet's Companions. Any agreement that takes place after their time cannot be a basis for legal decisions. If even one Companion had a different opinion or kept silent, there is no consensus.
The author forbids himself from using qiyâs because it leads to increasing the number of explicit prescriptions, whereas the Lawgiver intended for the community's burden to be lightened. The original status of all things is the absence of legal obligation, or licitness (ibâha). Anyone who attempts to impose a limitation must provide proof from the Book, the Sunna, or ijmâ'.
Furthermore, blind conformity (taqlîd) to the opinion of a scholar is not permissible in religion. One must question a scholar to learn what God or His Messenger prescribed on an issue. If the scholar is merely reporting a divine or prophetic ruling, it should be practiced. But if the scholar offers his personal opinion (ra'y) or an analogy, it is not licit to take that opinion into consideration.
ON THE EFFORT OF PERSONAL INTERPRETATION (IJTIHÂD)
The mujtahid who does not succeed in discovering the correct prescription still receives a reward, as God makes the answer his effort led him to lawful for him. This effort of interpretation should only be applied to concrete cases that have actually arisen, not to theoretical or imaginary problems. The great jurist Mâlik b. Anas would only offer an opinion if a case had actually occurred; if the question was hypothetical, he would not answer.
Concise Summary
This chapter outlines the sources of Islamic Law, prioritizing the Qur'an and Sunna as active foundations, while strictly defining the roles of consensus and analogy. It advocates for an interpretive method rooted in direct scriptural evidence and divine inspiration, rejecting blind conformity and speculative additions to the Law in favor of lightening the burden of religious obligation.
SECTION 4: CHAPTER 318: Satan's Ruses
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 318
ABROGATION OF THE LAW BY DESIRE
The Sacred Law (
sharia) is the "white road," the path of the blessed
ta'wilat) to satisfy the desires of kings, providing legal grounds for actions that go against the Law
The author recounts a story told to him by King Al-Zahir Ghazi, son of Saladin
fatwa) from a jurist (faqih)
fatwa stating that the king was not required to fast during Ramadan specifically, but could choose any month of the year to fulfill the obligation
SATAN'S RUSES AND THE CORRUPTION OF SCHOLARS
When Satan observes a jurist inclined toward a passion that God condemns, he suggests an unusual interpretation that makes a bad action appear good
hadith) that contradict his goal
In doing so, they abrogate the Sacred Law with their passions
THE EPIPHANIES OF THE SACRED LAW
When a person is free of all desire and gives preference to his Lord, God replaces the form of his individual nature with a form of divine guidance, which is the Law of His Prophet
THE VEIL AND FORGIVENESS
God's forgiveness (maghfira) is etymologically a "veil" (sitr). When a believer is tempted by Satan and transgresses, God places a veil between the believer and infidelity (
kufr), so that he firmly believes his act was one of disobedience and does not profess the licitness of what God has forbidden
Concise Summary
This chapter explores how Satan's ruses lead religious scholars to abrogate the divine Law in favor of their passions, contrasting this with the true, divinely inspired knowledge received by the saints. It further explains that God's forgiveness acts as a protective "veil," preventing a believer's sin from leading to outright infidelity.
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SECTION 5: CHAPTER 344: The Secrets of Forgiveness
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 344
THE TWO MERCIES AND THE FATE OF THE DAMNED
God possesses two Mercies: a universal mercy and a specific mercy with which He blessed the community of Muhammad. According to a hadith, Muhammad's community is enveloped in this mercy, and its punishment will take place on earth in the form of trials, with no punishment in the hereafter.
Even for those outside this community who are doomed to the fire, God's universal mercy is present. The Prophet explained that the "men of fire" who are destined to remain there will be in a state where they are neither truly dead nor truly alive. For those who enter the fire due to their sins but are not doomed to remain, God will "strike them dead," a mercy that prevents them from feeling the pain of the flames.
THE HIERARCHY OF INTERCESSIONS
The process of salvation from the fire unfolds through a hierarchy of intercessions. First, the angels, the prophets, and the believers will intercede. After them, the "intercession of the Most Merciful of the merciful"—God Himself—still remains. Through this divine intercession, those who became convinced of God's Oneness through an act of reason, but not faith, will emerge from the fire.
Finally, only those condemned to remain in Gehenna for eternity will be left. This state will last until God manifests Himself in a theophany of Satisfaction (rida), at which point Mercy will have authority over all things. At that moment, even the nineteen angels of punishment will intercede, and the state of the People of Fire will be changed. This reflects a metaphysical necessity: for existence to come about, one of two opposing possibilities must prevail. In the divine reality, Mercy ultimately prevails over Anger or Justice.
THE PROPHETIC WAY VERSUS THE SPECULATIVE WAY
God has instituted only one true way of access to the highest knowledge of Him: the Law (sharia) promulgated through His Messengers and Prophets. While another way—the speculative path—does exist, it is inferior. One who follows the speculative way can, through ascetic practices and reflection, come to know that there is a reality beyond the physical body and can even draw knowledge from angelic spirits. However, he does not know the direct path to God.
The one who follows the Prophetic Way, by contrast, is able to know God in both His transcendence ("nothing is similar to Him") and His immanence (as described by His hand, His eye, His descent). Such a person sees their own destiny inscribed on the Guarded Tablet and draws knowledge directly from God Himself through inspiration and theophanies, perceiving the propagation of existence throughout all of creation.
THE DEGREES OF PARDON
God is an isthmus (barzakh) between the degrees of paradise and the degrees of hell. The degree of pardon (al-maghfira) is subdivided into two further degrees:
The veil that keeps sinners from the punishment their sin calls for.
The veil of impeccability ('isma) that saves them from the very occurrence of sin itself.
Guarding the heart is a characteristic of those on the Prophetic path, but the most perfect among them do not stop there. They know that God is not only in the heart but is also the "hearing, the sight, the hand of His servant," and thus they perceive His presence in their entire being and in all things.
Concise Summary
This chapter explores the secrets of divine forgiveness, detailing how God's universal Mercy ultimately triumphs over punishment, even for the damned, through a hierarchy of intercessions. It asserts the superiority of the Prophetic Way of revealed Law over the speculative path of the intellect for attaining complete knowledge of God.
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SECTION 6: CHAPTER 437: The Gnostic and the Law
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 437
ALMS AND THE VALUE OF THE SELF
The chapter opens with an anecdote about a pious servant named Mudawwir who observed a man giving alms to a beggar. The man searched his purse for the smallest possible coin to give. Mudawwir explained the man's action, saying, "He is trying to find his price and value in God’s eyes. Every time he takes out a large piece, his whole being replies: ‘I am not worth that much to God!’" This illustrates how most people give their most precious belongings to satisfy the desires of their souls but offer only insignificant things for God's sake.
On the Day of Resurrection, God will confront such a person, showing them their meager offering given in His name versus the great wealth spent on personal whims. Yet, out of mercy, God will declare, "I have pardoned you because of this beggar’s request, and because of the joy that what you gave him caused." He will then miraculously make the tiny alms grow larger than a mountain, while what the man had given for his own passions will be turned to "scattered dust."
THE ALMS OF THE GNOSTICS
For the gnostics (al-'arifun bi-Llah), the act of giving is entirely different. For them, the most modest gift is large, because they know that they and everything they own belong to their Master. When they give, it is by the hand of God, and they see the hand that receives as the hand of God. Because they have renounced all possessions and authority, they do not attribute acts to themselves. Therefore, on the Day of Resurrection, they will feel no regret, as they will have no good deeds to wish they had done more of, and their faults are understood as being decreed by God.
TWO FORMS OF REPENTANCE
The gnostic exists in a state of continuous repentance that takes two forms:
Repentance prescribed by the Law: This is sorrow for infractions committed.
Repentance required by the Essential Realities: This consists in giving up any personal power or strength in favor of the power and strength of God.
The gnostic remains between these two forms of repentance as long as they are in the world of legal obligation.
THE STATION OF PARDON
For the gnostic who reaches the highest state, God may inform him, "Do as you wish, I have already forgiven you." This does not lead him to abandon his state of renunciation. Instead, it means that the Law has ceased its prohibitive status for him in the present world; all his acts are now rendered licit, recommended, or obligatory, and will never fall into the categories of blameworthy or forbidden. This is the state of the Guardians of the secret, the certain Men, who are respectful of the rules of propriety prescribed by the Law.
Concise Summary
This chapter contrasts ordinary almsgiving, which reflects a person's perceived low value in God's eyes, with the giving of the gnostic, who understands that all possessions and actions belong to God. The gnostic lives in a state of perpetual repentance and may reach a station where all their acts are rendered licit, having perfectly aligned their will with the Divine.
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SECTION 7: CHAPTER 2, SECTION I, PART I: The Hierarchy of Letters
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 2
THE FOUR DEGREES OF LETTERS AND BEINGS
Absolute, nonconditioned Existence includes both the Lawgiver (God) and those upon whom the Law is imposed (the universe). The letters of the alphabet encompass this total reality and are themselves divided into four hierarchical degrees, which correspond to four kinds of beings:
The Divine Presence: Three letters are specific to it.
Man: Three letters are specific to him.
The Jinn: Four letters are specific to them.
The Angels: Eighteen letters are specific to them.
CELESTIAL SPHERES AND PHYSICAL QUALITIES
These letters are not simple entities but are brought into existence by the rotation and interaction of a specific number of celestial spheres (aflâk). The movement of these spheres also combines the four "mother principles" or physical qualities—heat, cold, dryness, and humidity—which in turn engender the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth. The Jinn, for instance, have four letters because their reality is defined by the four directions in space, with no possibility of rising or falling.
THE DIVINE AND HUMAN PRESENCES
The Divine Presence has three letters specific to it: Alif, Zay, and Lam, which together form the word AZAL, meaning eternity. They represent the three fundamental realities needed to apprehend the Divine: Essence, Attribute, and the Bond between them.
The Human Presence also has three letters specific to it: Nun, Sad, and Dad. The fact that the number of letters is the same for both the divine and human planes is a sign that Man was created in the image of God. However, the letters themselves are different, just as servitude is different from lordship.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE LETTER NUN
The letter Nun (ن) holds a particular importance. Graphically, it is a hemisphere whose dot represents the center of a full, intelligible circle. This circle symbolizes the perfection of Existence. From the shape of the Nun, one can trace the three letters of the word Azal (eternity), signifying the reality of "human eternity" hidden within Divine Eternity. This human eternity exists because man's essential entity ('ayn) exists eternally in God's knowledge in a state of immutability.
THE ANGELIC REALM AS INTERMEDIARY
The eighteen letters remaining belong to the Angels. The angelic realm is the meeting point of the subtle bonds that extend between the nine divine spheres and the nine human spheres. Angels come into existence where these bonds meet. Their constant movement between the two realms sets the entire universe in motion, playing a role analogous to the vowels that give life and movement to inert consonants.
THE SUPERIOR VIEW OF THE MUHAQQIQÛN
The fourfold division of letters reflects the common point of view of those who rely on their intellects. The muhaqqiqûn—those who have experienced the reality of things directly—have a superior point of view. They divide the letters into six hierarchical degrees, corresponding to: God, Man, the Jinn, animals, plants, and minerals. This knowledge flows from a contemplative vision that unites the multiple aspects of existence into a single, inexhaustible reality.
Concise Summary
This chapter establishes a cosmic hierarchy based on the letters of the alphabet, which are produced by celestial spheres and correspond to different orders of being, from the Divine Presence to angels, jinn, and man. It reveals the profound symbolism within the letters, particularly the Nun, which contains the secret of "human eternity" and demonstrates how man is created in the image of God.
Here is an analysis of the selected section.
SECTION 8: CHAPTER 2, SECTION I, PART II: The Isolated Letters
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 2
THE HIERARCHY OF LETTERS
The letters are a community bound by the Law, with messengers just as we have. They are divided into a hierarchy of "Common" ('amma) and "Elite" (khassa), with the highest degree being that of the Messengers (rusul). This hierarchy is tied to the points of phonetic articulation, moving from the innermost part of the sound-producing organs to the outermost.
THE ISOLATED LETTERS OF THE QUR'AN
The "isolated letters" that begin twenty-nine of the Qur'an's chapters (suras) represent the first degree of the Elite among the letters. Their number, twenty-nine, represents the perfection of form, corresponding to the stages of the moon. The total number of occurrences of these letters is seventy-eight, which corresponds to the "seventy-some ramifications" of faith mentioned in a prophetic tradition (hadith). Knowledge of their essential realities is necessary to penetrate all the secrets of the faith.
THE SYMBOLISM OF A.L.M.
The letters Alif-Lâm-Mîm (أ ل م), which open the second sura, symbolize the All.
Alif (ا) is an allusive reference to the knowledge of unity and the transcendent, unqualified Divine Essence.
Lâm (ل), as the intermediary letter, represents the Divine Attribute, through which the world was brought into existence.
Mîm (م) represents the imperishable kingdom and the Divine Act that descends from the "most excellent constitution" to the "lowest of low beings."
Together, they form an enveloping sphere; the individual who completes this cycle knows the Essence, the Attributes, and the Acts.
ANALYSIS OF "THAT IS THE BOOK"
The analysis extends to the verse that follows these letters: "Dhâlika l-kitâb..." ("That is the Book..."). The demonstrative pronoun dhâlika is deconstructed to reveal its inner meaning. The dhâl refers to the Book, the lâm to the Attribute (the first separation from the Essence), and the final kâf signifies that the divine speech is addressed to "You," the Divine Logos. The alif written between the dhâl and the lâm acts as a veil of union, showing that the distinction between God and creation is made via the One who is also their bond.
The Book itself has three archetypes: the "unknown" book (the attribute of Divine Knowledge), the "drawn" book (the archetype traced by the Celestial Pens), and the "inscribed" book (the Qur'an itself).
THE SECRET OF LÂ RAYBA FÎHI
The phrase "lâ rayba fîhi" ("there is no doubt about it") also holds a secret. The word for "no" (lâ), is composed of a lâm and an alif. This reveals the path of knowledge: one knows the Lord (alif) by knowing the self (lâm), according to the prophetic saying, "He who knows himself knows his Lord." The joining of these two letters into the form lâm-alif symbolizes the level of the "Pedestal" (kursî), where the realities of God and creation are distinct but connected. Their separation back into two distinct alifs symbolizes the "Throne" ('arsh), where one reality (the contingent) is veiled by the other (the Eternal), and union is realized.
Concise Summary
This section deciphers the secret spiritual hierarchy within the Arabic letters, focusing on the "isolated letters" of the Qur'an as keys to divine knowledge. Through a metaphysical analysis of the letters Alif-Lâm-Mîm and the verses that follow, it reveals the interconnectedness of God, the Book, and the Universal Man, showing how divine unity and multiplicity are encoded within the very fabric of language.
Here is an analysis of the selected section.
SECTION 9: CHAPTER 2, SECTION I, PART III: The Properties of Letters
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 2
THE LETTER SÂD
The author recounts receiving the secret of the letter Sâd (ص) in a dream, a gift from God. The next day, a companion confirmed this experience by relating a dream in which he saw the author discussing Sâd and reciting a verse from the Qur'anic chapter of the same name. This confirmed for the author that Sâd is a noble and magnificent letter, connected to the station of "totalizing Words" and the secrets of the prophets.
THE LETTERS LÂM-ALIF
The combined letter Lâm-alif (لا) represents a central mystery. When the alif and the lâm keep company, each experiences a penchant for the other, a movement of amorous passion. For the ordinary Sufi, this represents the ecstatic love between the seeker and the Sought. For the muhaqqiq (the Verifier of truth), the penchant is due to a shared knowledge between the two.
For the author, however, the highest view is that their coming together occurs within the presence of the origination of existence itself. This is revealed in the fourfold structure of the testimony of faith (shahâda): lâ ilâha il-lâ al-lâ-hu ("There is no god except the God"). The lâm-alif appears twice negatively (lâ) and twice affirmatively (il-lâ), representing both creation and the Creator. The penchant of the Absolute Being (alif) leans toward originating existence, while the penchant of conditioned existence (lâm) leans toward being brought into existence.
THE VOWELS AND SPIRITUAL HIERARCHY
The vowels also possess a spiritual hierarchy. Among the consonant-letters, there are six vowels, which correspond to the states of the world:
Elevation (raf') and Opening (fath): These belong to the divine.
Lowering (khafd) and Retirement (kasr): These belong to the human.
Establishment (nasb) and Contraction (damm): These belong to the spirit that is an intermediary between the two.
The foundation of language is rest (sukûn), which follows the movement of vowels, mirroring the state of the worlds: "a strange life on a dead earth."
Concise Summary
This section delves into the specific properties of letters, using the letter Sâd to illustrate divinely gifted knowledge and the combined letter Lâm-alif to explain the dynamic of love and knowledge between the Creator and creation as reflected in the testimony of faith. The vowels are also shown to have a hierarchical symbolism corresponding to divine, human, and spiritual realities.
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SECTION 10: CHAPTER 420: On Being Liberated from Stations
The Meccan Revelations: Chapter 420
LIBERATION FROM STATIONS
This chapter's analysis centers on the Qur'anic phrase spoken by the Hypocrites, "O people of Yathrib, you will no longer have a place to stand (lâ muqâma lakum); come back!" . This is interpreted spiritually to mean "you have no station (lâ maqâm)". He who has passed through and gathered together all the spiritual stations (maqâmât) has no single station left. . The stations serve to create distinctions, but when only a single being is perceived, what is there to distinguish it from? .
THE PARADOX OF KNOWLEDGE AND BEING
Spiritual stations are signs that point toward God, but by their very nature as conditioned things, they also condition the Absolute to which they point. . The true gnostics, however, move beyond the signs to see God as the "essential identity of all things" ('ayn kulli shay'). . They resolve the paradox contained in the saying, "He who knows his soul knows his Lord"—which implies both identity and difference—in a higher knowledge where God is seen as a single ipseity with a diversity of forms. . As an analogy, a person is a single entity, yet their hand is different from their foot; their limbs and faculties have different functions, but the being is one. . So too is our relationship to God. .
THE MUHAMMADAN HEIR
The only one who can be truly liberated from the stations is the heir to Muhammad, who has been given the "totalizing words" and the knowledge of all the names. . Such a person is no longer governed by the law of the stations; instead, he exercises his law over them, guided by his spiritual states. . The stations are manifested by the Divine Names, and the only true judge is God. .
THE LAUDED STATION AND INTERCESSION
This liberation is connected to the Prophet's "Lauded Station," which is the station of intercession. . Through intercession, an "extra thing" is brought into existence, allowing God to save beings from the Fire. . The Prophet Muhammad is the specific individual through whom this "extra thing" comes into existence and then returns to its beginning, fulfilling his role of adding something to the divine loneliness of non-manifestation. .
Concise Summary
This chapter explains that the ultimate spiritual attainment is a "non-station" achieved by the Muhammadan heir, who, having passed through all stations, is no longer limited by any of them. This liberation comes from the realization that all of existence is a single divine reality with diverse forms, a truth connected to the Prophet's ultimate role as intercessor.
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SECTION 11: CHAPTER 73 AND 161: On Proximity
The Meccan Revelations: Chapters 73 and 161
THE STATION OF PROXIMITY
The station of proximity (maqâm al-qurba) is the highest degree of sainthood (walâya), located between the rank of the "confirmers of truth" (siddiqiyya) and that of lawgiving prophecy. Those who occupy this station are the "Close Ones" (muqarrabûn). This station can be reached in one of two ways: either through divine election, independent of deeds, or through the path of performing spiritual works, as was the case with al-Khadir. It is from this station that "knowledge emanating from God" (al-'ilm al-ladunî) springs.
Within this station of proximity, there are three hierarchical levels:
The Messengers, who have reached it fully.
The Prophets who were not sent to preach but who worship God according to a law restricted to them alone.
Those with "free" prophecy, where no angel plays a part in the revelations they receive; these are the saints.
THE AUTHOR'S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
The author recounts his own entry into this station in the month of Ramadan in the year 597. At first, he felt a profound sense of loneliness, finding no one else there, which reminded him of Abu Yazid al-Bistami's similar experience. Soon, however, he realized this station was his true "homeland" and no longer felt isolated.
While in this state, he had a vision in which the spirit of the great Sufi master Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami appeared to him. Al-Sulami confirmed the name of the station, saying, "It is called the Station of Proximity; experience it fully!" He also comforted the author by reminding him that al-Khadir was his companion in this station.
MOSES, AL-KHADIR, AND THE LAW
The relationship between Moses and al-Khadir illustrates the nature of this station. Moses, overcome by a divine jealousy for the Sacred Law, could not bear al-Khadir's actions because they appeared to violate it. Al-Khadir's knowledge was a "gustative" knowledge (dhawq)—a direct, experiential knowing—that Moses did not possess. At the same time, al-Khadir respected Moses' high rank as a messenger and complied with his command to part ways. The author notes that the jurists who engage in legal interpretation (ijtihâd) are also drawing from this station, though they are unaware of it, which explains their disagreements.
THE SECRET OF ABU BAKR
The author refutes the idea that there is no station between the "confirmation of truth" and prophecy. The Prophet's companion, Abu Bakr, known as "the Confirmer of the Truth," also held the station of proximity. This was the secret placed in him that gave him unshakeable strength and clarity at the moment of the Prophet's death, when all others were distraught and confused. While he was a "follower" in his role as a confirmer, he held another, higher station that did not govern that state.
Concise Summary
This section defines the "station of proximity" as the supreme degree of sainthood, a rank between the "confirmers of truth" and lawgiving prophets, illustrated by the figures of al-Khadir and Abu Bakr. The author recounts his own personal entry into this station, where he learned that its knowledge comes from a direct, "gustative" experience of God that transcends even the perspectives of the Law.
End.