Ibn Arabi
28 July 1165 – 16 November 1240
Ibn Arabi was an Andalusian Sufi mystic, philosopher, and poet, honored in the Islamic tradition as 'al-Shaykh al-Akbar' (the Greatest Master). His vast writings, including the Futuhat al-Makkiyya and Fusus al-Hikam, articulated a metaphysics of the unity of being that deeply influenced later Sufism.
Lived at the same time
Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Ibn Arabi.
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- Fibonacci (1170–1250) Overlapped 70 years →
- Shinran (1173–1263) Overlapped 67 years →
- Genghis Khan (1162–1227) Overlapped 62 years →
- Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241) Overlapped 61 years →
- Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (1162–1221) Overlapped 56 years →
Life events
Ibn Arabi was born in Murcia in southeastern al-Andalus to a family of some standing in the local administration.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHis family relocated to Seville, the Almohad capital of al-Andalus, where his father entered the service of the ruler.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAs a young man in Seville he underwent a profound spiritual awakening, and tradition records a famous meeting with the philosopher Averroes in Cordoba.
He trained under numerous Sufi teachers, including two women masters, and traveled between Andalusian and North African centers of learning.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIbn Arabi departed al-Andalus for good, traveling through North Africa on his way to the central Islamic lands.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDuring his stay in Mecca he began composing his monumental work, the Meccan Revelations (al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya).
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe journeyed widely through Cairo, Baghdad, Konya, and other cities, teaching and writing, and was honored by Seljuk and Ayyubid rulers.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIbn Arabi settled in Damascus under the patronage of local notables, devoting his final years to teaching and writing.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIn Damascus he wrote the Fusus al-Hikam, his most studied work, which he said was delivered to him in a vision of the Prophet.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIbn Arabi died in Damascus and was buried in the Salihiyya district, where his tomb remains a place of visitation.
Source: en.wikipedia.org