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Mysticism and philosophy in al-Andalus : Ibn Masarra, Ibn al-'Arabī and the Ismā'īlī tradition / by Michael Ebstein.

Van Pelt Library BP188.8.S72 A534 2014
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Ebstein, Michael.
Series:
Islamic history and civilization ; v. 103.
Islamic history and civilization ; volume 103
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Mysticism--Islam--Spain--Andalusia--History.
Mysticism.
Islamic philosophy--Spain--Andalusia--History.
Islamic philosophy.
Ismailites--Spain--Andalusia--History.
Ismailites.
Ibn Masarrah, Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd Allāh, 882 or 883-931.
Ibn Masarrah, Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd Allāh.
Ibn al-ʻArabī, 1165-1240.
Ibn al-ʻArabī.
History.
Mysticism--Islam.
Spain--Andalusia.
Physical Description:
ix, 276 pages ; 25 cm.
Place of Publication:
Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2014.
Summary:
Muslim Spain gave rise to two unusual figures in the mystical tradition of Islam: Ibn Masarra (269/883-319 931) and Iban al-'Arabi (560/1163-639/1240). Representing, respectively, the beginning and the pinnacle of Islamic mysticism in al-Andalus, Ibn Masarra nd Ibn-al-'Arabi embody in their writings a type of mystical discourse which is quite different from the Sufi discourse that evolved in the Islamic east during the 9th-12th centuries. In Mysticism and Philosophy in al-Andalus, Michael Ebstein points to the Ismaili tradition as one possible source that helped shape the distinct intellectual world front which both Ibn Masarra and Ibn al-'Arabi derived. By analyzing their writings and the works of various Ismaih authors, Michael Ebstein unearths the many links that connect the thought of Ibn Masarra and Ibn al-'Arabi to the Ismaili tradition. Book jacket.
Contents:
Al-Andalus 1
Ismailis, Fatimis and Andalusis 4
From Ibn Masarra to Ibn al-Arabi 8
Religion, Politics, Science: Developments and Setbacks in Modern Scholarship 13
Terminology and Typology 21
Some Notes on the Sources 28
1 The Word of God and the Divine Will 33
The Hellenistic Heritage and the Quranic Background 33
The Arabic Neoplatonic Tradition 36
The Ismaill Tradition 40
Ismail! Mythical Writings 41
The Eastern Neoplatonists 44
Ikhwan al-Safa' 45
The Andalusi Mystics 51
Ibn Masarra 51
Ibn al-Arabi 53
The Divine Command in Sacred Human History and in Religion 57
Ismail! Literature 57
Ibn Masarra and Ibn al-Arabi 61
Ta'yld 64
The Jewish Context 72
2 Letters 77
Common Conceptions Regarding the Letters 80
The Letters as the Building Blocks of the Universe 80
The Letters and the Four Natures 96
The Notion of Parallel Worlds and the Letters 102
The Letters and the Friends of God 108
The Letters as Signs Indicating the Friends of God 109
The Letters as a Means of Communication between the Upper Worlds and the Friends of God 113
Common Techniques 116
Conclusion: Letter Speculations in Islam-between Sufism and the Shi'i-Ismaili Tradition 120
3 The Friends of God 123
The Hierarchy of the Friends of God 125
From the Hadith to Ibn al-'Arabi 125
The Hierarchy of the Awliya' and the Notion of Parallel Worlds 132
The Universal and Divine Aspects of the Hierarchal Worldview 136
The Divine Origin of the Friends of God and their Supreme Source 143
The Mythical Foundation in the Hadith 143
The Awliya' and the Names of God 146
The Neoplatonic Context 151
4 The Perfect Man: From Shi'i Sectarianism to Universal Humanism 157
The Neoplatonic Background 160
The Essence of Human Perfection 162
The Arabic Root j.m. 162
Ala Suratihi 165
The Perfect Man as a Microcosm 169
Cosmic Mediation 172
Khalifa 175
The Identity of the Perfect Man 179
5 Parallel Worlds 189
Microcosm-Macrocosm 189
Common Themes and their Distinct Treatment in Isma'ill Literature 189
The Human Organism: From the Kingdom of the Imam to the Kingdom of Man 200
Man, the Book and the Universe 212
Shi'i-Ismaili Motifs 212
The Hermeneutics of Reality 213
Mystical Ascension 221
6 Conclusion 231.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-259) and index.
ISBN:
9789004255364
9004255362
OCLC:
861119968

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