The Seal of the Saints: Prophethood and Sainthood in the Doctrine of Ibn Arabi

by Michel Chodkiewicz, Liadain Sherrard (Translator)

Overview

Ibn Arabi—born in 1165 in Andalusia and died in 1240 in Damascus—was recognised in his lifetime as al-Shaykh al-Akbar, the supreme spiritual Master. Over a period of eight centuries he has exerted a profound influence on Islamic mysticism. In recent years a number of important studies have helped acquaint the Western reader with Ibn Arabi's metaphysics and this process is now greatly enhanced by the present volume in which Michael Chodkiewicz explores for the first time, the Master's 'hagiology' or teaching on sainthood. Founded on a careful analysis of the relevant texts, Chodkiewicz's work examines this essential aspect of Ibn Arabi's doctrine of sainthood, defining the nature and function of sainthood, while also specifying the criteria for a typology of saints based on the notion of prophetic inheritance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780946621408
Publisher:	Islamic Texts Society
Publication date:	12/01/1993
Series:	Golden Palm Series
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Michel Chodkiewicz is Director of Studies at l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris.

Read an Excerpt

I contemplated all the prophets, from Adam to Muhammad, and God made me contemplate also all those who believe in them, so that there is no one whom I did not see of those who have lived or will live until the Day of the Resurrection, whether they belong to the elite or to the common body of believers. And I observed the degrees of this assembly and knew the rank of all who were in it.


THIS vision, according to the Fusus al-hikam, took place at Cordoba in 586/1190. Ibn 'Arabi, who was born in 560/1165, was thus twenty-five years of age (twenty-six lunar years), and his 'entry upon the way' had taken place only six years previously. Several other texts, written by Ibn 'Arabi himself or by his disciples, furnish us with additional details about this event, of which we will have occasion to speak at greater length. One of these texts tells us that the vision unfolded in two stages. On the first occasion, Ibn 'Arabi saw the Prophets by them­ selves; on the second, he saw them in the company of all their followers, a fact which enabled him to conclude that the saints (awliya') walk 'ala aqdam al-anbiya', 'in the footsteps of the prophets'—an expression which, as we shall see, is not metaphorical but possesses a precise technical meaning; and in this connection he cites the example of his teacher, Abu 'l-'Abbas al-'Uryabi, who was 'ala qadam 'lsa, 'in the footsteps of Jesus'.
   This vision, however, important as it is, is only one of many. According to Sadr al-Din Qunawi, Ibn 'Arabi's step-son and disciple, 'our teacher had the ability to encounter the spirit of whomsoever he wished among the prophets and saints of the past, in three ways: sometimes he caused those who inhabit that world [of the spirits] to descend and perceived them in a subtle corporeal form; sometimes he caused them to be present to him in his sleep; and sometimes he would cast aside his own material form.' It is a fact that the writings of the Shaykh al-Akbar speak of innumerable occasions when he met with the prophets or—especially in the subtle dialogues of the Book of Theophanies (Kitab al-tajalliyat)—with the saints of the past, in a manner as natural as when he speaks of the awliya' of his time whom he knew and visited. Thus it goes without saying that the word 'doctrine' in the title of the present work refers to the written translation of a visionary knowledge and a personal experience of sainthood: we do not find in Ibn 'Arabi, in connection with this or with any other subject, the systematic exposition of a theory such as a theologian might write. He warns us of this often enough, moreover, when speaking of the conditions under which his works were written: 'I have not written one single letter of this book save by divine dictation (imla' ilahi) and dominical vouchsafing (ilqa' rabbani)'. Elsewhere he insists that even the ordering of his subject-matter does not proceed from his own will. If that were the case, he says, the order would be different: for example, the chapter in the Futuhat on the shari'a, the divine Law, should logically speaking come before the chapters on ritual prescriptions, whereas in fact it occurs some way after them. Thus, only a tortuous progress through the thousands of pages which make up his work, and a comparative reading of texts which may at first sight appear contradictory, make it possible to demonstrate the coherence of his teaching and to understand its implications. The reader must not be surprised if at times in the course of this journey the wood cannot be seen for the trees.

Table of Contents

1. A Shared Name
2. 'He who sees thee sees Me'
3. The Sphere of Walaya
4. The Muhammadan Reality
5. The Heirs of the Prophet
6. The Four Pillars
7. The Highest Degree of Walaya
8. The Three Seals
9. The Seal of Muhammadan Sainthood
10. The Double Ladder

What People are Saying About This

William Chittick

"This is by far the best available explanation of the central importance of sanctity for understanding both the practical and the theoretical teachings of Sufism."

Editorial Reviews

'This is by far the best available explanation of the central importance of sanctity for understanding both the practical and the theoretical teachings of Sufism.'

William Chittick

'Chodkiewicz unravels the interwoven strands of Ibn 'Arabi's thought with a blend of knowledge, intellectual scruple and intelligence... this ability must be praised... it is very instructive and light-years away from the apologetics and the indictments of Islam which make up most of the current works on the subject.'

Maxime Robinson

"An extraordinarily good book about an extremely difficult thinker...Chodkiewicz not only knows the texts remarkably well, but also avoids and rejects certain errors of perspective common among other scholars."

The Times Literary Supplement

'An extraordinarily good book about an extremely difficult thinker... Chodkiewicz not only knows the texts remarkably well, but also avoids and rejects certain errors of perspective common among other scholars.'

From the Publisher