SHEIKH MUHYIDEEN IBN ARABI

SHEIKH MUHYIDEEN IBN ARABI

This was also another scholar who lived in Spain and his influence came down to North Africa. As a matter of fact even Ahmad Tijjani and his Tijjaniyyah benefited from his contributions. He was famous writer who wrote ( FATUHAT AL-MAKIYYAH). Probably he died in Damascus around 638A.H . So many sufis became interested in his book Futuhat Al- makiyyah having several chapters blended with philosophical ideas.

Inb Arabi was a very prominent Sufi scholar. Born in Murcia on 17 Ramadan 560 A.H or 28 July 1165 C. E. His full name was Abu Bakr Muhammad IBN Ali Al-Arabi AL- HATIMI AL- TA’IY. Ibn Arabi was popularly known as AL- Sheikh AL- Akbar or the greatest sheikh and was regarded as the fountain head of speculative Sufism in Islam. Ibn Arabi began his formal education at Seville in Spain. He also travelled to many places in search of knowledge such as Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, America and Anatolia. In these places he came in contact with sufi spiritual Masters in the East. 

Ibn Arabi identified himself with Sufism when he was young. Three factors were responsible for his inclination to Sufism. These were the influence of his young wife Maryam, the famous cardovan spiritual mistress Fatimah, and the death of his father. In 1201 C.E .  He travelled to to the east in order to perform the pilgrimage in Mecca and fulfill his desire of establishing contact with sufi spiritual Masters. In 1204 C.E  he went to mosul where he received the supreme initiation of mystical investment within a sufi fraternity. Among his contributions to Sufism, ibn Arabi propounded a theory which came to be known as “Wilayah”  or identification of men with God.