Eric Winkel

body,insixportions:head,twoarms,torso,two
legs,] of his cobbled whole4 [as his bodily
configuration was like the paving stones at the
bottomandsidesofawell,]whichIrecorded5[as
a rubbing taken from his cobbled whole] in this
book,[whosearchitectureisthesix-foldsegments
I saw and recorded, with the interstices between
the paving cobblestones being my own efforts to
convey to you, the reader, what I saw] and what
there was between me and him6 of secret
mysteries.

5
bismillhir-ramnir-ram

Someofthisaretheseinterlacedverses[nam]:7

MayGodblessourmasterMuammad!

Isaiduponcircling[theKabah,awf],howshallI
circle,asitisblindtoperceivingourinnerselves?
Petrified,arockwithnointelligenceofmy[circling]
movements.Thenwassaid,Youaretheconfusedone,
youredonefor!

Chapter1
[The first of six sections, on marif, singular,
marifah]

The 4th manuscript part [juz] of the Fat alMakk

nasht, what is seen when the well or cistern is

empty, the flooring stones on the bottom interlaced
with clay (cited in Ibn Manrs Lisn al-arab), and
A creation; an original production; nasht, The
stonethatisplacedinthebottomofatank,orcistern.
The earth that is behind the stones that are set up
around the tank, the interstices between which stones
arefilledupwithkneadedclay:oritissaidtosignify
whatisconstructedaroundthetank;nashitul-biri,
theearththatistakenforthfromthewell(Lane).And
notethedescriptionofthepoemfollowingitiscalled
anam,whichistheinterlacingofpearlsandbeads.
5
Dr. Mansoub provides in his critical edition a
doublingmark;thatis,suirtu,Iwasmadetowrite.
Thedoubled,secondformofsaaracreatesasemantic
field which includes sar, the butcher with a cleaver
which cuts the meat into parts, sectioning. Also,
misarat, An instrument with which a book is ruled
(yusara) made of a piece of pasteboard with strings
strained and glued across it, which is laid under the
paper; the latter being ruled by being slightly pressed
overeachstring;andmusaar,Written(Lane).
6
This follows the classical Arabic convention of
addressing the closest neighbor (which is the self)
andisnotimpoliteasitmaysoundinEnglish.TheoftheardstatementintheFridaysermonisandIaskGod
the Great for forgiveness, for me and for you (l wa
lakum).
7
Roundparenthesesgenerallyaredirecttranslationsor
transliterations of the original Arabic, and Ibn alArabs remarks which the translator takes to be
parenthetical,whilesquarebracketsarethetranslators
interjections. (The different colored font for the first
sentencegivesthetranslatorsgloss.)

[197 ] On marifah [which the mystic rifn

willrecognize,astheyrecognizeGodeverywhere,
always,]oftheSpirit[whotookonabodytovisit
the Kabah, who would later reappear to me to
support me with this book,] from whom I took
holdof[afterhetoldmetofollowhimandlookat
his internally moon-lit skin,] distinct portions3
[segmented throughout his three-dimensional

Thepaginationisbasedonthesecondedition[2013]
publishedbytheSupremeCulturalCouncilinCairo,of
Abdal-AzzSulnal-Manb.
2
marifahiswhattherifrecognizes:understanding
and recognition of the Divine. From araf-tu-hu, I
found,orexperienced,itsarf,i.e.,odor(E.W.Lane,
An Arabic-English Lexicon, London, 1863). This first
ofsixsectionsoftheworkisonmarif,thepluralof
marifah,fromChapter1toChapter73;inthecritical
edition,1:1665:72.
3
tafl,fromfaalal-nama,Heputbetweenevery
two of the strung beads (or pearls) a bead such as is
termed filat; faal-tu l-shya, infinitive noun
(madr),tafl,Imadethethingtoconsistofdistinct
portionsorsections;faalal-shta,He(abutcher)
divided the sheep, or goat, into limbs, or members.
(CitedinLane.)
1

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LookattheHouse;hislightradiatestopurifiedhearts,
brilliantlyexposed//WhoseehimbymeansofGod
withoutaveilingcurtain,ashisinnerselfappears,
elevated,lofty.
8
Heshinesbrilliantly[withtajall] totheheartsfroma
farhorizonofamajestictruemoonwhichnever
experienceseclipse.
Ifyousawthefriend[wal]atthetimehesawhim,you
wouldsayabouthim,Obsessed,heart-rent!Hekisses
9
theinnersecretintheright-hand[Yemeni ]blackstone.
Whichinnersecret,ifitwereadefinite[noun],
ItsSubstantive[dht,essence]wouldbeunknown,and
itwouldbeargued,Coarse,accordingtosome
10
people,andaccordingtosomepeople,Fine.
[198]HesaidtomewhenIaskedwhytheyare
ignorantofhim,Thepanoramicrecognizethe
11
panoramic.
Theyrecognizehimandstaywithhimatime,andthe
Kind,Gentle[ram,raf,thatis,Muammad]
takeschargeofthem.
[167]Theystandupstraight[cf.,mustaqm],andnever
isanydeviationinthecirclingofhisSubstantiveseen
withthem.
Stand!andgivegoodtidingsfromMe,neighborofMy
House,ofsafety:Hewillnotgiveyoucausetofear!
Iftheydie,ImakethemdelightedwithmeetingMe,
12
Oriftheyhavealonglife,theirgarbisclean.

Learn, dear, close, generous, sincere

friend, that when I reached the Makkah of
blessings, a treasure-trove of spiritual stillnesses
and stirrings, and my situation was as it was, I
circledHisancientHouseanumberoftimes,and
whileIwascirclingandcelebratingGod[saying,
subnAllh]andsayingHeisMajestic,andHe
isGreat,andsaying,ThereisnogodbutGod(l
ilha illllh) sometimes kissing [the Black
Stone,(1)]andtouching[theYemenicorner,(9)],
and sometimes staying by the multazam,13
suddenly, while I was before the Black Stone,
astonished, I came upon the transient Youth, the
silent speaker, the one who is neither living nor
dead, the composite simple, the encompassed
encompassing.
When I saw him circling the house, a circling
[awf] of the Living14 around the dead, I
recognized awfs truth and its metaphor, and I
knewthatcirclingthehouseisliketheprayerover
thedead.WhenIsawtheLivingcirclingthedead
ones,Irecitedsomeverses(whichtheYouthIjust
referredtooverheard):apoem.

The tajall is the shining brilliance shone, a display

and a disclosure, from the Divine to all beings in
creation, whether they perceive it or not. The usual
effectoftheperceivedtajall, Ibnal-Arabwilltellhis
audiencelater,isfortherecipienttobethunderstruck,
erased,eclipsed,andtoloseconsciousness.
9
Here, yamn is right-hand, right-side, South, and
Yemen. Yemeni is the adjectival form, like Makk,
pertaining to Makkah. Later in this chapter, and in
Chapter 72, Ibn al-Arab will speak of that corner
being the Right-hand of the Divine, stretched out for
taking-hand,theoathoffealty.InLisnal-arab,The
adth, The ajrul-aswad is a right-hand of God on
theEarth.
10
Themarfhereistheactivevoice,alsocalledthe
malm. Typically, this is called the action of which
the agent is known, but here, if the Substantive
whichshouldbetheknownisactuallyunknownor
unknowable, then the question is, will the Substantive
becoarse(moresolid,lessabstract)orfine?
11
The word sharf means noble (in English lofty,
superior, a noble view), but also the commanding,
panoramicscoutingpost.WhenIbnal-Arabspeaksof
knowledge being the most noble thing, the picture is
thevastpanoramaseenbythepersonwithknowledge.

WhenIsawthehouse,hisbeingcircledbypersons
havingtheUnseeninnersecretoftheLaw[sharah],
AndcircledbyapeoplewhoaretheWay[shar]and
15
16
theIntelligence; theyhavekohl-linedeyes opened;
theyarenotblindtohim;

12

thawb,clothes,isfigurativeandotherwise;recallwa
thiybak fa-ahhar, Your clothes, make them pure
[al-muddaththir 74:4], and the Prophet calling for
newclothesonhisdeathbed:Verilythedeadwillbe
raisedinhisgarmentsinwhichhedies.Thelastword,
naf, in Lisn al-arab, among other meanings, is
beautiful,splendid.
13
From the Muwa, Ibn Abbs used to say that
between the corner [of the Black Stone] and the door
[oftheKabah]isthemultazam.
14
ayy is a Divine name (noun) and attribute
(adjective).
15
The ij is sagacity, the sheltering veil which
preventsonefromactingbadly.
16
The dark circles around their eyes are from staying
upatnightpraying.
2

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Isawastonenotaliveinitsessence,andithadno
abilitytoharmnortobenefit.
Butintheeyeofthehearttherewerescenes,iftheeye
didnothaveanyweaknessorrift;
Hewouldbeseenasmajestic,ifheshonebrilliantly
withhistrueSubstantive[dht],butthecreationis
unabletobearhisvastness.
23
SoIwasAbafa[Umar]andIwasAl,
Onmypart,theabundantgift,andconstriction,and
interdiction.

IwonderedatthedeadbeingcircledbyaLiving,
Inaccessible,1ineternity,nothinglikeuntoHim.
[Then]Heshoneabrilliance[tajall]tousfromalight
ofasubstantive,fromhisplaceofradiance. Hewasnot
oneoftheangelsbutratherhewashuman.
IwascertainthatthematterwassomethingUnseen,
17
andthathewas,withkashf andverifyingformyself,
Living,Seen.

(Isaid,)18Whentheseversesoccurredtome,andI
was made to reach His honorable house from
somedirection,besidethedeadones,hewrenched
something from me with a forcible wresting and
he spoke to me a restraining word,19 chiding:
Lookatasecretofthehousebeforedeparting[to
the next world]. You will find him splendidly lit
upbythecirclingguidesandthecirclingpilgrims
in his stone blocks, as he looks at them from
behind his veil and his curtain. I did see him
[199]shiningsplendidly,ashesaid,andImadea
good case for him in pure [formal] Arabic, and I
recited it in the world of Exemplars [mithl20]
extemporaneously:

[Nowletusmakeaconnecting]link:ThenIwas
informed about the station of that youth, and his
being untouched by Where or When. When I
recognized his station and landing place, and I
saw with my own eyes his place in existence
[wujd], and his states, I kissed his Right-hand,24
and I wiped the sweat [the Prophet used to
get]fromtherevelationoffhisbrow,andIsaid
tohim,Lookattheonewhoseekstositwithyou

23

Dr. Mansoub notes that these are Umar bin alKhabandImmAlbinAblib.Theadthisas

follows: When we entered for awf, we faced the
Stone,andhesaid,Iknowyouareastonethatcannot
harm nor benefit, and if I had not seen Messenger of
God kissing you, I would not kiss you; then he
kissed it. And Al bin Ab lib said to him, No,
Leader of the Believers, he can harm and benefit.
Thenhesaidfurther,ItisinGodsblessedBook.He
said, Where is that in the Book of God? He said,
God said, When your Lord took from the progeny of
Adam from their backs their offspring, and they
testified about themselves, Am I not your Lord, they
said,Yes.GodcreatedAdamandrubbedhisbackand
they confirmed that He is the Lord, and they are
creatures,andHetooktheirpromiseandtheircovenant
from them, and He recorded that in a parchment, and
this stone has eyes and tongue, and He said to him,
Open your mouth. He said, Then he opened his
mouth and swallowed that parchment, and he said, I
testifyfortheonewhofulfillshisloyaltytoYouonthe
day of judgment. And I testify, I heard Messenger
say, The Black Stone will come on the day of
judgmenthehasatongue,andanarticulateoneat
thatto testify to the one who kisses him in tawd.
So, Leader of the Believers, he can harm and he can
benefit.Umarsaid,ItakerefugeinGodthatIshould
havetoliveamongapeopleamongwhomthereisnot
you,fatherofasan!Thetensionbetweenthetwois
reflectedinShahandSunnandSufiandorthodox.

21

Isawthehousesplendidwiththeguides circling
aroundhim,butthesplendorwasonlyfromtheWise
onewhodesignedhim.
Thisstonedoesnotfeelanddoesnotsee,andhehasno
intellectnordoeshehavehearing.
22
Butapersonsaid,Thisisanobedience[fem.] forus;
theLawfixedhertobelifelongforus.
Isaidtohim,Thisisasufficientdemonstrationfor
you,solistentoanargumentoftheonewhodisclosed
forhim[me]theestablishedwisdom.

17

The sudden lifting of the veil revealing what is

behind,andtrulyis.
18
OmittedinmanuscriptB.
19
qawlat,asiffromtheQur'nimplied.
20
The translator explores this and the related
dimensional realms in Translators notes following
variouschapters.Usingacontemporarymetaphor,this
worldisthetipofaniceberg,withthebulkexistingin
the much larger realm of the pre-image, or exemplar.
Theexemplar-spacehasdimension,distance,ratios;in
short,itisageometry.
21
LocalMakkanswhoareguidingthepilgrims.
22
Thistranslatortriestopreservesomeofthegendered
voice of classical Arabic. When readers see [fem.] or
[f.],thatisasignalthattheArabicnouninquestionis
grammatically in the feminine gender. The pronoun,
thenexther,forexample,thenreferstothatfeminine
noun.

24

yamna-hualsomeans,HisYemenipillar(corner).

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gesture,30andIknew.Thenheshone[cf.,tajall]
tomeatruthofhisbeautyandIwasoverwhelmed
with passion. I was felled before him and the
moment overcame me. When I recovered again
after fainting, with trembling shoulder blades
fromfear(khashyah),heknewthatknowledgeof
him had arrived, and he set down his walking
stickandsat.Hisstate31recitedtomethat[verse]
which came to the prophets, and that [verse]
which the angelic guardians descended with,
[namely:] The ones who fear God, of His
creatures, are the ones who know;32 so he took
khashyah [reverent fear] as a proof [that I had
gotten knowledge] and he deemed the reverent
feartobeawaytorecognizethatknowledgehad
arrived[tome].

anddesirestobeintimatewithyou.25Hepointed
tomewithanenigmaticgesture,[saying]thathe
wasinnatelyconfiguredsuchthathespeakstono
one except in metaphor and is only spoken to
metaphorically. When you know him, and verify
him for yourself, and you understand him, you
knowthatthepurestlanguageofthepurespeakers
does not perceive him, and his articulation is not
attainedbytheeloquenceofthemosteloquent.
[200]Isaidtohim,Youbeautifulbearerofgood
tidings, this is a great good. Do teach me your
vocabularies and instruct me in the hows of
turning your opening keys, because I want to be
yourcompanioninnightconversationsandIlove
your relation.26 Indeed with you there is the
[suitable]partner,thelikeness[m.](heistheone
who keeps coming down to confront your
Substantive), and the imperator.27 If not for what
you have as a visible [feminine] aqqat,28 no
beautiful and bright faces would be raised to
lookeagerlyatHim,gazing.29Hemadeasecret

Isaidtohim,Showmesomeofyourmysteries,
so that I would be one to transcribe your
beauties.33 He said, Observe the sectioned

Faces on that day beautiful and bright, toward their

Lord gazing. Consider also that the two may be the
kfandthenn,thetwolettersofkunwhicharejoined
by marriage. The question here is how can
Somethingwithnopartner(asintheikhl,Hehasno
partner)andnolikenessorequaleverbegazedat.
30
Thesecretgestureistheishratwhichthepeoplein
the know use to communicate with each other when
hostile forces are around. There is nothing especially
communicative about this mode, so when they are
among themselves, the people who know speak
directly again. However, the Youth (who is the silent
speaker) only speaks in this mode; not to guard the
secret but because there is no speech which captures
himeventhepurestlanguageofthepurespeakers.
31
Later,Ibnal-Arabwillexplainthatwhilethedoor
ofprophethoodisboltedshut,thereisaccessbygrace
to the site (mahar) of the revelation of each verse of
the Qur'n. Such a visitor attends the provision of a
versegiventotheMessengerofGodandhearsitas
ifdirectly,forthefirsttime. Thisvisitationtothesite
of the moment of revelation is the istihr in the
famous statement about Ab Yazd al-Bism not
dying until he had istahara the Qur'n completely;
that is, until he had visited each site of each verse of
the Qur'n. The Youth put himself in a state, or
moment, of the revelation of the verse below and
recitedfromtheretoIbnal-Arab.
32
al-fir 35:28. The ones who know are the
ulam.
33
Dr. Mansoub notes that another handwriting in the
margin has anrik, Your helper, for abrik. The

25

The pair here is mujlasat (cf., jalsah, majlis) and

munisah(cf.,uns).
26
The pair here is musmirah and muharah. Citing
classicallexicons,Lanehas,aharailayhim,Hetook
to himself a wife from among them, and so he
connected himself with them, and became, or made
himself,anobjectofinviolablerespect,byacovenant
of mutual protection, or by relationship, or
consanguinity, or by marriage. This translator finds
seven possible interpretations. The muharah could
refertoaconsanguinity,andtothehairofhis which
is the sulna of Ibn al-Arabs core being. (See
khubah1:71).Shecouldalsobeadaughter,assharat
ishairandametonymfordaughter.
27
The kuf is the suitable partner for marriage. The
narlooksatyouandcorrespondstoyou;alsomithl.
The amr is the one who commands: cf., amr, the
imperative. Here, the likeness is whatever noun we
use to confront the Substantive; for example, God
whoiskarm,whencreaturesmaybegeneroustoo,isa
confrontationofalikenesstoGod.
28
Theaqqatisthegist,butalsotheoneitbehooves
onetodefend,orprotect,ofthepeopleofoneshouse,
orsuchasthewife,andthefemaleneighbor(Lane).
29
See al-qiymah 75:22-23: Faces on that Day,
beautiful and bright, looking toward their Lord.
Tirmidhrecords,andthemosthonored[ofthepeople
oftheGarden]byGodistheonewhogazesatHisface
morningandnight;thenMessengerofGodrecited,
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Isaid,MayIconveytoyou,OSeeroftheVision,
some of what was shown to me of mysteries of
being [wujd], [that is,] trailings in the sheets of
light37 and the multitudinous things coming
together as one well-spring [ayn] behind the
curtainswhichTrueOneconfigures[toveilHim]
as a partition raised up and a sky [which is the
canopy of the Earth] set down? The Verb,
compared with the Substantive,38 is something
Fine;becauseitcantbeperceived,itissomething
strong,panoramic.39

segments of my cobble-stoned whole and the

ordered arrangement of my shape and you will
find what you are asking of me to be imprinted
throughoutme,34forIamneitheramukallim[who
speaks for himself] nor a kalm [who speaks for
another;anepithetforMoses],andmyknowledge
isnotanythingbutme,andmySubstantive[dht]
is not different from my names [nouns]. I am
knowledge,theknown,andtheonewhoknows.I
am the ikmat [wisdom], the mukm [the fount
of wisdom secured from ambiguity], and the
akm[whodecideswisely].

His[theYouths]adjectiveisFinerthanhis
Substantive[independentnoun],andhisverbisFiner
stillthanhisadjective.
HedepositedtheAllinmysubstantiveessence,justas
hedepositedthemeaningofthethinginitsletter.
Sothecreationissomethingsought(searchedfor,
intended)onaccountofmeaning[thatis,thesenseofa
word],justasthesubstantivemusk[inthevesicleof
40
themusk-deer]issearchedforfromitsscent.

Thenhesaidtome,Circlefollowingmytracks,
and look at me with my moon-light, so you may
takefrommycobbled-configurationwhatyouwill
be recording in your book and dictating to your
transcribing friends. True One [al-aqq] has
informedmeofwhatyousawinyourcircling,the
Fine [subtle, invisible] things, which not every
one circling sees, so that I would recognize your
enthusiasmand[whoyouareinthedimensionof]
your Meaning.35 This is what I learned of you
there.36

If not for what was deposited in me, which my

truth required, and what connected my path to
him, I would not have found a chance to drink
deep with him [the Youth], nor felt attracted
toward his marifah [recognition, knowledge].
Becauseofthat[deposit],Iwasreturnedtomyself
[regained consciousness] in the end. Because of

word abr is a plural of paucity and means

calligraphyandink,becauseitisoneofthemeansof
beautifyingwritings(Lane).Thehelperswouldbethe
friends who help Ibn al-Arab transcribe the vision
intotheFuttal-Makkyah.
34
Something that is marqm is stamped, imprinted,
impressedupon.Theanimaliscalledmarqmatwhen
he has a raqm, a small mark of cauterization, on the
leg.AndtheQur'ndescribesarecordwhichisakitb
marqm, in al-muaffifn 83:9, 20. For a visualization,
see Translators notes; an imprint is two-dimensional,
butthisisn>2dimensional.
35
Ibn al-Arab is describing two realms, one this
conventional world and the other the world where
things have their ultimate meaning. For example, the
widowsmiteheremaybeafewpennies,butthevalue
ofhercharityintheotherworldisimmense.Here,Ibn
al-Arabisrecognizedforhavingseentheseinvisible
Finethings.
36
Thatis,whathelearnedofIbnal-Arabinthebulk
universe of the exemplars, or image-forms, which we
maytaketobetheinvisiblebulkoftheicebergbelow
thesurface.Andrecallabove,Imadeanargumentfor
him in pure [formal] Arabic, and I recited it in the
world of Exemplars extemporaneously. That is the
therewheretheYouthlearnedaboutIbnal-Arab.

37

In Chapter 8, Ibn al-Arab describes these trailings

as rays traveling to and from the other world, and as
thedreamimagesthatcometousinthisworld.
38
The ismu dhtin is a substantive, a noun that is
independent in its meaning, as opposed to a ifat
(adjective, quality), which is not independent in its
meaning,orstand-alone.
39
ConsiderthatinZaydruns,weseethesubstantive
(Zayd), but we cannot perceive his running, that is,
theverb.ThetripartitecosmologicalgrammarthatIbn
al-Arab is developing here is substantive, adjective,
and verb. Zayd, son of Amr, runs. The son of
Amr is intangible and minute (Fine), almost
invisible, compared to the substantive Zayd. His
runningisFinerstillthanhisadjective.
40
Consider these images carefully, because they will
inform Ibn al-Arabs descriptions of the Divine and
creation for the next 10,000 pages. The reader may
imagine how meaning is deposited in letters the way
the scent is deposited in the perfume. Creation is
soughtafternotforitsskeletalframebutforitslifeand
bloodbut whose wujd and breath animate creation,
isthequestionIbnal-Arabasksustoconsider.

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numberedness of the truths45 from the odd

numberedness [witr] of True One,46 the Creator,
the witr by which God created the Earth and the
coursings[e.g.,ofplanets].

this [returning], the arm of the [draftsmans]

compassreturns,duringtheopeningofthecircle,
after[201]reachingtheendofthecirclesbeing,
to the beginning point. Thus the last matter is
connected to the first, and its endlessness curves
with kindliness into its timelessness, and there is
nothing but a wujd continuous and a Vision
stable,enduring.41

TheyobservethestaircaseoftheNames,andthey
seek routes for the Night-Ascensions, and they
imaginethemtobethegreatestalightingplaceto
pursue, and the most radiant state to proceed
onwardstoTrueOneexaltedtherefrom,[170]
andtobedesired.Theyaregiventojourneyalong
theroutesatop[thehorse]Burqthetruthfuland
his fluttering [silken] brocades.47 He verifies for
themwhattheysee,ofHissigns[verses]andHis
Finesubtleties[invisibles].

But the path [circumference] is long, on account

of the perspective of the created being. If
creatures42 turned to face their adjacent neighbor,
without indwelling there, they would gaze at the
travelersastheyarrived,withalookofTerrible,
by God, what they did.43,44 But had the travelers
recognizedtheirspot,theywouldnothaveshifted.
Instead, they were veiled by the even

Andthatis,whenthesight[f.]isNortherly,48and
the innate nature of their configuration is wholly
complete, then with her face toward the original
sketchedlinesheconfrontsthecenterpointofthe
circle. The directional portion of her heart-soul
fromtheright-handside[forwardalongthecircle]
isveiledwithaniqb[withonlyeyeslitstoward
the future], and from the western side [behind],
the veil has been swept off. If the sight were to
sweepofftherightsideshewouldbegivenfrom

41

Thevisualizationisofatwo-armedcompass,theone
arm fixed on a centerpoint. Keeping the pencil on the
paper, the other arm is stretched out to open the
circle. There is now a line from the centerpoint to the
arcofthecircle.Thepencilgoesaroundandjoinsback
to the circleit is now continuous beingthereby
joiningthelasttothefirst.Followingthepenciltrace,
one travels endlessly around the circle, and/or one
gazesattheSeencenterpoint,whichremainsfixedand
stable without regard to the journey along the
circumference.

45

The even-numberedness here is duality, as in the

dualityofdoanddontdo,andsecondarycauses,
andcauseandeffect.Thefaultofthepeoplecitedin
al-midah5:78aboveisworshipingothersthanGod,

notrecognizingtheonenessoftheCreator.
46
a al-Bukhr,BookofPrayers,chapter68,God
has99names,100less1;whoholdsthemgoestothe
Garden,andHeiswitrandlovesthewitr.

42

For abd, with Ibn al-Arab, the word servant is

wrong, because a servant chooses to serve; the word
slaveisoftencorrect(Ibnal-Arabwillspeakabout
slaves and masters), but without much of the
connotations of the word for English-speakers. The
archaiccreatureshouldevokeadespicablelowliness.
In Arabic, abd is the one who worships (abada) the
objectofworship(mabd).Wehavesomethingofthat
inEnglishinthecreaturecreatedbytheCreator.
43
al-midah5:79
44
Thatis,fortheiroverstepping,al-midah5:78.The
picture Ibn al-Arab is making is of the circle of
existence, the circumference paved with steppingstones along which every being, the travelers, travels.
Aheadisthefutureasifbehindaveilandbehindisthe
past, unveiled. Everyone is moving onwards to find
something, but the movement is along the
circumference,fromcreation(andthisidol)tocreation
(and that idol). How terrible (wrong) is each
movement!

47

Fortheverypreciseimageryofrafrafa,seeChapter
8,end.Lanecitestheimageryforrafrafa,He(abird)
moved,oragitated,hiswingsintheair,(orflutteredin
theair),withoutmovingfromhisplace.Thedovefor
instance which flutters the wings while remaining in
oneplacealsohasashiveringmovementwhichwould
cast off the last water droplets or fluff up the down.
Other descriptions Ibn al-Arab uses throughout the
Futt include foliations, rays, streaks, and vibrating
strings.
48

Standing on the circumference of the circle

(correspondingtothecounter-clockwisecirclingofthe
Kabah) facing the Northerly direction the centerpoint
is seen; the right-hand direction is forward along the
circle, and the left-hand direction (West) is backward
alongthecircle.
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expansivenessandopeningup?Thenthishapless
one recites that [sentiment] as a Qurn, in the
context of the antagonists,54 Whom God wants
to be guided, He expands his chest toward
surrender (al-islm), and whom He wants to be
misguided, He makes his chest constricted,
constrained, as if he were climbing to the
skies.55Butjustasexpansionhappensonlyafter
constriction,sothesought-forgoalisonlyreached
after traveling along the path. Thus the hapless
onedisregardswhatcomesfromintuition[ilhm]
in comparison with what is only gotten by
thinking and evidence from the people of sharp
mindsandintellects.

theveryfirstglanceastablefootinginavisionof
theindividuations.49Howstrange!Theonesatthe
highest of heights assume that they are at the
lowest of the low! I take refuge in God that I
not be one of the ignorant ones!50 Her left
[North] is the right-hand [South] of her mudr,51
and her standing52 in the spot in which she finds
herselfistheendofherjourney.
When it is confirmed with the discerning people
what I have secretly pointed out to them [one],53
andtheyauthenticateandreallyknowthat to Him
is the return, thentheydonotquit[departfrom]
theirstandingplace.Butthehaplessonepresumes
there is a knocking on and an opening [of the
door],andasks,Couldtherebefacing(opposite)
constriction and constraint anything but

Nowwhatthehaplessonesaidwastrue[fromone
perspective], because he is an observer with a
Northern eye [vista]. They [the discerning ones]
grant him his state and they confirm him in his
absurdity [mul], and they double his strategy
[mil],andtheytellhim,Youneedtoseekhelp,
ifyouwanttoreconnectwithwhatyouexited,no
doubt [malah]. They conceal from him the
neighboringregions,andtheytalkuptherewards
ofthemutualvisitandthemutualvisitorandthe
assistance [he will get in his journey]. He will
grieveuponregaining[202]whathehadleft,but
he will rejoice in what he got on his path of
mysteries, and things that will start to happen to
him[alongtheway].IftheMessenger hadnot
sought a Night-Ascension, he would not have
journeyed,andhewouldnothaveascendedtothe
Heavens,norwouldhehavecomebackdown.He
was being given an experience of the Higher
AngelsandsignsfromhisLordinhisownplace,
[sohedidntneedtojourney],justastheEarth
was contracted [wrinkled and gathered together]
for him56 while he was in his bed. But it is a
Divine mystery, so whoever wishes may deny it,
becausehehasnotbeengiventhefoundation,and

49

Itistheindividuations,theparticulars(tanu,from
ayn) along the circumference that detract the sight
fromtheOne.
50
al-baqarah2:67
51
Themudristheleaderinthecenterofthecircle;His
right-handfromthecenterreachesthecircumference
of the circle at her left-hand. This positioning is a
themeIbnal-Arabconnectstotheright-handofGod
thatistheYemenipillaroftheKabah.
52
The ones who stand (wqifna) in their place are
in the highest spiritual station, as Ibn al-Arab will
explainlater,buttheyarealsolosttothemselvesandto
othersprecisely because they do not function in the
realm of secondary means and causes and effects
(alongthecirclescircumference).Theygotothedeep
part of the ocean and are lost, while prophets and
others keep close to the shore so as to be useful to
others.
53
Asthereaderwillfind,Ibnal-Arabsthirdperson
masculine is truly gender non-specific (and therefore
he may be used to describe someone menstruating,
forexample).However,inEnglishhetypicallydoes
meanaman.Hence,thepressureinspokenlanguageto
make plural references to singular indefinite pronouns
to avoid specifying gender. In this translation, the
plural is sometimes used (they picked up their
books),ashere,andoneisoftenusedtomakesure
the reader does not simply assume Ibn al-Arab is
talkingaboutaman.Butifneitherdeviceworks,ifthe
sentence becomes too awkward, the masculine
pronouns he and him as pronoun references are
used. In other cases, when number is irrelevant, a
singularcreaturemaybecomeplural:creaturesor
people,toallowpluralreferents.

54

They are referred to as the akbir, leaders, in alanm 6:123. They seem to be the discerning ones
whoarearguingwiththehaplessone.
55
al-anm6:125
56

zuwiyat liyal-ar, The Earth was wrinkled (and

contracted altogether) for me and I saw her Easts and
herWests(SunanIbnMajah,36thBook,onfitan,9th
chapter).
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concealedbyveils,itisatajallnoteverymystic
[rif] recognizes: only one who encompasses
knowledgeably what you encompass of
recognitions [marif, the subject of the first of
thesixsectionsoftheFutt].

you believe in it if you wish, because you have

broughteverythingtogether.
When I had been given this knowledge [above],
which the intellect does not reach by itself alone
(nor is it achieved by accomplishing intellectual
understanding), he [the Youth] said, You have
told me a wondrous mystery, and you have
disclosed to me a wondrous Meaning I had not
heardbeforefromsuchaFriend[wal]asyou,and
I have not seen anyone being so perfectly
completed in these truths as you are. For me,
though, they are well known, and they are
throughout my self imprinted. It shall appear
clearly to you upon the lifting of my veils and
your close attention to my secret pointings
[ishrt]. But He told me what He showed you
whenyouvisitedHisaram[sacredprecinct]and
HeinformedyouofHissanctities.

Doyouseemegivingthemtajallonthedayof
Arising60 in another form and emblem [almah,
sign, distinguishing mark] than the one they
recognize?61TheydenymystatusasLord.62They
start taking refuge63 from the form,64 and in it,65
but they are not aware of what they are doing.
They are saying to this site of [Divine] tajall,
We take refuge in God from you! We will wait
hereforourLord!
ThenwhenIcomeouttothemintheformwhich
theyhadseenpreviously[inthisworld],andthey
confirmMystatusofLord,andtheyconfirmthat
they should indeed worship,66 well then, they are
worshipers based on the marks they recognized,
and on the form which identified for them what
theywereseeing.

The vision of the scene of Divine contractual

hand-taking: I said, You, who are pure speech
that does not converse but nevertheless is asked
aboutwhatyouknow,doknowthatwhenIgotto
him [the Kabah] with faith [mn], and I visited
himinthepresence[arat]ofsincerity[isn],57
helodgedmeinHissacredprecinctandHetaught
me His sanctities. And the Youth said, I
increasedthenumberoftimesIdidritualacts[as
partofthepilgrimage]eagerinmysearchforyou.
If you had not found me here, you would have
foundmehere[sic],andifIwereveiledfromyou
in Gathering [cf., Muzdalifah],58 I would shine
[with tajall] to you in the Decreed moment
[Min, the place visited during the pilgrimage,
andmin,thedecreedmoment].However,Ihave
alreadytaughtyouinanotheroneofyourstanding
places [the standing halt at Arafat], and I have
stirred59 you toward it more than once in one of
your abstruse languages: I am; and even if I am

[203] If someone among these says that he is

worshiping Me, his statement is a lie; he is
slanderingMe!Howcouldthatbetrue?whenI
give him tajall he denies Me! The one who
constrainsMeinoneformandnotinanother,itis
his image formed [in his imagination] that he
worships,andthatisthetruthdeeply-rootedinhis

60

The word qiymat is usually translated Day of

Judgment,butArisingisperhapsbetterhere,because
thepeoplewillarise,resurrected,fortheirjudgments.
61
A long adth from a Muslim (1:349) is
referenced throughout this book, in which the Divine
appears to people after they die who send Him away
because He is in a form they do not recognize. He
returnsintheformtheyrecognizeandtheyrejoice,but
theirearlierinabilitytoperceivetheDivineinwhatever
form He may take is clearly a shortcoming on their
part.
62
Incontrasttoaraf7:172,AmInotyourLord?And
theysaid,Yes.
63
ItakerefugeinGodfromtheaccursedSatan
64
ItakerefugeinGodfromthisform
65
Itakerefugeinthisformfromthisform
66
Theglossesareforubdyah,thestateofcreaturelylowliness which is appropriate for the creatures, and
rubbyah, Lordliness, which is appropriate for the
Divine.

57

These recall Gabriels adth (which will figure

throughoutthiswork)ofthepillarsofislm,mn,and
isn,thelastwhichisworshipasifyouseeHim.
58
In Lisn al-arab, the meaning of azlaf-n is we
gatheredtogether.
59
Makinganishratismakingasignorindication,as
whenoneasksanotherspermissiontodoathing,and
thelattermakesasignwithhishandorwithhishead,
meaning that he should do it or not do it (Lane), but
alsostirringupthefire,ormakingittoburnup.
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her, You have not done the course well.71 So,

she withdrew her right-hand from her, and she
saidtoher,IdonotacknowledgeherintheSeen
worldassomethingtrueandsolid.72

heart, deeply covered over. He imagines that he

worshipsMe,butheisactuallyrenouncingMe.
The ones who recognize [Me, the Divine] [the
rifn],nothinginexistenceishiddenfromtheir
sights because they are concealed from creation
and their inner selves. Nothing ever appears to
them except Me, and they never understand
anythingtoexistexceptMynames.Toeverything
thatappearstothemandshinesintajalltheysay,
YouaretheOnetobecelebrated!TheExalted!
Thats all they do. But these people are between
the Absent and the Presentand both are, for
them,thesamething!

[2. bar, Seeing] Then, he transformed for me

into a form of Sight, and I transformed for him
intoaformofonewhosesighthasbeenBlinded.
Thatwasaftertheendingofacircuit[aroundthe
Kabah]73andasupposedbreachofastipulation.
Theformsoughtallegiancefromthe[other]form,
but she said the same thing again to her [you
havenotdonethecoursewell].
[172] [3. lim, Knowing] Then he transformed
formeintoaformofUniversalKnowledge,andI
transformedforhimintoaformoftheCompletely
Ignorant. The form sought allegiance from the
[other] form, but she repeated the [now] familiar
statement.

When I heard his words and I understood his

secret gestures and his signals, he pulled me to
him as close as possible, possessively, and he
stoodmeupbeforehim.
Educating addresses, and generous gifts given by
the secret Kabah from just being there, and
circling:

[4. sam, Hearing] Then he transformed for me

into a form of the Hearer of the Call, and I
transformed for him in a form of the Deaf to the
Invitation. The form sought allegiance from the
[other] form, and True One draped His curtains
betweenthetwo.74

[1.ayy,Living]Theright-handstretchedoutand
Ikissedher,67andtheformwhichhadbeenmade
to be passionately loved by me was linked up to
me, and she [the feminine form the Youth took
on]transformed68formeintoaformofLife,andI
transformed for him into a form of something
Dead.69 The form [f., here Ibn al-Arab] sought
allegiance70fromthe[other]form,butshesaidto

[5. mutakallim, Speaking] Then he transformed

for me into a form of the Addressor, and I
transformed for him in a form of the Silenced
From Answering. [204] The form sought
allegiance from the [other] form, and True One
sent between them a Tablet inscribed and etched
on.

67

ThiskissisritualisticanddoesnotgiveIbnal-Arab
what he hopes for: he complains (just below), Why
did you refuse me and not honor my covenant [with
you]?
68
The word taawwala is to shift from one place to
another,transmute,andtransform,asintaawwala-hu
bil-mawiat,Hesoughttoavailhimselfofthestate
in which he might be rendered prompt, or willing, to
acceptadmonition.
69
WehavejustheardintheadthfromaMuslim
of the inability to recognize the Divine in different
forms. The following seven forms are reflexive
adjectives:seenote78.
70
ThisistheYemenicorner(theRight-hand)whichis
rituallytouchedduringthesevenlapsofawfaround
the Kabah. It is a taking of the hand in fealty
(allegiance),tabyuu,Themakingacovenant...as
thougheachofthetwopartiessoldwhathehadtothe
other, and gave him his own special property, and his
obedience,andallthatpertainedtohiscase.Hence,he

promised, or swore allegiance to the prince . . . in

doing which, it was usual for the person making this
covenanttoplacehishandinthehandoftheprince,in
confirmation of the covenant, like as is done by the
sellerandbuyer(Lane).
71
Thisisechoedin[174],LeaveMypresence.
72
Ibn al-Arab says he (his form) does not recognize
theKabahasanythingbutarock.Heistellingusthat
he did not see the circling as being really a funeral
prayeroftheLivingaroundtheDead.
73
Thesevencircuits,Ibnal-Arabsays,aretheseven
attributes, or adjectives: Living, Seeing, Knowing,
Hearing,Speaking,Wanting,Powerful.
74
Now,TrueOneintervenesdirectly,withthedraped
curtains being this world (duny), which should be a
sign pointing to the Divine but is for most people
insteadaveilhidingtheDivine.
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[6.murd,Wanting75]Thenhetransformedforme
intoaformofWanting,andItransformedforhim
into a form short on Gist and Practice. The form
soughtallegiancefromthe[other]form,andTrue
One made overflow between the two His
abundantilluminationandHislight.

a Substantive; however, I sent him [the Kabah]

down on my carpet unfurled, and I said to the
people, For you this corresponds to my Throne
[encompassingtheuniverse].Mykhalfah79onthe
Earth has settled thereon and encompasses [the
universe].

[7.qdir,Powerful76]Thenhetransformedforme
into a form of Able and Capable, and I
transformed into a form of Unable and Destitute.
Theformsoughtallegiancefromthe[other]form,
and True One displayed to the creature his [my]
shortcomings.77

So look at the angel with you, circling and

standing at your side. I looked at him; then he
returnedtoHisthrone,andhegloriouslyroseover
me in his palanquin rising high. I smiled with
happinessandspontaneouslyspoke:
80

OKabah,thedispatchedmessengerscirclingher,
afterthehonoredoneshavecircledher.
Thenafterthemcameaworld[people],circlingher,
amongthemthehighandthelow.
HesentherdownasanexemplarofHisthrone,andwe
areherhonoredcirclers.
Ifonewouldsay,Thegreatestencircleshim[the
Throne];indeed,Iamthebetterone!dotheyhear?
ByGod,hedidntcomewithacleartext,andhecame
tousonlywithsomethingnotexplained.
81
IsntthatonlytheLighttheir lightsencircle,whilewe
aredespicablefluid[i.e.,bornfromsemen]?
Thethinggravitatestoitslike,andwearealla
creature,hiddenatHisside.
Whywonttheyseewhattheydidntsee?Theycircle
whatwecircle,buttheyarenotmadeofclay[asAdam
is].
IftheFinest[theverb,finerstill]ofuswerestripped
82
off[abstracted], hewouldsettle[asHesettlesonthe
Throne]onthatwhichtheyarecircling.
[205]Declarethemtooholytobeignorantofthetruth
oftheone[]towhomGodsubjugatedtheworlds,
forhissake.
Howisitforthem?TheirinformationisthatIama
childoftheonetowhomtheywerebowingdown
[Adam].
Andtheyacknowledged,afteropposingourparent
[Adam],thattheyhadbeenignorant.
Theindividualwhohadrefused,feltdespair[ublisa,
Ibls],andhewasthemostexcessiveofthedeniers.

AfterIsawthat,thevarioushappenings,andthere
hadnt come to me a fulfillment of hopes and
dreams, I said, Why did you refuse me and not
honor my covenant [with you]? He said to me,
Yourefusedmeyourself,mydearcreature.Ifyou
had kissed the Stone during every circuit, O
circler,youwouldhavekissedmyright-handhere
[at the pillar] in these Fine forms, because my
house there corresponds to the Substantive, and
the rounds of the circlers correspond to the 7
Adjectivesattributesofthewhole,notattributes
of the Majestic, because they are attributes for
contactingyou,andreflexiveattributes.78Sothe7
circuits are the 7 adjectives, and the House [the
Kabah]standinginfrontofyou[really]pointsto

75

This is irdat, one of the 6+1 adjectives (where all

depend on the +1, Life), and one of the perhaps three
most important themes in the book, in which if God
wants something to be, He says to it, Be! and it
becomes.Theverseisinnamqawlu-nli-shay-inidh
aradn-hu an naqla lahu kun fa-yakn, in al-nal
16:40.
76
inna-Allha al kulli shayin qdir (al-baqarah
2:20) for Ibn al-Arab is that each thing (above note
75) that God wants to be is commanded to Be, and it
becomes; what becomes is measured and apportioned,
andthepowerofthatbecomingpersistsineachbeing.
A gloss: Indeed God measures out every thing with
power.
77
The final intervention is incapacity, which should
have evoked Ab Bakrs statement, The inability to
perceivewhatistobeperceivedisperception.
78
The seven qualities (see note 73) are complete and
wholebecausetheyaresharedbycreationandCreator;
theyarenottobeunderstoodasDivineonly,jalland
exalted beyond a creature owning them. For
reflexive, Lisn al-arab has infil, the muwi
[compliant,passive]ofthepart.

79

Thisistheonebehindmin khalfiwhomOneacts.
Note how the Kabah for Ibn al-Arab has gone
fromastone(translatedherebytheneuterinEnglish,
eventhoughtheArabichasnoneuter),toahewith
personality,andnowtoashe.
81
The argument is concerning angels and humankind,
inal-baqarah2:30.
82
Recall in the khubah that the Prophet was
strippedofftheorbitofthekhulaf[1:71].
80

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Holyarethey,holyarethey;theyareprotectedfrom
makingtheslip-upsoftheoneswhodowrongmeaning
todoright.

spacious enough for Me is the most radiant

mansion compared to others (and the highest), in
thatway,you[pl.],withthequalityofpanoramic
nobility and mastery, arecompared to the
circlers of the encompassing thronethe best.
Youaretheonescirclingtheheartofthewujdof
theuniverse,andyoucorrespondtothemysteries
of the ones who truly know. They are the ones
circling the body of the universe, and they
correspond to water and air. How can they be
otherwise?Otherthanallofyounothingisvastly
spaciousenoughforMe,andIdonotgivetajall
in a complete form except in your Meaning
[dimension].87Thereforerecognizethemeasureof
what you have been gifted from the highest
panoramicpost.Andafterthat,wellthen,Iamthe
Great(al-kabr),theElevatedOver(al-mutal);
no boundary bounds Me, and no master
recognizesMe,nor[174]slave.

I[Ibnal-Arab]say:ThenIturnedafacetofmy
heart away from him, and I drew near with my
heart to my Lord. He [the Youth] said to me,
You gave succor to your father [Adam]; my
blessingisloosenedtoyou[sofarewell].Hearof
the station [f.] of the one you were praising and
what you sent ahead of goodness before her.83
What is your level compared to the level of the
angelsmadeclosest?blessingsofGodonallof
you,andallofthem,andpeace.
ThisMyKabahisaheartofwujd[being].My
Throne [arsh, encompassing the universe] with
regardtothisheartisaboundedbody.Butneither
one of them encompasses Me, and not reported
about Me is what is reported of them.84 My
housewhich is vast and spacious enough to
encompassMeisyourheartsoughtout[andan
aspirationintended,maqd],placedinyourSeen
body.Thusthecirclersofyourheartaretheinner
secrets,andtheycorrespondtoyourbodieswhile
circling these stones. The circlers encircling Our
encompassing Throne are like the ones circling
withinyou,inthewritten85world.Thusjustasthe
body with regard to you is arranged [composed],
unlikeyourelemental[simple]heart,inthesame
way is she, the Kabah, with regard to the
encompassingThrone.86

Divinity [fem.] is too holy and too transcendent

forhertobeperceived,andforanytosharewith
herinherplace.
88

You[sg.]arethevesselandIamI.
So do not seek Me [206] within yourself,
imposing on yourself difficulty and distress, nor
externally, to no good end. But dont give up
searchingforMe,oryouwillbewretched.Search
for Me until you meet Me; therefore ascend
onwards,butbecourteousinyoursearch,andbe
present from your very start with your practice
(madhhab).89

The circlers of the Kabah correspond to the

circlers of your heart because both the Kabah
andyourheartshareinbeinghearts.Thecirclers
of your body are like the circlers of the Throne
because of their having in common the adjective
of encompassment. So just as the world of
mysteries circling the heart which is vastly

Distinguish between Me and you, because you

do not see Me but rather you see your core self

87

The meaning dimension is the bulk of the iceberg.

As tajall is visual, its truth is always a slice, a sharp
and particular facet; it is therefore not visually
comprehensive,hereinthetipoftheiceberg.
88
Visually,thewrittenvesselal-inlookslikeal-an
(the I). Taken visually, the writing suggests that you
aretheI,andIamI.
89
The legal school, e.g., Mlik, anaf. Courtesy is
adb, a crucial concept on the spiritual path. Being
presentconnectssemanticallytoarat,whichisthe
feminineforcewewillencountersoon,below,andthe
fgathering.

83

This is the testimony furled up that the Kabah

promises she will guard and present on the Day of
JudgmentforIbnal-Arab,inChapter72(4:87).
84
Thatis,thatnotvastlyspaciousenoughforMeare
MyHeavensandMyEarth,butvastlyspaciousenough
forMeistheheartofMyfaithfulcreature.
85
The universe of takh, the mapped, drawn world,
describednextinChapter2.
86
The composite body has a simple heart; the
composite universe has a simple heartthe Kabah.
Thesimplebeingissubstantive.
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He said, You are right, O Muammad [ibn alArab], so stay fixed in the stance of the
Unique93andbewarequantity[number],because
inquantityiseverlastingdestruction.

[ayn]. So stop short at the attribute of

commonality,certainly,andjustbeacreature,and
just say [as Ab Bakr did], The inability to
perceive what is to be perceived is perception.
Staywiththat,asdidtheatq,90andyouwillbe
anhonoredadq.

Then there came to pass addresses and reports; I

shall discuss them in the chapter on pilgrimage
and on Makkah [chapter 72], with all the
mysteries.

ThenHesaidtome, LeaveMypresence,asthe
likes of you is not suited for My service. So I
left, banished. Then the presence shouted and
said,LeaveMewiththeoneIcreatedalone.91
Then He said, Bring him back, and I was
thrown back, and I found myself in front of Him
[literally, between his hands] for a short while.
It was as if I never ceased being in the midst of
Hisvision,andneverleftaarat[f.,presence]of
Hiswujd.

[207]Link:thefriendentrusted[withmysecrets]
said,Ogenerousandsincerefriend,youhavent
told me anything that I am not a knower [lim]
of,andithasbeenmadeintoaninscriptionthatis
visible, preserved in my Substantive. I replied,
You have filled me with the desire of eager
yearning for you, from you, so that I would be
predicated[affirmed]byyou.

Then He said, How would one come to Me, in

mypresence,whoisnotsuitedforMyservice?If
you do not have the sense of the sacred that
necessitatesservice,thearatwillnotcomenear
to you, and she will toss you away at the first
glance. You were there! You saw some of her
kindnesstoyouandhergenerouswelcomewhich
increased your sense of the sacred, and at the
momentofhertajall,yoursenseofshyness.

Hesaid,Yes.You,theexiledarriving;andyou,
the distant near, enter with me the Kabah of the
ijr.94Thisisthehouseelevatedovertheveiland
the curtain; it is the entrance point of the rifn,
andintherethecirclersrest.
ThusitwasthatIenteredwithhimaHouseofthe
ijrallatonce,andheputhishandonmychest95
and said, I am the 7th step-level of the
encompassing of the cosmos and of mysteries of
thethingitselfandthewhere.TrueOnemademe
asegmentofencompassinglightprimitive[plain],
and He made me with regard to the everythings,
mixed.

Then He asked, Why did you not question Me

aboutMyorderingyoutoleave,andreturningyou
to your Ascension? I know you are an expert in
proof and language. How fast you forget, O
human being! I replied, The greatness of the
vision of Your Substantive blinds me. I was at a
loss because of Your gripping the right-hand of
fealtyinyourtajalliyt[pl.]tome.Icontinuedto
lookagainandagainwhatmightcomesuddenly
of good from the Unseen? If I had turned at that
moment into me, I would have known that from
me it was being brought to me. But Presence
madeitsonothingbutShewasseen,andthatno
honored face would be seen but Her honored
face.92

While I was eagerly waiting for what was being

cast [taught] to my side, or coming down to me,
suddenlytheteacher,theHighestPen,camedown
ontomydht[being]fromhishighplace,ridinga
charger that was standing on three legs.96 The

93

The Divine epithet al-awad, the One who is not

susceptible of division into parts or portions, nor of
duplication, and who has no equal nor like (cited in
Lane).
94
kabah al-ijr, where ijr is the sacred enclosure,
with the wall called al-am. See Chapter 72, 4:112
for details about this mysterious place unperceived by
most.

90

This and the following are two honorifics of Ab

Bakr, relating to his maturity and handsomeness and
then to his affirmation of the Prophets statements
concerninghisNight-Ascension.
91
al-muddaththir74:11
92
Themuayyisthefacetowhichonegivesgreetings
ofblessingandlonglife.

95

RecallingtheadropenedupforMuammad,alshar94:1.
96
This detail may be connected to Ibn al-Arabs
descriptionofangels,whobeattheirwingstostayina
particular dimension and return by not flapping; the

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Eric Winkel

knowledge and to an evened path. [End of

Chapter1]

charger lowered his head toward my dht and

scattered the lights and the darknesses and blew
intomyheart97alloftheworlds,andcleavedmy
earth and my heaven, and taught me all my
names. I recognized myself, and others, and I
distinguishedbetweenmybadandmygoodandI
sundered what was between my Creator and my
truths.Thenthatangelturnedawayfrommeand
said, Learn that you are in the presence of the
king.

TranslatorsNote
The tight semantic connections of the words Ibn
al-Arab uses reward a close and literal reading
ofhisvision.BasedonChapter1,theYouth,who
is the Spirit from whom Ibn al-Arab takes the
Futt al-Makkyah, displays on his body the
entirebodyofthework.WhatIbnal-Arabsees
is either the 560 chapter headings or the 539
chapters which have the word marifah in them.
Aftertheseheadings,thepoemsandtherestofthe
chapterwillbeIbnal-Arabseffortstoconveyto
us, his readers, the particular topic (topos,
surface).

I prepared myself for descent and the advent of

the messenger. The angels came near to me and
the orbits circled around me, and the All was at
my right-hand, arriving from the South [right],
comingtowardsmypresence.Isawnokingcome
down,norangelshiftingfromstandinginfrontof
me.IregardedsomeofmysidesandIsawthe
[circular] shape of timelessness, and I knew that
descending was impossible, so I stayed fixed in
that condition. I [later] informed some of the
special ones about what I had seen, and I poured
outforthemfrommyselfeverythingIhadfound.

The Youth is sectioned into six parts, and the

architectureoftheworkisinsixparts.Wemaybe
abletoassignsomenumbersandproportionshere,
but there are too many variables to be exact.
Taking the proportion of the number of chapters
to their one of six parts as a percentage of the
Youths body in which they are etched in light
(photo-graphed), we may assign parts of the
Futt al-Makkyah to the Youths bodily parts.
The Lund-Browder chart (following) is used to
describe the portion of skin affected by burns. If
theportionthatIbnal-Arabreadsfromthehead
oftheYouthis13%,thenthebodyoftheYouthis
olderthanachildandyoungerthananadult.

[The Youth said] I am the mature garden, the

universalharvest,soliftmyveilsandrecitewhat
is contained etched in my lines; what you learn
fromme,putitinyourbook,andspeakdirectlyin
ittoeveryonedearesttoyou.Iliftedhisveilsand
Iobservedhisetchedlines,andthereshonetomy
eyeshislightthatwasdepositedonhim,whatever
he contained and encompassed of hidden
knowledge. The first line I recited and the first
mysteryfromthatlinewhichIlearnedarewhatI
shall cite now in this second chapter [following].
And God, exalted beyond, is the guide to

horse walks with three feet on the ground and one

lifted.Hesays,Whentheangelsdescendtotheearth,
they descend flying with these wings . . . such that if
theydidntmaketheirwingsmove,theywouldascend
[back] to their settling place and their station,
automatically.Butwithbodiesoftheorganicbirds,he
makeshiswingsmovefortheascent,andifhestopped
movinghiswings,orspreadingthemout,hewouldfall
totheEarthbyhisnature(Chapter357,8:475).Thus,
a three-legged horse is staying in this dimension by
walking; when he rests on four feet, he will return to
theotherdimension.

97InLisnal-arab,Inaadth,theholyspiritblew

intomyr,mycore/heart.
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