Brief Biography of Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

His name was Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-‘Arabi al-Hatimi ath-Tha’iy al-Andalusi al-Mursi ad-Dimashqi (q.s.), known simply as Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) to differentiate him from Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-‘Arabi (r.a.), the Maliki jurist.  He was a scholar of Arabic letters first, then tafsir and taswawwuf.  He was nicknamed “al-Qushayri” and “Sulthan al-‘Arifin”, in his time, for his pre-eminence in taswawwuf.  He was born in Murcia, on Sunday, 17^th of Ramadhan, 560 AH, or 25^th July 1165 CE; at night.  He was known in his lifetime for his pithy, asceticism, and generosity. 

Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) was praised by Imam Zayn ad-Din Abd al-Ra’uf ibn Taj̲ al-‘Arifin al-Haddadi al-Munawi ash-Shafi’i (r.a.) as “waliyyun swalihun wa ‘alimun naswih”, “a righteous friend of Allah (s.w.t.) and a faithful scholar of knowledge”. 

He was praised by Imam Abu al-Falah ‘Abd al-Hayy ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Imad al-Hanbali (r.a.) as “the absolute mujtahid without doubt.” 

Imam Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Ali ash-Shirazi al-Fayruzabadi (r.a.) said he was “the imam of the People of Shari’ah both in knowledge and in legacy, the educator of the People of the Way in practice and in knowledge, and the shaykh of the shuyukh of the People of Truth through dzawq and understanding.”  All this is recorded in Mulla Nur ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Sulthan Muhammad al-Hirawi al-Qari’s (r.a.) Firr al-‘Awn. 

His father was Shaykh ‘Ali ibn Muhammad (q.s.).  He served in the army of Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa’d ibn Mardanish, the ruler of Murcia.  When ibn Mardanish passed away in 1172 CE, Shaykh ‘Ali (q.s.) swiftly shifted his allegiance to the Almohad Sultan, Abu Ya’qub Yusuf I, and became one of his military advisers.  His family then relocated from Murcia to Seville.  Significantly, his father's family claimed descent from the legendary Arab poet, Hatim ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tha’iy, the father of Sayyidina ‘Adi ibn Hatim (r.a.).  His mother came from a noble Berber family with strong ties to northern Africa. 

Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) began his education in Seville 578 CE.  His first teachers were the clergy of the Almohads; some of them were officially qudhat or khutab.  His first shaykh was in Fes, Imam Muhammad ibn Qasim at-Tamimi (q.s.).  Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) undertook the haj in 598 AH.  He lived in Makkah for three years.  It was in Makkah that he started writing his work, al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah, “The Makkan Illuminations”.  After spending time in Makkah, he travelled throughout the Greater Middle East and Anatolia. 

In 600 AH, Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) met Shaykh Majd ad-Din Ishaq ibn Yusuf (q.s.), a native of Malatya, and a man of great standing at the Seljuk court.  At this time, Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) was travelling north; first they visited Madina and in 601 AH, they entered Baghdad.  This visit offered him a chance to meet the direct disciples of Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu Muhammad ibn Abu Swalih ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (q.s.).  Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) stayed there only for 12 days.  He visited Mosul to meet Shaykh ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Jami’ (q.s.), a disciple of Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah Qadib ibn ‘Isa al-Ban al-Mawswili (q.s.).  He spent Ramadhan there, and composed Tanazzulat al-Mawswiliyyah, and Kitab al-Jalal wa al-Jamal.  In 602 AH, he visited Jerusalem, Makkah and Egypt.  He also passed through Syria, visiting Aleppo and Damascus.  In 604 AH, he returned to Makkah, where he continued to study and write, spending his time with Shaykh Abu Shuja Zhahir ibn Rustam (r.a.)  The next 4 to 5 years of Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi’s (q.s.) life were spent in these lands. 

He travelled east and west in the study of ahadits, taking knowledge from over a thousand shuyukh.  Among his teachers were Imam Abu al-Hasan ibn Hudhayl (r.a.), Imam Muhammad ibn Khalaf al-Lakhmi (r.a.), Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn Zarqun (r.a.), Imam Abu al-Walid Jabir ibn Muhammad al-Hadhrami (r.a.), Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad as-Silafi (r.a.), Imam Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Haqq ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Ishbili (r.a.), Imam Tsiqat ad-Din Abu al-Qasim ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Asakir (r.a.), Imam Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Jawzy (r.a.), and Imam Abu al-Qasim Khalad ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Bashkuwal (r.a.).  His principal shuyukh in taswawwuf were Shaykh Abu Madyan Shu’ayb ibn al-Husayn al-Maghribi (q.s.), Shaykh Jamal ad-Din Yunus ibn Yahya al-Qassar (q.s.), Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Qasim at-Tamimi al-Fasi (q.s.), Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ibn Jami’ (q.s.), and al-Khidhr (a.s.). 

He became known first as ash-Shaykh al-Kabir, “The Great Shaykh”; then; ash-Shaykh al-Akbar, “The Greatest Shaykh”; with specific reference to the sciences of taswawwuf in which he authored hundreds of books. 

His greatest and best-known, is his last work, al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah, “The Makkan Illuminations”, which begins with a statement of doctrine about which Imam Swalah ad-Din Abu asw-Swafa’ Khalil ibn Aybak as-Safadi (r.a.) said, “I saw that from beginning to end, it consists of the doctrine of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari without any difference whatsoever.”  This was quoted by Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi (q.s.), in Tanbih al-Ghabi fi Takhthi’ay ibn ‘Arabi. 

In jurisprudence, Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) is often said to follow the Zhahiri madzhab, but this is incorrect since he himself denies it.  Imam ibn ‘Imad (r.a.) in his Shadzarat adz-Dzahab, quoted Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi’s (q.s.) two poems, ar-Ra’iyyah and an-Nuniyyah to this effect. 

In ar-Ra’iyyah, he wrote: 

“The Merciful forbade me to imitate Malik, Ahmad,

an-Nu’man and others; therefore pardon me.” 

In an-Nuniyyah, he wrote: 

“I am not of those who say, ‘ibn Hazm said …’

Certainly not!  Nor ‘Ahmad said …’ nor ‘an-Nu’man said.’” 

“an-Nu’man” here refers to Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit (r.a.) 

Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) has been controversial primarily because of his Fuswusw al-Hikam.  It is a monumental work of great depth, written in a hal.  It is not for those without dzawq, and is easily misconstrued.  There have been many commentaries on it, including by Imam Swadr ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Qunawi (r.a.); Imam ‘Afif ad-Din Sulayman ibn ‘Ali at-Tilimsani (r.a.); Imam Mu’ayyid ad-Din Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Jundi (r.a.); Imam Sa’d ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Farghani (r.a.); Imam Kamal ad-Din ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn ‘Abd al-Karim az-Zamalkani (r.a.); Shaykh Sharaf ad-Din Dawud ibn Mahmud al-Qaysari (r.a.); Imam Kamal ad-Din Imam Mahmud ibn ‘Ali al-Qashani (r.a.); Sayyid ‘Ali al-Hamadani (q.s.); Khwaja Muhammad Farsa (q.s.), the intimate friend of Shah Baha’ ad-Din Muhammad an-Naqshband (q.s.); Mawlana Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Muhammad Dashti Jami’ (q.s.); Shaykh Isma’il ibn Ahmad al-Anqarawi (r.a.), and Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghany ibn Isma’il an-Nablusi (q.s.). 

Imam Burhan ad-Din Abu al-Hasan Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Biqa’i (r.a.) wrote a fatwa, Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir ibn ‘Arabi wa Tahdzir al-‘Ibad min Ahl al-‘Inad, “A Warning to the Ignoramus Concerning the Declaration of ibn ‘Arabi’s Disbelief, and Cautioning Allah’s Servants against Stubborn People”, condemning Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) for disbelief concerning this book. 

Sayyid ‘Ali ibn Maymun al-Maghribi (q.s.) wrote a fatwa, Tanbih al-Ghabi fi Tanzih ibn ‘Arabi, “Warning to the Ignoramus Concerning ibn ‘Arabi’s Vindication”, defending Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.).  Imam Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi (q.s.) also wrote a fatwa with the same title, in which he stated, “The scholars past and present have differed concerning ibn ‘Arabi: one group considering him a wali, and they are correct, such as ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari and ‘Afif ad-Din al-Yafi’i; another considering him a heretic, such as a large number of the jurists; while others expressed doubts concerning him, among them adz-Dzahabi in al-Mizan.  Two opposed verdicts are reported from Shaykh ‘Izz ad-Din ibn ‘Abd as-Salam, one attacking him, and one describing him as the quthb.  What reconciles them is indicated by Shaykh Taj ad-Din ibn ‘Atha’illah in Latha’if al-Minan, namely, that Shaykh ‘Izz ad-Din at the beginning acted in the fashion of jurists in passing quick judgement on the Sufis.  When Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadzili went to pilgrimage and returned, he came to Shaykh ‘Izz ad-Din before entering his own house and conveyed to him the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) greeting.  After that, Shaykh ‘Izz ad-Din humbled himself and began to sit in ash-Shadzili’s gatherings.”  He then continued, “Our shaykh, Shaykh al-Islam, the last remnant of the mujtahidun, Sharaf ad-Din al-Munawi replied, concerning ibn ‘Arabi, that silence was safest.  And this is the stance that befits every truly God-conscious person who fears for himself.  For me, the last word concerning ibn ‘Arabi - and this is accepted neither by his contemporary admirers nor by his detractors - is that he be considered a wali, but reading his books is forbidden.” 

Imam as-Suyuthi’s (q.s.) opinion is echoed by Imam as-Safadi (r.a.), who said of Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.), “He was a very great man, and whatever can be understood from his words is excellent and upright; as for what we find difficult, we leave its matter to Allah (s.w.t.), for we were not tasked with following him nor with doing all that he said.” 

Similarly Mulla al-Qari (r.a.) stated in one of his fatawa against Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) and his works, “The safest course in religion concerning the person of ibn ‘Arabi is silence, as the scholars differed about him.” 

The muhaddits, Imam Muhib ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Mahmud ibn an-Najjar (r.a.) wrote a long notice on him in his Dzayl Tarikh Baghdad, in which he said, “I met him in Damascus and copied some of his poetry.  What a wonderful shaykh he was!” 

The list of scholars who believed he was a quthb is long, and so is the list of scholars who considered him a heretic.  The former group were the people of internal knowledge and the latter were people of external knowledge.  This does not detract from their piety and scholarship.  Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) was of the elite among the elite.  The awliya’ have declared that they considered Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) a wali.  They noted that the language he used is appropriate among the experts in its usage and that the ‘arif, when he becomes completely absorbed in the oceans of Unity, might make some statements that are liable to be misconstrued as hulul and ittihad, while in reality, there is neither. 

It is remarkable that there were very few contemporaries of Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) among his accusers, although he travelled and taught all over the Islamic world and, as Imam Shihab ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani (q.s.) stated, “He made his mark in every country that he entered”, while his admirers among the authorities of Islam lived both in his own lifetime and later. 

Imam ibn ‘Imad al-Hanbali (r.a.) said, “He passed away in the house of the Qadhi Muhyi al-Din ibn az-Zaki and was taken to Qasiyun, and buried in the noble mound, one of the groves of Paradise, and Allah Knows best.”