Seeing past the shadows: Ibn 'Arabi's

"Divine Comedy"

Author: James Winston Morris

Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/2392

This work is posted on eScholarship@BC,

Boston College University Libraries.

Published in Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, vol. 12, pp. 50-69, 1992

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0

Unported License.
 Seeing Past the Shadows:
Ibn 'Arabi's "Divine Comedy"

James Winston Morris

It w o u l d be difficult to exaggerate the c e n t r a l i t y o f the eschato-

l o g i c a l d i m e n s i o n o f h u m a n b e i n g i n the t h o u g h t a n d w r i t i n g s o f
I b n ' A r a b i . T h e c o m p l e t e l y h u m a n b e i n g (al-insan al-kamil), for the
Shaykh al-Akbar - as for his o w n m a s t e r a n d the Q u r ' a n they
share — c a n o n l y be u n d e r s t o o d i n terms o f a w i d e r universe, a n d a n
o n g o i n g process o f s p i r i t u a l perfection, that stretch far b e y o n d w h a t
we o r d i n a r i l y take to be the normal temporal and ontological
b o u n d a r i e s o f h u m a n existence. A n d the greater part o f his magnum
opus, " T h e M e c c a n O p e n i n g s " (al-Futuhat al-Makkiya), seems to be
devoted in particular to opening up a deeper awareness and
r e a l i z a t i o n o f those d i m e n s i o n s o f the " o t h e r w o r l d " (al-akhira) a n d
its realities u n d e r l y i n g the c o m p l e x s y m b o l s a n d allusions o f the
Q u r ' a n a n d hadith.
T h e d e p t h a n d d e t a i l o f I b n ' A r a b i ' s e x p l o r a t i o n s i n that area,
a n d o f his efforts at c o m m u n i c a t i n g t h e m , are c e r t a i n l y u n m a t c h e d
i n I s l a m i c t r a d i t i o n : w h i l e he b u i l t o n the insights o f m a n y gener-
ations o f e a r l i e r saints a n d r e l i g i o u s s c h o l a r s , his o w n teachings a n d
f o r m u l a t i o n s , e s p e c i a l l y i n the Futuhat, b e c a m e a s t a n d a r d reference
for v i r t u a l l y a l l later M u s l i m a u t h o r s , w h e t h e r S u n n i or S h i i t e , w h o
were to w r i t e about eschatology i n s u c h fields as m y s t i c i s m , p h i l o s -
o p h y , a n d even the m o r e t r a d i t i o n a l r e l i g i o u s sciences — as w e l l as
the favorite target for a sometimes vociferous chorus o f enemies a n d
c r i t i c s . T o suggest an a p p r o p r i a t e a n a l o g y a m o n g more familiar
W e s t e r n authors, one c o u l d say that I b n ' A r a b i ' s d i s c u s s i o n o f
these p r o b l e m s i n the Futuhat c o m b i n e s s o m e t h i n g o f P l a t o ' s intel-
lectual complexity, m y t h i c imagination and creative sensitivity;
D a n t e ' s religious d e p t h a n d systematic coherence, a n d his poetic
richness o f f a m i l i a r h u m a n reference-points; a n d the direct "eye-
witness r e p o r t i n g " o f a S w e d e n b o r g . A n d even those c o m p a r i s o n s
w o u l d not do j u s t i c e to the h i g h l y d e v e l o p e d i n t e r p l a y o f meta-
p h y s i c a l a n d s o t e r i o l o g i c a l d i m e n s i o n s that c a n o n l y be p a r a l l e l e d
i n c e r t a i n branches o f B u d d h i s t t r a d i t i o n .
B u t h a v i n g s a i d a l l this, h o w c a n we b e g i n to e x p l a i n the surpris-
i n g , b u t u n d e n i a b l e neglect o f these f u n d a m e n t a l aspects i n most
Western-language studies o f I b n ' A r a b i ' s w r i t i n g s ? O n e o b v i o u s
e x p l a n a t i o n is the reliance o f most s u c h studies, u n t i l v e r y recently,
p r i m a r i l y o n the Fusus al-Hikam a n d the m o r e abstract p h i l o s o p h i c
a p p r o a c h o f a few i n f l u e n t i a l later c o m m e n t a t o r s o n that w o r k . 1
A
second c u m b e r s o m e obstacle - a l t h o u g h one b y no m e a n s l i m i t e d
to I b n ' A r a b i — is the relative u n f a m i l i a r i t y a n d c o m p l e x i t y for a l -
most a l l m o d e r n readers ( i n c l u d i n g M u s l i m s ) o f some o f the under-
l y i n g symbol-systems referring to e s c h a t o l o g i c a l questions (drawn
from the Q u r ' a n , hadith, Sufi tradition, and other "scientific"
cosmologies o f the time) w h i c h the S h a y k h d r e w u p o n a n d shared
w i t h his o r i g i n a l l e a r n e d audiences. A n d i n the a c a d e m i c w o r l d , at
least, there is also a c e r t a i n p h i l o s o p h i c a n d t h e o l o g i c a l u n f a s h i o n -
ability, a peculiarly modern embarrassment at even p o s i n g s u c h
f u n d a m e n t a l m e t a p h y s i c a l questions - a n u n s p o k e n c u l t u r a l t a b o o
that often reflects a s i m p l i s t i c a n d m i s l e a d i n g c o n c e p t i o n b o t h o f
I b n ' A r a b i ' s o w n e s c h a t o l o g i c a l references a n d o f the a c t u a l m e a n -
i n g a n d a i m s o f t h e i r I s l a m i c s c r i p t u r a l sources.
F i n a l l y , even for the g r o w i n g c o m m u n i t y o f scholars w h o have
b e g u n to explore the Futuhat a n d are a t t e m p t i n g to open u p its
treasures to a m u c h w i d e r a u d i e n c e , there is the g r o w i n g awareness
o f a n o t h e r , m o r e u n a v o i d a b l e p r o b l e m . F o r I b n ' A r a b i ' s treatment
o f the e s c h a t o l o g i c a l d i m e n s i o n o f h u m a n existence (and o f m a n y
i n t e g r a l l y connected c o s m o l o g i c a l questions) is a perfect i l l u s t r a t i o n
o f a p e c u l i a r w r i t i n g t e c h n i q u e whose g r o u n d s a n d essential fea-
tures are carefully o u t l i n e d i n h i s o w n I n t r o d u c t i o n to the Futuhat.
T h e r e he e x p l a i n s that he has - i n i m i t a t i o n o f the rhetoric o f the
Q u r ' a n a n d hadtih - intentionally scattered the v e r y essence o f his
discoveries a n d teachings, r e c o g n i z a b l e solely b y the " e l i t e o f the
spiritual elite", throughout a l l the c h a p t e r s o f his masterwork,
because those expressions w o u l d i n e v i t a b l y be m i s u n d e r s t o o d b y
most people (and thus m i g h t even b r i n g death or persecution to
those w h o t r i e d to state t h e m m o r e o p e n l y ) . T h e challenge posed
2

b y his t h o r o u g h g o i n g a p p l i c a t i o n o f that p a r t i c u l a r r h e t o r i c a l tech-

n i q u e is like t r y i n g to reassemble a n i m m e n s e p u z z l e , or a shattered
w o r k o f art, w i t h o u t k n o w i n g w h i c h o f several possible outcomes
is i n fact the " r i g h t " one. A n d the p r a c t i c a l result — as I b n ' A r a b i
surely i n t e n d e d - is that a n y serious a t t e m p t to give a coherent
a c c o u n t o f the i n t e l l e c t u a l f r a m e w o r k a n d s p i r i t u a l i n t e n t i o n s o f his
eschatological teachings inevitably becomes quite personally
r e v e a l i n g , g i v e n this i n t e n t i o n a l l y a l l u s i v e , m i r r o r i n g q u a l i t y o f the
S h a y k h ' s w r i t i n g i n the Futuhat. T h e rest o f this essay p r o v i d e s a
few representative e x a m p l e s o f s u c h " m i r r o r s " from key chapters o f
that i m m e n s e w o r k , b e g i n n i n g w i t h one o f his most c o m p r e h e n s i v e
images, the shadow-theater o f existence.

*
C h a p t e r 317 o f the Futuhat c o n t a i n s some o f the most succinct a n d
v i v i d a l l u s i o n s to I b n ' A r a b i ' s o w n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the u n i v e r s a l
" D i v i n e C o m e d y " a n d its u l t i m a t e significance for each human
b e i n g . L i k e most o f the S h a y k h ' s c h a p t e r s , it is a sort o f extended
c o m m e n t a r y o n a single b r i e f Q u r a n i c passage ( 6 7 : 1 - 2 ) : "Blessed be
the One in Whose Hand is the Dominion, and Hu is Capable of every thing!
Who created death and life in order to test you-all, which of you is finest
in acting..." That chapter is e n t i t l e d " O n U n d e r s t a n d i n g the
W a y s t a t i o n o f T e s t i n g (or o f T r i b u l a t i o n : ibtila') a n d Its B l e s s i n g s ,
w h i c h is the W a y s t a t i o n o f the I m a m W h o is at the left o f the S p i r i -
tual P o l e " . 3
T h a t I m a m — as w e l e a r n elsewhere — is J e s u s , a n d his
appearance here alludes not o n l y to the c e n t r a l q u e s t i o n o f s p i r i t u a l
testing a n d tribulation (ibtila )3
as a f u n d a m e n t a l expression o f
G o d ' s u n i v e r s a l C r e a t i v e - L o v e , rahma, b u t also to J e s u s ' recurrent
role t h r o u g h o u t I b n " A r a b i ' s w o r k s , a n d to some extent even i n the
Q u r ' a n , as a p r e e m i n e n t p r o p h e t i c s y m b o l a n d manifestation o f the
d i v i n e S p i r i t , Ruh Allah.
T h e chapter opens w i t h the r a p i d poetic e n u m e r a t i o n o f the
p e r e n n i a l m e t a p h y s i c a l a n d t h e o l o g i c a l questions r a i s e d b y a l l the
repeated Q u r a n i c a l l u s i o n s to G o d ' s o m n i p o t e n c e a n d " t e s t i n g " o f
h u m a n beings. A s is often the case w i t h the S h a y k h ' s poetry i n the
Futuhat, each line o f that p o e m c a n be r e a d s i m u l t a n e o u s l y o n two
v e r y different levels, as a reference to the w h o l e manifest universe
(the " A b o d e " ) or to the p a r t i c u l a r s i t u a t i o n o f each individual
h u m a n b e i n g . O n the first l e v e l , his r h e t o r i c a l d i l e m m a s seem to
c a l l for a p u r e l y abstract t h e o d i c y , a t h e o l o g i c a l or p h i l o s o p h i c
" s o l u t i o n " . B u t as those issues a c t u a l l y arise i n each person's life,
they raise the m o r e u n a v o i d a b l e a n d pressing q u e s t i o n o f the u l t i -
mate ends a n d m e a n i n g o f o u r v e r y existence. T h e same constant
a m b i g u o u s i n t e r p l a y between m a c r o c o s m a n d m i c r o c o s m , between
the u n i v e r s a l r e a l i z a t i o n o f the Perfect H u m a n Being and the
difficult p a t h o f each imperfect s o u l , u n d e r l i e s a l l the f u n d a m e n t a l
i n t e r p r e t i v e issues we a l l u d e d to earlier:

I was astonished at the Abode that He had built and formed: 4

He housed a noble Spirit there and then He tested it.

T h e n H e destroyed it like someone w h o doesn't s u s t a i n it.

So w h o c a n p u t it a l l together for me? W h o c a n m a k e it last?

F r o m the start H e k n e w quite w e l l w h a t H e h a d established.

W o u l d that I k n e w n o w w h a t H e k n e w then!

W h y d i d n ' t H e b u i l d it a n d s u s t a i n it from the first

i n a p e r m a n e n t w a y , forever its S o u r c e o f Life?

W h a t d i d it do? W h a t m a d e it d e s e r v i n g o f r u i n ?
W h a t h a d e x a l t e d it? A n d w h a t m a d e it forsaken?

T h e H a n d o f t r i b u l a t i o n toyed w i t h us a n d w i t h it;
a n d after a t i m e restored i t , then r a i s e d it h i g h .

A n d restored that S p i r i t to it, t h e n mounted

on its Throne as K i n g , a n d i m m o r t a l i z e d its i n h a b i t a n t s ,
5

b e q u e a t h i n g t h e m (the gardens of) E d e n a n d E t e r n i t y ,

l o d g i n g t h e m i n F i r d a w s a n d M a ' w a , out o f H i s l o v i n g c o n c e r n .
6

T h e outlines o f I b n ' A r a b i ' s o w n answers to these p r i m o r d i a l

m e t a p h y s i c a l questions are suggested i n the c o n c l u d i n g section o f
that same chapter ( I I I , 6 8 : 1 8 - 2 7 ) , i n the a r c h e t y p a l i m a g e o f this
w o r l d as a c h i l d r e n ' s shadow-theater:

Whoever wants to know the inner reality of what we have alluded

to concerning this question (i.e., of the deeper reasons for death and
human suffering, ignorance and sin in this world) should reflect on the
image-illusion of the screen and the forms (of the shadow-play). W h o
7

is the speaker, for the little children who are far from the veil of the
screen set up between them and the person playing with those
characters and speaking through them?
Now that is how it is with the forms of the world: the majority of
people are those little children we just mentioned - so you should know
how it is that happened to them. The little ones at that show are
happily playing and having great fun; (and likewise) theheedlessones
consider (this world only) an amusement and pastime. But those who truly 8
 know reflect and see more deeply, and they realize that G o d has only
established this as a likeness (or symbol: mathal).
That is why at the beginning of the show a person comes out who
is called the "Describer" (al-wassaf). H e delivers a speech in which he
glorifies G o d and praises H i m . T h e n he talks in turn about every sort of
form that will emerge behind that screen after him, and he informs the
audience that G o d has established all this as a likeness for His servants,
so that they can reflect on it and come to know that the world, in
relation to G o d , is like these shadow-forms with the person who is
moving them, and that this veil is the mystery of Destiny (sirr al-qadar)
governing the creatures. Yet despite all this the heedless take it to be an
amusement and pastime, as in God's saying (concerning): " . . . those
who have taken their religion to be an amusement and pastime [and have been
deluded by the life of this world. , . they forgot the meeting (with God) this Day
and denied Our Signs]" (7:51).
Then the Describer disappears. A n d he is like the first of us to exist,
Adam: when he vanished, his absence from us was with his L o r d ,
behind the veil of God's Unseen (ghayb). And God speaks the Truth, and He
shows the right way (33:4).

For Ibn 'Arabi that master "Describer" is above all

M u h a m m a d , t h r o u g h his c o n s t a n t references i n b o t h the Qur'an
a n d hadith to that d i v i n e l y o r c h e s t r a t e d R e a l i t y l y i n g b e h i n d this
life's d i s t r a c t i n g appearances — a n d t h r o u g h his concrete p r a c t i c a l
i n d i c a t i o n s as to h o w w e c a n b e g i n to "see t h r o u g h " those v e i l e d
images (the " S i g n s " o f the Q u r ' a n ) to their S o u r c e . I n consequence
the S h a y k h ' s o w n sometimes p u z z l i n g treatments o f the symbols
o f I s l a m i c eschatology are not r e a l l y yet a n o t h e r new d e s c r i p t i o n
(since there is no need for t h a t ) , but rather a n attempt to get his
readers a c t u a l l y to see those earlier d e s c r i p t i o n s as j u s t that, to "see
through" the incidents of their o w n h u m a n shadow-play to its
p e r e n n i a l d i v i n e g r o u n d a n d a i m . T h e p r a c t i c a l alternatives to that
rare c l e a r seeing - the p e r e n n i a l g a m u t o f a r b i t r a r y p o l i t i c a l a n d
m u n d a n e purposes to w h i c h those p r o p h e t i c " D e s c r i p t i o n s " have
so often been put — were not s o m e t h i n g he needed to u n d e r l i n e .
T h e c e n t r a l i t y o f this e s c h a t o l o g i c a l perspective for our life here
and now is perhaps most clearly summarized i n the following
key passage from one o f his most accessible short treatises, the
Treatise of Lights . . . , i n w h i c h the S h a y k h outlines the
9
fundamen-
tal "realms o f b e i n g " or s p i r i t u a l a n d o n t o l o g i c a l "homelands"
(mawatin) that together constitute the total field of being and
experience o f the Perfect H u m a n B e i n g :
 Now these realms, although they are numerous, come down to six: the
first is the realm of "Am I not your Lord?" (7:172), and we have already
become separated from it; the second is the realm of the "lower world"
(al-dunya) in which we are (physically) right now; the third is the realm
of the barzakh (23:100) to which we go after the lesser and greater
deaths; the fourth is the realm of the Raising (of the dead) on the
10

"Earth of the Awakening" (cf. 79:14) and "the return to the Original
State" (cf. 79:10); the fifth is the realm of the Garden (of Paradise) and
the Fire (of Hell); and the sixth is the realm of the Dune [of the "Visit"
and beatific vision of God], outside the Garden.

I n fact these last four " e s c h a t o l o g i c a l " r e a l m s , for I b n ' A r a b i ,

constitute b y far the greater part o f manifest r e a l i t y a n d p o t e n t i a l
experience. A n d for h i m , their full s p i r i t u a l a p p r e h e n s i o n — not as a
theory or system o f c o n c e p t s , but through the profound inner
r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e i r l i v i n g presence a c c o m p l i s h e d b y those rare
saints and prophets w h o have followed the path o f Perfection
through to its end - is the most essential part o f any true,
comprehensive understanding o f the n a t u r e a n d a i m o f h u m a n
b e i n g , i n c l u d i n g the d r a m a s o f the t e r r e s t r i a l s h a d o w - p l a y . T h u s
his i n i t i a l systematic t r e a t m e n t o f the scriptural descriptions of
those r e a l m s (in C h a p t e r s 61—5 o f the Futuhat) i n t r o d u c e s a host o f
s y m b o l s whose deeper, m o r e i m m e d i a t e m e a n i n g o n l y g r a d u a l l y
becomes clearer i n subsequent c h a p t e r s . H e r e we c a n o n l y cite a
few e x a m p l e s o f the m a n y passages a l l u d i n g to the " k e y s " to e a c h
o f these four h i g h e r s p i r i t u a l d i m e n s i o n s o f h u m a n b e i n g .

* *
O n e o f those passages is the f o l l o w i n g section from C h a p t e r 302
( I I I , 12.26-13.23), i n w h i c h I b n ' A r a b i p o i n t s out the i l l u s i o n s
i n v o l v e d i n m i s c o n c e i v i n g the d e s c r i p t i o n s o f either P a r a d i s e or
Hell as simply another physical " p l a c e " , o f the same spatio-
t e m p o r a l o r d e r as this m a t e r i a l w o r l d :

K n o w , my brother - may G o d guide and protect you with His

lovingmercy — that the Garden which is attained by those who are
among its people in the other world is visible to you today with respect
to its place, though not its form. So you are in the Garden, transformed,
in whatever state you happen to be, but you don't know you are in it,
because you are veiled from it by the form in which it manifests itself to
you!
 Now the people of unveiling, who perceive what is unseen by ordi-
nary men, do see that place. If it is the Garden (of paradise), then they
see a green meadow; or if it is Gehenna, then they see it according to
the traits of its bitter cold, burning winds, and the other things G o d has
prepared in it. A n d most of the people of unveiling see this at the begin-
ning of the (spiritual) path.
Now the Revelation (shar ) alluded to is that in (Muhammad's)
c

saying: "Between my grave and this pulpit is one of the meadows of the
Garden." 11
So the people of unveiling see it as a meadow, just as he
said; and they see the Nile, Euphrates, Sayhan and Jayhan as the rivers
of honey, water, wine and milk in the Garden (cf. 47:15), as
(Muhammad) said, since the Prophet reported that these rivers are part
of the G a r d e n . 12
But the person whose vision has not been unveiled by
G o d , who remains blinded by the veil, cannot perceive that. Such a
person is like a blind man in a park: he is not at all absent from it, yet
he doesn't see it. But the fact that he doesn't see it doesn't mean that he
isn't in it. O n the contrary, he really is in it!"

* # #

A s e c o n d key passage, f r o m C h a p t e r 351 (III, 223.8-10, 18-33),

alludes to the " V o l u n t a r y R e t u r n " o f the saint or a c c o m p l i s h e d
m y s t i c , the s p i r i t u a l " a d u l t " w h o has r e s p o n d e d to the famous P r o p h -
etic i n j u n c t i o n to " D i e before y o u die!", a n d has thereby g r o w n
to recognize the one real P l a y e r / A u t h o r b e h i n d the d i s t r a c t i n g
voices a n d images o f the c h i l d r e n s ' s h a d o w - p l a y :

T h e voluntary return to G o d is something for which the servant is most

thankful. G o d said: "The whole affair is returned to Him" (11:123). So
since you know that, return to H i m willingly and you will not be
returned to H i m by compulsion. For there is no escaping your return to
H i m , and you will surely have to meet H i m , either willingly or against
your will. For H e meets you in (the form of) your own attributes,
nothing else but that - so examine your self, my friend! (The Prophet)
said: "Whoever loves to meet G o d , G o d loves to meet him; and
whoever is averse to meeting G o d , G o d is averse to meeting h i m . " 13

Now since we knew that our meeting with G o d can only be through
death, 14
and because we knew the inner meaning of death, we sought to
bring it about sooner, in the life of this world. Hence we died, in the
very Source/Water of our life, 15
to all of our concerns and activities and
desires, so that when death overcame us in the midst of that Life which
never passes from us - inasmuch as we are that (Life) with which our
selves and our limbs and every part of us glorifies and praises ( G o d ) - 1 6
 we met G o d and H e met us. A n d ours was the case (in the above-
mentioned hadith) of "those who meet H i m while loving to meet H i m " .
Thus when there comes what is commonly known as "death", and the
veil of this body is removed from us (50:22), our state will not change and
our certainty will not be any greater than what we already experience
now. For (like those in paradise) we tasted no death but thefirstdeath, which
we already died during our life in this world, because our L o r d protected
us from the torment of hellfire as a bounty from your Lord; That is the Supreme
Achievement (44:56-7). A s A l i said: "Even if the veil were removed, I
c

would not be any more certain!"

So the person who returns to G o d in this way is among the blessed
and does not even feel the inevitable, compulsory return (of bodily
death), because it only comes to them when they are already there with
G o d . T h e most that what is (commonly) known as "death" can mean
for them is that their soul, which is with G o d , is kept from governing
this body that it used to govern, so that the soul remains with G o d , in
its same condition, while that body reverts to its origin, the dust from
which it was formed (3:59, etc.). For it was a house whose occupant has
traveled away; then the King established that person with Him in a firm
position (54:55) until the Day they are raised (23:100, etc.). A n d their
condition when they are raised up will be just like that: it will not
change in so far as their being with G o d is concerned, nor with regard
to what G o d gives them at every instant.

T h e following passage, still f r o m C h a p t e r 351, discusses o n e o f

the basic features o f the p s y c h i c d i m e n s i o n s o f the "next w o r l d " ,
the o n t o l o g i c a l reversal o f the c u r r e n t l y v e i l e d o r d e r o f things, so
that psychic and moral realities become fixed, while outward,
sensible forms c a n change as r a p i d l y a n d incessantly as o u r i m a g i n -
ation does here below:

It is also like this in . . . the Gardens (of Paradise) which are this
person's residence and dwelling place, and in the realm (of being,
nash'a) which they inhabit. For there they see a realm created without
any (fixed) pattern, a realm that provides them in its outward
manifestation with what the realm of this world provides in its inner
(psychic and spiritual) dimension and its imagination. So this is the
way such a person freely controls the outward dimension of the realm of
the other world. T h e y enjoy all that they possess in a single instant.
Nothing that belongs to them . . . is ever separated from them, nor are
they ever separated from those things: that person is among them
(simply) through his being desired, and those things are in them
through their being desired. 17
 For the other world is an abode of swift reaction, without any delay
(where external appearances constantly change), just as is the case with
our passing thoughts in the inner dimension of the realm of this world.
Except that for the human being the planes are reversed in the other
world, so that the person's inward dimension permanently maintains a
single form - just as their outward dimension does here - while the
forms of their outward dimension undergo rapid transformations like
those of their inner dimension here. (God) said: "... by what a reversal
they will be transformed!" (26:227), yet when we have undergone our
transformation, nothing will have been added to the way we were. So
understand!

* * * *

T h e next selections, from C h a p t e r 369 ( I I I , 3 8 8 . 3 3 - 3 8 9 . 1 6 , a n d

389.34—390.5), b e g i n to d e v e l o p the d y n a m i c d i m e n s i o n o f this
s p i r i t u a l death a n d r e s u r r e c t i o n , a l l u d i n g more o p e n l y to the essen-
t i a l reasons for o u r " v i s i t " to the " g r a v e s " o f existence i n this
m a t e r i a l w o r l d . T h e w h o l e passage is thus a n extended c o m m e n -
tary o n the famous verses o f Surah 102 ("The proliferation of things (al-
takathur) was distracting you-all, until you visited the graves . . . " ) . A n d
the p a r t i c u l a r k i n d o f " d e a t h " that p r i m a r i l y interests I b n ' A r a b i
here is again the "lesser R e s u r r e c t i o n " (al-qiyamat al-sughra), the
i n d i v i d u a l soul's transformed awareness a n d i m m e d i a t e v i s i o n
(ru'ya) o f the true r e a l i t y o f the S e l f - s u m m e d u p here i n the
famous hadith " W h o e v e r knows their soul/self, k n o w s their L o r d " -
a n d its u n d y i n g L i f e . B u t here this r e a w a k e n e d r e c o g n i t i o n o f the
full s p i r i t u a l a n d i m a g i n a l d i m e n s i o n s o f o u r b e i n g a n d relation to
G o d does not at a l l lead to some " g n o s t i c " rejection o f the w o r l d
a n d the c o m p l e x i t i e s o f this life, to a n i l l u s o r y escape i n t o the bliss
of fana'. Instead it is precisely the s p i r i t u a l travelers' return to those
b o d i l y " g r a v e s " - a n d the c o n c o m i t a n t awareness that our passage
t h r o u g h this w o r l d is i n d e e d o n l y a b r i e f visit - that completes a n d
perfects their state o f s p i r i t u a l k n o w l e d g e a n d c e r t a i n t y , w h i l e at
the same time fully r e v e a l i n g o u r u n i q u e p o s i t i o n a n d r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
as the d i v i n e " t r u s t e e " or " s t e w a r d " (khalifa) w i t h regard to a l l
these realms o f b e i n g . T h e necessary fulfilment o f that o n t o l o g i c a l
" c o m p r e h e n s i v e n e s s " — w i t h a l l the p e r p l e x i n g suffering, sin a n d
d i s t r a c t i o n (the full range o f takathur) that s i t u a t i o n i m p l i e s - is
precisely w h a t distinguishes the u n i q u e a n d u n a v o i d a b l e role o f the
c o m p l e t e l y h u m a n b e i n g (al-insan al-kamil) i n I b n ' A r a b i ' s under-
s t a n d i n g o f this d i v i n e c o m e d y . N o w h e r e is that comprehensive
v i s i o n o f the u l t i m a t e destiny a n d true stature o f h u m a n b e i n g more
s u c c i n c t l y a n d s t r i k i n g l y stated t h a n at the e n d o f this section, i n
his transformed i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f the ancient gnostic s y m b o l o f the
P e a r l o f the soul.

T h e final o u t c o m e o f the affair is the r e t u r n f r o m the m a n y to the O n e ,

for b o t h the p e r s o n o f faith a n d the p o l y t h e i s t (mushrik). T h i s is because
the p e r s o n o f f a i t h w h o is g r a n t e d the u n v e i l i n g o f " t h i n g s as they r e a l l y
are" 1 8
is g r a n t e d (the i m m e d i a t e v i s i o n of) t h i s , as H e s a i d : "Now We
have removed from you your veil, so your vision Today is keen" (50:22). A n d this
is before that p e r s o n leaves this w o r l d .
F o r e v e r y o n e w h o is t a k e n (by p h y s i c a l d e a t h ) is i n (a state o f s p i r -
i t u a l ) " u n v e i l i n g " at the m o m e n t t h e y are t a k e n , so t h a t at t h a t p o i n t
they i n c l i n e t o w a r d G o d (al-Haqq) a n d t o w a r d true f a i t h i n H i m a n d
(the true awareness o f ) d i v i n e U n i t y . H e n c e the p e r s o n w h o attains this
c e r t a i n t y before b e i n g b r o u g h t i n t o the presence (of G o d at the t i m e o f
p h y s i c a l death) is a b s o l u t e l y sure o f t h e i r felicity a n d t h e i r c o n j u n c t i o n
w i t h (that s p i r i t u a l state o f blessedness). F o r the c e r t a i n t y w h i c h comes
f r o m s o u n d i n q u i r y a n d u n a m b i g u o u s ( e x p e r i e n t i a l ) u n v e i l i n g prevents
s u c h a p e r s o n f r o m s t r a y i n g f r o m the T r u l y R e a l , since t h e y have " a
clear proof" 19
(6:57, 47:14, etc.) i n the m a t t e r a n d "discerning inner vision"
(12:108).
B u t the p e r s o n w h o attains this certainty (only) w h e n they are
b r o u g h t i n t o the presence (of b o d i l y d e a t h ) is subject to the (ineluc-
table) d i v i n e W i l l . A n d a l t h o u g h the final o u t c o m e is f e l i c i t y , 20
however
that is o n l y after the i m p o s i t i o n o f t o r m e n t s a n d afflictions w i t h respect
to the p e r s o n w h o is p u n i s h e d for t h e i r sins. F o r one is o n l y " b r o u g h t
i n t o the presence (of G o d ) " after h a v i n g w i t n e s s e d t h a t to w h i c h the
creatures are transferred (after d e a t h ) . S o l o n g as a p e r s o n has not
w i t n e s s e d that, death has not come near them (4:18, etc.), n o r h a v e they
b e e n " b r o u g h t i n t o (its) presence . . . " 2 1

So k n o w that these b o d i e s are the coffins o f the s p i r i t s a n d w h a t

b e c l o u d s t h e m ; they are w h a t v e i l t h e m so that t h e y d o not witness (the
s p i r i t u a l w o r l d ) a n d are not w i t n e s s e d . S o the s p i r i t s d o not see, n o r are
they seen, except t h r o u g h b e i n g p a r t e d f r o m these ( b o d i l y ) tombs (see
102:2) - b y b e c o m i n g o b l i v i o u s to t h e m (in t h e i r a b s o r p t i o n i n s p i r i t u a l
t h i n g s ) , not t h r o u g h ( p h y s i c a l ) s e p a r a t i o n . T h e r e f o r e since they have
i n n e r v i s i o n , w h e n they b e c o m e o b l i v i o u s to w i t n e s s i n g the b o d i e s t h e n
they witness the O n e W h o gives t h e m B e i n g i n the v e r y act o f witness-
ing themselves. 22

So " w h o e v e r k n o w s t h e i r s o u l / s e l f k n o w s t h e i r L o r d . " 2 3
Likewise
w h o e v e r witnesses t h e i r self witnesses t h e i r L o r d , a n d t h e r e b y m o v e s
f r o m the certainty of knowledge (102:5) to the certainty of direct-seeing (102:
7). T h e n w h e n they are r e t u r n e d to t h e i r ( b o d i l y ) tombs (102:2) they are
 returned to (the highest spiritual stage of) " T r u e Certainty" (yaqin
haqq), not to the "certainty of knowledge". This is how a human being
learns the (inner) differentiation of the T r u l y Real (al-Haqq), through
His informing (us) of the true saying concerning the true reality of certainty
(56:95), the seeing of certainty and the knowing of certainty (102:3-7). So for
(one who reaches this stage) every property (of reality) becomes firmly
established in its proper rank, and things are not confused for them (cf.
2:42, 3:71). A n d they know that the (prophetic) announcements did not
mislead them (cf. 6:5, etc.).
Therefore whoever knows G o d in this way has truly known and
understood the wisdom (underlying) the formation of the pearl in its
shell from fresh sweet (water), in salty bitter (water) (25:53): the shell is its 24

body and its saltiness is its (physical) nature. So the influence of nature
predominates in its shell, but the salt is (also) the whiteness (of the
pearl) - and that is like the Light which is revealed through it. So
realize (what is meant by) this Sign!

* * * * *

F o r I b n A r a b i , the essential u n d e r p i n n i n g o f a l l the eschatological

c

d i m e n s i o n s o f b e i n g lies i n the full r e a l i t y o f the d i v i n e " I m a g i n a -

t i o n " (khiyal) — w h i c h i n fact constitutes the o n g o i n g shadow-theater
o f manifest existence. ( T h i s is precisely where the S h a y k h ' s discus-
sions o f c o s m o l o g y a n d eschatology, o f o n t o l o g y a n d soteriology,
a l w a y s become inseparable.) T h e f a s c i n a t i n g anecdote w h i c h fol-
lows, from C h a p t e r 73 o f the Futuhat ( I I , 8 2 . 1 6 - 3 2 ) , is a p a r t i c u l a r l y
s t r i k i n g i l l u s t r a t i o n o f the transformed meanings o f " t i m e " a n d
" s p a c e ' ' i n those higher realms o f b e i n g . It is I b n " A r a b i ' s e x p l a n a t i o n
o f the Q u r a n i c statement that "The affair of the Hour (of Resurrection)
is (only) like a twinkling of the eye or It is even nearer" (16:77).

T h e H o u r (of R e s u r r e c t i o n ) is c a l l e d a n " h o u r " (sa'a) because it "hast-

e n s " t o w a r d us (tas'a) b y p a s s i n g t h r o u g h these m o m e n t s o f t i m e a n d
breaths, n o t b y t r a v e r s i n g d i s t a n c e s . S o (in the w o r d s o f the hadith)
" w h e n someone d i e s " t h e i r H o u r has r e a c h e d t h e m a n d t h e i r " R e s u r -
r e c t i o n has a l r e a d y b e g u n " . . . S o the affair of the Hour a n d its role i n the
w o r l d is closer than the twinkling of an eye (16:77). F o r its a r r i v a l is itself
i d e n t i c a l w i t h its j u d g m e n t , its j u d g m e n t is the s a m e as its e x e c u t i o n i n
the one w h o is j u d g e d , its e x e c u t i o n is the same as its c o m i n g to pass,
a n d its c o m i n g to pass is p r e c i s e l y the p e o p l i n g o f the t w o A b o d e s , a
group in the Garden and a group in the Flame (42:7).
N o w no o n e is t r u l y a w a r e o f this " n e a r n e s s " b u t the p e r s o n w h o is
aware o f G o d ' s p o w e r (as manifested) i n the existence o f the I m a g i n a t i o n
 i n the n a t u r a l w o r l d , w h o is a w a r e o f the vast extent o f the m a t t e r s that
are f o u n d , i n a single b r e a t h o r b l i n k o f the eye, b y someone w h o k n o w s
the ( d i v i n e ) I m a g i n a t i o n . T h e n (such a p e r s o n a c t u a l l y ) sees the effect o f
that i n sense p e r c e p t i o n , w i t h the eye o f the I m a g i n a t i o n , so that they
are t r u l y a w a r e o f this nearness a n d the " f o l d i n g u p " o f years i n t o the
smallest instant o f the t i m e o f the life o f t h i s w o r l d . W h o e v e r has c o m e
across the story o f J a w h a r i has seen a m a r v e l o u s t h i n g that i l l u s t r a t e s
this sort (of p h e n o m e n o n ) .
N o w i f y o u s h o u l d ask " B u t w h a t is the story o f J a w h a r i ? " , we m a y
say t h a t he m e n t i o n e d that he left his h o u s e (one d a y ) w i t h some d o u g h
to take to the b a k e r ' s o v e n , w h i l e he h a p p e n e d to be i n a state o f r i t u a l
i m p u r i t y . S o (after d r o p p i n g off the d o u g h at the b a k e r ' s ) he c a m e to
the b a n k o f the N i l e to d o his a b l u t i o n s , a n d there, w h i l e he was stand-
i n g i n the w a t e r , he saw h i m s e l f , i n the w a y a d r e a m e r sees t h i n g s , as
t h o u g h he were i n B a g h d a d . H e h a d m a r r i e d , l i v e d w i t h the w o m a n for
six years a n d h a d h a d s e v e r a l c h i l d r e n - I forget the exact n u m b e r -
w i t h her there. T h e n he w a s r e t u r n e d to h i m s e l f (i.e., i n his o r d i n a r y
c o n s c i o u s n e s s ) , w h i l e he w a s s t i l l s t a n d i n g i n the w a t e r , so he finished
his a b l u t i o n s , got out o f the w a t e r a n d p u t o n his c l o t h e s , w e n t off to the
b a k e r ' s o v e n , p i c k e d u p his b r e a d , c a m e b a c k to h i s house a n d t o l d his
family about what he had seen d u r i n g that v i s i o n . H o w e v e r after
s e v e r a l m o n t h s h a d passed, the w o m a n (from B a g h d a d ) w i t h w h o m he
h a d seen h i m s e l f m a r r i e d d u r i n g that e x p e r i e n c e a c t u a l l y c a m e (to
J a w h a r i ' s t o w n i n E g y p t ) a n d a s k e d d i r e c t i o n s to his house. S o w h e n
she m e t h i m , he r e c o g n i z e d h e r a n d the c h i l d r e n , a n d he d i d not d e n y
that they were h i s . A n d w h e n she w a s a s k e d " W h e n d i d y o u get
m a r r i e d ? " , she r e p l i e d " S i x years ago, a n d these are h i s c h i l d r e n w i t h
m e . " T h u s w h a t h a p p e n e d i n the I m a g i n a t i o n e m e r g e d (concretely) i n
sense-perception. T h i s is one o f the six t o p i c s ( m e n t i o n e d b y ) D h u a l -
Nun al-Misri 2 5
w h i c h ( o r d i n a r y ) i n t e l l e c t s c o n s i d e r to be i m p o s s i b l e .

* * * * * *
One o f the c e n t r a l features o f I b n ' A r a b i ' s understanding of the
e s c h a t o l o g i c a l s y m b o l s i n the Q u r ' a n and hadith, i n w h i c h he gen-
e r a l l y follows the a p p r o a c h o f e a r l i e r Sufis, is his consistent dis-
tinction between, on the one hand, those Gardens (and levels
o f the "Hellfire" or G e h e n n a ) c o r r e s p o n d i n g to the recompense
o f p e o p l e ' s actions i n this w o r l d a n d , on the other h a n d , certain
symbols — largely drawn from various hadith concerning the
posthumous vision of G o d - that he takes to refer to individuals'
differing degrees o f s p i r i t u a l r e a l i z a t i o n or i n n e r awareness ( " k n o w -
ledge") of God. These distinctions are developed in their full
c o m p l e x i t y i n his i n t e g r a l a c c o u n t s o f the e s c h a t o l o g i c a l events a n d
locations i n C h a p t e r s 6 1 - 5 and 371 o f the Futuhat, but the most
essential points are summarized in the following much shorter
section f r o m Chapter 73 (III, 85.1-22, a n s w e r i n g the question
"How are the saints a n d the p r o p h e t s r a n k e d o n the D a y of the
V i s i t ? " ) . T h e S h a y k h ' s d i s c u s s i o n o f the beatific v i s i o n o f the elect
here presupposes the s y m b o l i s m o f h u m a n k i n d ' s " V i s i t " to God
and beatific vision o f the divine Face presented i n the famous
"hadith o f the D u n e " , i n w h i c h M u h a m m a d is asked to describe the
mysterious " M a r k e t of P a r a d i s e " : 2 6

" W h e n the p e o p l e o f the G a r d e n (of P a r a d i s e ) enter it they settle d o w n

i n it a c c o r d i n g to the e x c e l l e n c e o f t h e i r actions. A f t e r that, d u r i n g the
p e r i o d ( c o r r e s p o n d i n g to) the D a y o f R e u n i o n a m o n g the days o f this
w o r l d , they are c a l l e d (to p r a y e r ) a n d t h e y v i s i t t h e i r L o r d : H e s h o w s
t h e m H i s T h r o n e , a n d H e manifests H i m s e l f to t h e m i n one o f the
m e a d o w s o f the G a r d e n . T h e n there are set u p for t h e m p l a t f o r m s o f
L i g h t . . . , w h i l e the l o w e r ones o f t h e m a n d those a m o n g t h e m w h o are
i g n o b l e take t h e i r seats o n dunes o f m u s k a n d c a m p h o r . A n d (those
s i t t i n g d o w n ) d o not see that those w h o are o n the pedestals h a v e m o r e
excellent seats t h a n t h e m . " 2 7

I a s k e d the M e s s e n g e r o f G o d : " D o w e see o u r L o r d ? "

A n d he r e p l i e d : " Y e s i n d e e d ! D o y o u - a l l h a v e a n y d o u b t a b o u t seeing
the s u n , o r the m o o n w h e n it is f u l l ? "
" N o " , I said.
" S o l i k e w i s e y o u - a l l d o not h a v e a n y d o u b t a b o u t seeing y o u r L o r d ! "
" A n d there does not r e m a i n a s i n g l e p e r s o n i n t h a t g a t h e r i n g but that
G o d is present a n d c o n v e r s i n g w i t h t h e m so i n t i m a t e l y that H e w i l l say
to (each) one o f y o u 'Don't you remember so-and-so to whom you did such and
such?'" - a n d H e r e m i n d s t h a t p e r s o n o f some o f t h e i r t r e a c h e r y a n d
deceit i n this w o r l d .
" T h e n that p e r s o n says: ' O L o r d , d i d n ' t Y o u forgive m e ? ' "
" A n d he says: 'Indeed it was through the vastness of My Forgiveness that you
have reached your station here.'" A n d w h i l e they are together like that
clouds w i l l form above them a n d perfume w i l l rain d o w n upon them,
sweeter a n d m o r e fragrant t h a n a n y t h i n g they have ever e x p e r i e n c e d .
" T h e n H e says: 'Rise up, all of you, to that which I have readied for you
from My Grace, and take what you desired.' "
[ M u h a m m a d ] c o n t i n u e d : " S o w e are b r o u g h t a M a r k e t that has been
enclosed a n d s u r r o u n d e d by the angels, c o n t a i n i n g that w h o s e l i k e ' n o
eyes have seen, ears have not h e a r d , a n d has not o c c u r r e d to the
hearts'." 28

He s a i d : " T h e n w h a t e v e r we d e s i r e d is b r o u g h t to us. T h e r e is no
s e l l i n g i n it, n o r a n y b u y i n g there. A n d i n t h a t M a r k e t the p e o p l e o f the
 G a r d e n e n c o u n t e r one a n o t h e r . S o i f a p e r s o n w h o has a h i g h e r station
meets someone w h o is b e l o w t h e m - yet there is no l o w l y p l a c e there -
a n d that (second) p e r s o n is d e l i g h t e d w i t h the g a r m e n t (the first one) is
w e a r i n g , even before he has finished s p e a k i n g a g a r m e n t even more
b e a u t i f u l t h a n that a p p e a r s to t h e m u p o n that p e r s o n . A n d that is
because there must not be a n y s o r r o w there.
" T h e n we r e t u r n to o u r stations a n d meet o u r s p o u s e s , 29
w h o say:
' W e l c o m e b a c k ! B u t n o w that y o u ' v e c o m e b a c k y o u r b e a u t y a n d y o u r
fragrance are m u c h finer t h a n w h e n y o u left us!' "
" A n d we a n s w e r : ' T h i s D a y we g a t h e r e d i n the c o m p a n y o f o u r L o r d ,
a n d H e gave us the r i g h t to c o m e b a c k t r a n s f o r m e d 3 0
the w a y we are.' "

T h e s e c o n d hadith b e i n g c o m m e n t e d u p o n i n the f o l l o w i n g pass-

a g e i s t h e f a m o u s "hadith o f the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s " , p e r h a p s the m o s t
f r e q u e n t l y c i t e d hadith in all of Ibn 'Arabi's work, which describes
the testing o f m a n k i n d w i t h regard to t h e i r objects of devotion
(ma'budat) o n the D a y o f the G a t h e r i n g . A c c o r d i n g to this account,
G o d w i l l present H i m s e l f to this c o m m u n i t y " i n a f o r m other than
w h a t they k n o w , a n d w i l l say to t h e m : T a m y o u r L o r d ! ' " B u t the
" h y p o c r i t e s " a m o n g t h e m — w h o , for I b n ' A r a b i , are u l t i m a t e l y a l l
o f m a n k i n d w i t h the e x c e p t i o n o f the h a n d f u l o f saints a n d "true
servants o f G o d " d e s c r i b e d i n the f o l l o w i n g selection - w i l l fail to
recognize H i m u n t i l H e a p p e a r s i n the specific forms they already
k n e w a n d e x p e c t e d , a c c o r d i n g to t h e i r i n n e r m o s t beliefs a n d i m a g e s
o f the d i v i n e i n this w o r l d .
H e r e is I b n ' A r a b i ' s e x p l a n a t i o n o f t h a t hadith:

N o w the full e x p l a n a t i o n o f t h i s m a t t e r is that the v i s i o n (of G o d ) o n

the D a y o f the V i s i t is a c c o r d i n g to the beliefs (people held) i n this
w o r l d . T h u s the p e r s o n w h o believes c o n c e r n i n g his L o r d w h a t was
g i v e n to h i m b y i n t e l l e c t u a l r e f l e c t i o n , a n d b y i m m e d i a t e u n v e i l i n g , a n d
b y i m i t a t i n g his M e s s e n g e r sees his L o r d i n the f o r m o f the aspect o f
e a c h b e l i e f he h e l d c o n c e r n i n g H i m - except that i n his i m i t a t i o n
(taqlid) o f his p r o p h e t he sees his L o r d i n the f o r m o f his p r o p h e t , w i t h
r e g a r d to w h a t that M e s s e n g e r t a u g h t h i m f r o m w h a t w a s r e v e a l e d to
that M e s s e n g e r i n his i n n e r k n o w l e d g e o f his L o r d . S o s u c h a p e r s o n
receives three t h e o p h a n i e s , w i t h three (different) " e y e s " , at the s a m e
i n s t a n t . A n d s i m i l a r l y w i t h the c o n d i t i o n o f the p e r s o n (whose b e l i e f is
based) solely o n i n t e l l e c t u a l i n q u i r y , o r the p e r s o n ( w h o follows) o n l y
i m m e d i a t e u n v e i l i n g , o r the p e r s o n (who accepts) o n l y i m i t a t i o n . ( T h a t
is, t h e i r v i s i o n o f G o d is l i m i t e d exclusively to that p a r t i c u l a r f o r m o f
theophany.)
. . . B u t the t w o levels w h o are not p r o p h e t s (with a Sharia) or
followers (of o n l y one p a r t i c u l a r p r o p h e t ) are the close Friends of God
(cf. 1 0 : 6 2 - 4 ) , who are not governed by any ( p a r t i c u l a r s p i r i t u a l ) station (cf.
33:13). T h e y are d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m a l l o f those ( o r d i n a r y believers
b e l o w t h e m ) b y t h e i r i n t e g r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p to t h e i r L o r d .
However, the people o f intellectual reasoning among the close
F r i e n d s o f G o d are i n a r a n k l o w e r t h a n the p e o p l e o f i m m e d i a t e
u n v e i l i n g , because i n t h e i r v i s i o n the v e i l o f t h e i r t h i n k i n g s t i l l stands
b e t w e e n t h e m a n d G o d . W h e n e v e r they w a n t to lift that v e i l they are
u n a b l e to d o so. A n d l i k e w i s e the f o l l o w e r s o f the p r o p h e t s (i.e., s i m p l y
by w a y o f o u t w a r d i m i t a t i o n , taqlid), h o w e v e r m u c h they m a y desire to
raise the veils o f the p r o p h e t s f r o m t h e m s e l v e s so that t h e y c a n see G o d
w i t h o u t that i n t e r m e d i a r y , are s t i l l u n a b l e to d o so. T h e r e f o r e a b s o l -
u t e l y pure a n d flawless ( s p i r i t u a l ) v i s i o n b e l o n g s i n p a r t i c u l a r o n l y to
the M e s s e n g e r s a m o n g the prophets, those w h o b r i n g the divinely
p r e s c r i b e d P a t h s , and to the p e o p l e o f i m m e d i a t e u n v e i l i n g ( a m o n g the
F r i e n d s o f G o d ) . A n d w h o e v e r h a p p e n s to a t t a i n this s t a t i o n , w h e t h e r
they be a f o l l o w e r (of a p a r t i c u l a r p r o p h e t ) o r o f i n t e l l e c t u a l reflection,
s t i l l p a r t i c i p a t e s i n this to the extent o f w h a t t h e y h a v e r e a l i z e d - even i f
they be o n (any o f ) a t h o u s a n d paths!
B u t as for those true h u m a n b e i n g s 3 1
w h o c o n c u r w i t h the b e l i e f h e l d
b y e a c h i n d i v i d u a l w i t h r e g a r d to (their i n n e r awareness o f ) w h a t l e d
t h e m to that belief, t a u g h t it to t h e m a n d c o n f i r m e d t h e m i n i t , o n the
D a y o f the V i s i t s u c h p e o p l e see t h e i r L o r d w i t h the eye o f every belief.
H e n c e the p e r s o n w h o m e a n s to d o w e l l b y t h e i r s o u l m u s t necessarily
seek out, d u r i n g their (life i n ) this w o r l d , all the t h i n g s that are
professed 32
c o n c e r n i n g that (i.e., the u l t i m a t e d i v i n e R e a l i t y ) , a n d they
must c o m e to k n o w w h y e a c h i n d i v i d u a l p r o f e s s i n g a p o s i t i o n affirms
w h a t they profess. S o w h e n (one o f these fully h u m a n beings) has
r e a l i z e d i n t h e m s e l f the p a r t i c u l a r aspect o f t h a t profession w h i c h gives
it its v a l i d i t y for the p e r s o n h o l d i n g i t a n d because o f w h i c h that p e r s o n
professes it w i t h r e g a r d to w h a t they b e l i e v e , so that they d o not d e n y
o r reject it - (only) t h e n w i l l t h e y r e a p the fruit o f that profession o n
the D a y o f the V i s i t , w h a t e v e r t h a t b e l i e f m a y be. F o r this is the "All-
encompassing" d i v i n e K n o w l e d g e . 3 3

T h u s the gaze o f the p e r s o n w h o looks n e v e r leaves G o d , n o r is it

even p o s s i b l e for it to d o s o . 3 4
It is o n l y t h a t most p e o p l e are v e i l e d f r o m
the T r u l y R e a l b y the T r u l y R e a l , because o f the ( o m n i p r e s e n t ) c l a r i t y
o f the T r u l y R e a l .
B u t this g r o u p (i.e., the true " F r i e n d s o f G o d " ) , w h o have this
s p e c i a l k i n d o f ( c o m p r e h e n s i v e ) k n o w l e d g e o f G o d , are i n a separate
r o w o n the D a y o f the V i s i t . S o w h e n t h e y (i.e., the o r d i n a r y believers
i n the other G a r d e n s o f P a r a d i s e ) r e t u r n f r o m the V i s i t , every one o f
t h e m w h o h o l d s a ( p a r t i c u l a r ) b e l i e f i m a g i n e s t h a t (the F r i e n d o f G o d )
b e l o n g s to t h e m , because t h e y see t h a t the (Friend's) form of belief
d u r i n g the V i s i t is l i k e t h e i r o w n f o r m (of b e l i e f ) . 3 5
S o the p e r s o n w h o
is like this (i.e., w h o fully r e a l i z e s the u n d e r l y i n g e x p e r i e n t i a l t r u t h
 expressed i n every i n d i v i d u a l ' s i n n e r f o r m o f " b e l i e f " ) is b e l o v e d b y all
the groups - a n d it was a l r e a d y that w a y i n this w o r l d !
N o w w h a t we have j u s t m e n t i o n e d is o n l y t r u l y u n d e r s t o o d b y the
most o u t s t a n d i n g a n d a c c o m p l i s h e d representatives o f the people o f
s p i r i t u a l u n v e i l i n g a n d (true) b e i n g / f i n d i n g (of G o d ) . B u t as for the
people o f i n t e l l e c t u a l r e a s o n i n g a n d i n q u i r y , they h a v e not c a u g h t even
a w h i f f o f its fragrance. S o p a y h e e d to w h a t we h a v e j u s t m e n t i o n e d
a n d act a c c o r d i n g l y : give the D i v i n i t y its r i g h t f u l d u e , so t h a t y o u m a y
be a m o n g those w h o treat t h e i r L o r d e q u i t a b l y i n t h e i r k n o w l e d g e o f
H i m . F o r God is far too exalted (6:100, etc.) to be b o u n d b y a n y sort o f
d e l i m i t a t i o n o r to be r e s t r i c t e d to o n e f o r m to the e x c l u s i o n o f others. I n
this w a y y o u m a y c o m e to k n o w for y o u r s e l f the u n i v e r s a l i t y o f the
felicity o f all G o d ' s c r e a t i o n a n d the vast extent o f that Lovingmercy which
encompasses every thing (40:7).

Notes

1. T h i s key aspect o f m o d e r n s c h o l a r s h i p a n d its I s l a m i c antecedents are

discussed i n d e t a i l i n o u r s t u d y o f " I b n ' A r a b i a n d H i s Interpreters",
i n the Journal of the American Oriental Society, 106 (1986), p p . 5 3 9 - 5 1 a n d
p p . 7 3 3 - 5 6 , a n d 107 (1987), p p . 1 0 1 - 1 9 .
2. T h e s e k e y i n t r o d u c t o r y passages o n the structure a n d a i m s o f his
w r i t t e n w o r k are t r a n s l a t e d i n full i n o u r a r t i c l e " H o w to Study
the Futuhat: Ibn 'Arabi's own Advice", i n Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi, a
commemorative volume compiled by the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi
S o c i e t y , e d . S. H i r t e n s t e i n a n d M . T i e r n a n , (Shaftesbury, Element
B o o k s , 1993). T h e i r w i d e r s i g n i f i c a n c e is d i s c u s s e d i n o u r s t u d y o f
" I b n 'Arabi's 'Esotericism': T h e Problem of Spiritual Authority", in
Studio Islamica L X X I (1990), p p . 3 7 - 6 4 .
3. III, 6 5 : 9 - 1 7 ; the full title o f this s e c t i o n i n the o p e n i n g Fihrist adds
that the h u m a n , e a r t h l y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e (na'ib) o f t h i s I m a m is A b u
M a d y a n , the famous N o r t h A f r i c a n S u f i saint. F o r a d d i t i o n a l details
o n the i d e n t i t y o f this c e l e s t i a l I m a m (as J e s u s ) a n d r e l a t e d aspects o f
I b n ' A r a b i ' s c o m p l e x u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the s p i r i t u a l h i e r a r c h y o f the
p r o p h e t s a n d saints, see M . C h o d k i e w i c z , Le Sceau des saints: Prophetie et
saintete dans la doctrine d'Ibn 'Arabi ( P a r i s , G a l l i m a r d , 1986).
4. T h e t e r m sawwa used here refers i n s e v e r a l k e y Q u r a n i c passages to
the c e n t r a l role o f the d i v i n e S p i r i t (Ruh) i n the c r e a t i o n b o t h o f the
p r i m o r d i a l h u m a n b e i n g (insan/Adam) and o f the " h e a v e n s " (sama')
encompassing the whole manifest "world". The "abode" (dar)
 t h r o u g h o u t this p o e m c l e a r l y refers to b o t h o f those u l t i m a t e realities
at the same t i m e .
5. C f . Q u r ' a n 7:54, etc: 7 references i n the Q u r ' a n to this c o n t r o v e r s i a l
" s i t t i n g " o n the " T h r o n e " - w h i c h a n u m b e r o f famous hadith also
identify w i t h the "heart o f the p e r s o n o f t r u e f a i t h " .
6. T h i s p h r a s e is a highly ambiguous allusion to Ibn 'Arabi's own
c o m p l e x u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f Q u r a n i c e s c h a t o l o g y : a l t h o u g h Ma'wa, like
Firdaws ( " P a r a d i s e " ) , is one o f the seven n a m e s o f the G a r d e n s o f the
blessed m e n t i o n e d i n the Q u r ' a n , it is also a p p l i e d m o r e b r o a d l y to the
p l a c e s / s t a t e s o f G e h e n n a a n d the " F i r e " (al-nar).
7. O r p h a n t a s m , s h a d o w , " i m a g i n a t i o n " : khiyal- a l l u d i n g to I b n ' A r a b i ' s
d e t a i l e d e l a b o r a t i o n (most n o t a b l y i n the f a m o u s c h a p t e r o n J o s e p h i n
the Fusus) o f the manifest w o r l d as a divine " d r e a m w i t h i n a d r e a m " .
8 C f . Q u r ' a n 30:7 (for the ghafilun, o r " u n c o n s c i o u s " ones); a n d 6:70 a n d
7:51, o n "those who consider their Religion (din) an amusement and pastime,
having been deluded by the life of this world..."
9 Risalat al-Anwar, i n Rasa'il Ibn ''Arabi ( H y d e r a b a d e d n , 1948), I, no. 12,
p p . 2—3. T h i s treatise, w h i c h is r e m a r k a b l e for its r e l a t i v e l y straight-
f o r w a r d a n d c o n c i s e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f p r a c t i c a l l y c r u c i a l s p i r i t u a l ques-
tions, has been t r a n s l a t e d b y M . A s i n P a l a c i o s ( a b r i d g e d a n d w i t h o u t
a n y a n n o t a t i o n ) , i n El islam cristianizado, M a d r i d , 1931, p p . 4 3 3 - 4 9 ;
b y R . T . H a r r i s , Journey to the Lord of Power, N Y , 1981, p p . 2 5 - 6 4 ; a n d
i n p a r t (but w i t h the m o s t h e l p f u l a n d c o m p l e t e c o m m e n t a r y a n d anno-
tation) b y M . C h o d k i e w i c z , i n Le Sceau des saints, C h a p t e r 10.
10. T h e c o m p l e x e s c h a t o l o g i c a l r o l e o f this i n t e r m e d i a t e s p i r i t u a l r e a l m o f
the barzakh a n d its o n t o l o g i c a l a n d e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l u n d e r p i n n i n g s i n
Ibn 'Arabi's understanding o f the " i m a g i n a l " plane of being and
e x p e r i e n c e (khiyal) are d i s c u s s e d i n d e t a i l i n C h a p t e r 63 o f the Futuhat
(I, 3 0 4 - 7 ; O s m a n Y a h i a e d n , I V , 4 1 6 - 2 5 ) .
11. F o r the c a n o n i c a l sources o f this s a y i n g ( a n d a n u m b e r o f c l o s e l y
r e l a t e d hadith frequently c i t e d i n Sufi discussions o f eschatological
q u e s t i o n s ) , see W e n s i n c k ' s Concordance, I I , 319.
12. T h e reference is to a n i n c i d e n t d e s c r i b e d i n s e v e r a l hadith ( i n c l u d i n g
B u k h a r i , bad' al-khalq, no. 6) a b o u t the P r o p h e t ' s n o c t u r n a l A s c e n s i o n ,
i n w h i c h i t is G a b r i e l w h o e x p l a i n s to the P r o p h e t t h a t these p a r t i c u l a r
rivers are also " i n the G a r d e n " .
13. See M u s l i m (dhikr, n o . 14, 1 6 - 1 8 ) ; B u k h a r i (riqaq, no. 41); a n d the
a d d i t i o n a l c i t a t i o n s o f t h i s hadith f r o m T i r m i d h i , N i s a ' i , I b n Maja,
D a r i m i , a n d A h m a d I b n H a n b a l i n W e n s i n c k , Concordance, V I , 140.
14. R e f e r r i n g to the f a m o u s hadith " N o t one o f y o u - a l l w i l l see h i s L o r d
u n t i l he d i e s " , r e c o r d e d b y M u s l i m (fitan, no. 95) a n d T i r m i d h i (fitan,
no. 56). T h e s a m e i d e a is c o n v e y e d i n a n o t h e r famous hadith r e c o r d e d
several t i m e s b y A h m a d I b n H a n b a l (Musnad, V I , 44, 5 5 , 207, 232):
" D e a t h is before the m e e t i n g ( w i t h G o d ) " (see W e n s i n c k , Concordance,
V I , 140).
15. 'ayn hayatina: t h i s e x p r e s s i o n , w h i c h c o u l d also be u n d e r s t o o d more
l i t e r a l l y s i m p l y as " i n the m i d s t o f o u r l i f e " , c l e a r l y a l l u d e s i n this
context to the s y m b o l i c " f o u n t a i n o f l i f e " ('ayn al-hayat) m e n t i o n e d i n
the p o p u l a r stories o f a l - K h a d i r , D h u - l - Q a r n a y n , etc.
16. T h i s p h r a s e echoes the famous Q u r a n i c verse 17:44: " . . . there is not a
thing that does not glorify Him with praise - and yet you do not understand their
glorification . . . " F o r I b n ' A r a b i , s u c h s c r i p t u r a l references a l l refer to
the universal reality o f Life (and corresponding modes o f praise)
p e r v a d i n g a l l t h i n g s , a r e a l i t y w h i c h is d i r e c t l y p e r c e i v e d o n l y b y the
true s p i r i t u a l " K n o w e r s " (the 'arifun).
17. T h i s d e s c r i p t i o n o f the " i n v e r s i o n " o f the batin a n d zahir o f h u m a n
beings i n the " r e a l m o f the o t h e r w o r l d " , here a n d i n the f o l l o w i n g
p a r a g r a p h from C h a p t e r 3 5 1 , is further e l a b o r a t e d i n C h a p t e r 65 o n
the G a r d e n s a n d beatific v i s i o n i n P a r a d i s e ( O s m a n Y a h i a e d n , V , 8 6 -
8). T h e r e I b n ' A r a b i a g a i n insists (at V , 6 7 - 8 ) that he has p e r s o n a l l y
" t a s t e d " o r e x p e r i e n c e d this p a r t i c u l a r e s c h a t o l o g i c a l r e a l m o f b e i n g .
18. T h i s is a n a l l u s i o n to a famous p r a y e r o f the P r o p h e t f r e q u e n t l y c i t e d i n
Sufi l i t e r a t u r e : " O m y G o d , cause m e to see t h i n g s as they r e a l l y a r e . "
19. T h e Q u r a n i c p h r a s e here, 'ala bayyina, is f r e q u e n t l y used b y I b n ' A r a b i
as a sort o f s h o r t h a n d reference to the s p e c i a l c o n d i t i o n s o f d i v i n e
g u i d a n c e a n d i n s p i r a t i o n r e a l i z e d b y the f u l l y a c c o m p l i s h e d saints (the
awliya', muhaqqiqun, etc.).
20. A l b e i t o f a v e r y different sort: t h i s is a n a l l u s i o n to I b n 'Arabi's
c o n t r o v e r s i a l suggestion - best k n o w n f r o m the a l l u s i o n s at the e n d o f
C h a p t e r 7 i n the Fusus al-Hikam (fass Isma'il: I , 94) - that even for the
" p e o p l e o f G e h e n n a w h o r e m a i n there e t e r n a l l y " (i.e., w h o are not
u l t i m a t e l y r e d e e m e d t h r o u g h the i n t e r c e s s i o n o f t h e i r p r o p h e t s ) , t h e i r
"torment" ('adhab) w i l l e v e n t u a l l y be m a d e " s w e e t " ('idhab). F o r the
development of similar conceptions i n the Futuhat, see the more
d e t a i l e d e x p l a n a t i o n s i n C h a p t e r 371 ( I I I , 4 3 5 - 6 ) , as w e l l as I , 656;
I I I , 6 7 3 ; a n d I V , 248, 4 0 8 .
2 1 . T h i s w h o l e passage i n v o l v e s a c o m p l e x i n t e r p l a y b e t w e e n a l l u s i o n s to
the Q u r a n i c passages c o n c e r n i n g the " p r e s e n c e o f d e a t h " (4:18, etc.)
a n d the l i t e r a l m e a n i n g o f the w o r d s uhtudira o r ihtidar, w h i c h w o u l d
o r d i n a r i l y be t r a n s l a t e d s i m p l y as " d y i n g " o r " d e a t h " . Ibn 'Arabi's
essential p o i n t is that the t r u e r e a l i t y o f i n d i v i d u a l d e a t h ( a n d r e b i r t h ) ,
the "lesser R e s u r r e c t i o n " , is the p r o f o u n d t h e o p h a n i c awareness o f G o d ' s
s p i r i t u a l P r e s e n c e at once w i t h i n o n e s e l f a n d p e r v a d i n g a l l b e i n g .
22. I n I b n ' A r a b i ' s a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l a c c o u n t o f h i s o w n r e a l i z a t i o n o f this
c u l m i n a t i n g experience later i n C h a p t e r 367 ( I I I , 3 5 0 ) , he s u m s up
this central insight - and at the same time, its metaphysical
p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s - i n the f o l l o w i n g dense f o r m u l a : " T h e n I s a w a l l (the
d i v i n e N a m e s ) r e t u r n i n g to O n e S u b j e c t a n d O n e E s s e n c e (or ' E y e ' :
''ayn wahida), so that that S u b j e c t w a s w h a t I w i t n e s s e d (mashhudi) a n d
that Essence ( E y e , S o u r c e , etc.) was m y B e i n g / F i n d i n g (wujudi)."
23. F o r d e t a i l e d references to I b n ' A r a b i ' s d i s t i n c t i v e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f this
famous Sufi saying and c o n t r o v e r s i a l hadith (not included in the
c a n o n i c a l c o l l e c t i o n s ) , see M . C h o d k i e w i c z ' s I n t r o d u c t i o n to his trans-
l a t i o n o f A . B a l y a n i ' s Epitre sur I'Unicite Absolue, P a r i s , S e u i l , 1982, p p .
27-30.
24. H e r e the f a m i l i a r s p i r i t u a l s y m b o l o f the " p e a r l " (al-jawhar. literally,
" g e m " o r " e s s e n t i a l s u b s t a n c e " ) o f the a n g e l i c s o u l a n d its S o u r c e i n
the d i v i n e " s p i r i t " (ruh) is c o m b i n e d w i t h a s u b t l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f the
Q u r a n i c verse 2 5 : 5 3 , u n d e r s t o o d i n this case as a reference to the
u n i q u e m e t a p h y s i c a l c o m p r e h e n s i v e n e s s o f the Perfect H u m a n B e i n g ,
w h o alone e n c o m p a s s e s the full r e a l i t y o f b e i n g - the s p i r i t u a l a n d
m a t e r i a l r e a l m s , a n d the barzakh (the i m a g i n a l w o r l d ) that lies b e t w e e n
t h e m : "And Hu it is who mixed the two seas; this one sweet, fresh; and this one
salty, bitter. And He put between them a barzakh and a restricting barrier." T h e
a l l u s i o n no d o u b t also e x t e n d s to the o c c u r r e n c e o f the s a m e t w o terms
i n verse 35:12, w h i c h i m m e d i a t e l y follows a n a c c o u n t o f h u m a n i t y ' s
p h y s i c a l c r e a t i o n ; "And the two seas are not alike: this one is sweet, fresh,
pleasing to drink; and this one is salty, bitter. But you eat from both of them . . .
and extract from them ornaments which you wear. . ." (The Q u r a n i c term
"ornaments", i n I b n ' A r a b i ' s u n d e r s t a n d i n g , t y p i c a l l y refers to the
different k i n d s o f s p i r i t u a l k n o w l e d g e . )
25. F o r D h u a l - N u n (d. c a . 2 4 6 / 8 6 1 ) , one o f the most famous a n d most
i n f l u e n t i a l e a r l y Sufi s h a y k h s , see Encyclopedia of Islam, 2 n d e d n , I I ,
242, a n d above a l l the recent F r e n c h t r a n s l a t i o n o f I b n " A r a b i ' s o w n
i m m e n s e h a g i o g r a p h i c a l c o l l e c t i o n d e v o t e d to h i m , La vie merveilleuse de
Dhu-l-Nun I'Egyptien, tr. R o g e r D e l a d r i e r e , P a r i s , S i n d b a d , 1988.
26. Siiq al-janna. T h i s p a r t i c u l a r hadith is r e c o r d e d i n e s s e n t i a l l y the s a m e
version by T i r m i d h i (sijat al-janna, n o . 15, 25; birr, n o . 54) a n d I b n
M a j a (Zuhd, n o . 39) - f r o m w h i c h the q u o t a t i o n s are t a k e n here - as
w e l l as b y D a r i m i (riqaq, n o . 116) a n d i n a n u m b e r o f places b y A h m a d
i b n H a n b a l ; see the full references i n W e n s i n c k , Concordance, V , 5 4 2 - 3 .
27. C f . I b n ' A r a b i ' s s i m i l a r i n s i s t e n c e , at the e n d o f the passage t r a n s l a t e d
b e l o w , that e a c h s o u l " r e t u r n i n g " f r o m the D a y o f the V i s i t t h i n k s t h a t
it is a m o n g the saints a n d p r o p h e t s - because that p e r s o n o n l y sees
G o d i n the f o r m they a l r e a d y e x p e c t e d a n d h e l d i n t h e i r i n n e r m o s t
"belief".
28. T h i s s a m e d i v i n e d e s c r i p t i o n o f " w h a t G o d has prepared" in the
G a r d e n o c c u r s i n a l m o s t the s a m e w o r d s ( a d d i n g " o f m o r t a l s " at the
end) i n a n even m o r e f a m o u s hadith i n c l u d e d i n a l l the c a n o n i c a l
collections - a n d e c h o i n g I C o r i n t h i a n s 2:9, I s a i a h 64:4, a n d even
m o r e l i t e r a l l y the Gospel of Thomas, s a y i n g n o . 17 (tr. T . L a m d i n , i n The
Nag Hammadi Library, e d . R o b i n s o n , p. 128).
29. O r " o u r s p i r i t u a l t w i n s " : the " c e l e s t i a l c o u n t e r p a r t s " o r c o m p a n i o n s
m e n t i o n e d i n m a n y Q u r a n i c verses c o n c e r n i n g the G a r d e n s .
30. F o r this t r a n s f o r m a t i o n (inqilab/taqallub) o r " t u r n i n g i n s i d e - o u t " i n the
r e s u r r e c t e d state, see the Q u r ' a n 84:9; 7:165; 26:50 a n d 227; 43:14.
31. L i t e r a l l y , " r e a l m e n " (al-rijal); here, as often w i t h I b n ' A r a b i a n d
o t h e r Sufi a u t h o r s , this t e r m o f p r a i s e refers not to a p a r t i c u l a r gender
but to a select g r o u p o f t r u l y r e a l i z e d h u m a n b e i n g s (insan), the spir-
i t u a l l y a c c o m p l i s h e d i n d i v i d u a l s he goes o n to d e s c r i b e i n this s e c t i o n ,
r o u g h l y c o r r e s p o n d i n g to those he c a l l s the s p i r i t u a l " e l e c t " (al-khassa).
A m o n g his m o r e e x p l i c i t s t a t e m e n t s i n t h i s r e g a r d , f r o m this same
c h a p t e r 73 o f the Futuhat, are the f o l l o w i n g :

. . . and everything we mention c o n c e r n i n g those m e n (i.e., the

highest representatives o f the s p i r i t u a l h i e r a r c h y ) is a b o u t the " s p i r -
i t u a l m e n " (al-rijal), so t h e y m a y also be w o m e n ( I I , 7.7).

. . . l i k e w i s e i n e a c h g r o u p o f the saints we h a v e m e n t i o n e d there are

men and women ( I I , 26.6); a n d there is n o a t t r i b u t e w h i c h the
(spiritual) m e n have b u t t h a t w o m e n also share i n it ( I I , 35.1).

32. Maqala: often t r a n s l a t e d as " d o c t r i n e " , b u t l i t e r a l l y " w h a t is s a i d "

c o n c e r n i n g the issue i n q u e s t i o n . I n t h i s c o n t e x t the e x p r e s s i o n m u s t
be t a k e n i n a n e x t r e m e l y b r o a d sense, since I b n ' A r a b i is r e f e r r i n g
here - as w h e n e v e r he deals w i t h q u e s t i o n s o f " b e l i e f " - p r i m a r i l y to
the (often o n l y p a r t i a l l y c o n s c i o u s ) i n n e r beliefs, a s s u m p t i o n s and
s p i r i t u a l o r i e n t a t i o n s o f e v e r y i n d i v i d u a l , not s i m p l y to the intellec-
t u a l l y e l a b o r a t e d theses o r r e l i g i o u s t e a c h i n g s p r o p o u n d e d b y official
theologians.
33. T h e Q u r a n i c a l l u s i o n here is to the e n t i r e f o l l o w i n g verse: "And the
East and the West are God's; Wherever you-all may turn, there is the face of
God -surely God is the All-encompassing, the All-knowing" (2:115).
34. I n h i s l o n g e r d i s c u s s i o n o f these q u e s t i o n s i n c h a p t e r 371 ( I I I , 4 4 3 ) ,
I b n ' A r a b i m u c h m o r e e x p l i c i t l y u n d e r l i n e s the deeper m e t a p h y s i c a l
underpinnings a n d i m p l i c a t i o n s o f this s p i r i t u a l insight:

. . . N o w the T r u l y R e a l (al-Haqq) is the V i s i o n (basar) o f the w o r l d ,

a n d H e is the Seer (al-Ra'i) (in the " m i r r o r " o f a l l c r e a t e d t h i n g s ) . . .
a n d e v e r y t h i n g t h a t a p p e a r s is a s i g n p o i n t i n g to the Seer, W h o is
the T r u l y R e a l ; so reflect - and know who you really are!

35. T h a t is, the o r d i n a r y b e l i e v e r is a w a r e t h a t the " F r i e n d o f G o d " shares

his o r her o w n b e l i e f o r p e r s p e c t i v e o n r e a l i t y - but is u n a w a r e that the
saint l i k e w i s e realizes the t r u t h u n d e r l y i n g a l l the other h u m a n beliefs
a n d p o i n t s o f v i e w as w e l l .