The unlimited mercifier : the spiritual life and thought of Ibn ʻArabi / Stephen Hirtenstein.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hirtenstein, Stephen.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ibn al-ʻArabī, 1165-1240.

Ibn al-ʻArabī.

Ibn al-°Arab¿i, 1165-1240.

Sufism.

Local Subjects:

Ibn al-°Arab¿i, 1165-1240.

Physical Description:

xi, 289 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Anqa Publishing ; Ashland, Or. : White Cloud Press, 1999.

Summary:

This is the first full introduction written for a general audience to the life and teachings of Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240), regarded as the greatest mystical thinker in the history of Islam and known in the Islamic world as al-Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master).

White Cloud Press, in a joint publishing effort with Anqa Publishing in the United Kingdom, presents the first in a series of books on the life and teachings of Ibn 'Arabi. Relatively unknown in the West until the 20th century, he has been revered by Sufi mystics ever since he first burst upon the Islamic world at the turn of the 13th century. He wrote over 350 books and treatises that are recognized as classics of world spirituality.

The Unlimited Mercifier is a new appreciation of Ibn 'Arabi, clarifying the meanings and relevance of his life and thought. It serves as a thorough introduction for those new to his work, as well as providing food for contemplation and further study for those already familiar with his genius.

Divided into five sections, the book consists of seventeen alternating chapters of biography and thought. The biographical chapters chart the historical trajectory of his life, using his own descriptions as well as the latest research, and are richly illustrated with photographs and maps. Every second chapter discusses a facet of his thought, demonstrating Ibn 'Arabi's immediate relevance to our modern era.

Contents:

Preamble

In search of new perspectives

Of Oneness and Singleness

Life in the West

Early life (1165-1181)

Of Adam and Eve

Return to God (1182-1184)

Of Prophethood and Sainthood

Under instruction (1184-1194)

Of Intermediaries and their removal

The road to the centre

Light beyond the shore (1194-1200)

Of the Heirs and the Seals

Pilgrim at Mecca (1201-1204)

Of Descent and Return

From the centre to the circumference

Travelling and advising (1202-1222)

Of Love and Beauty

Established at the crossroads

In Damascus (1223-1240)

Of Book and Speech

Of East and West

Selected major works of Ibn `Arabi

Some of Ibn `Arabi's contemporaries.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-281) and index.

ISBN:

1883991293

9781883991296

0953451313

9780953451319

0953451321

9780953451326

OCLC:

41606222

Online:

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Publisher description