Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad
While most traditional works on the life of Prophet Muḥammad focus on how his ostensible teachings and actions can be used as a template for human conduct, the thirteenth-century Sufi thinker, Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn ‘Arabī (d. 638/1240), turns his attention to the spiritual significance and inner reality...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/804 |
| _version_ | 1797592861213982720 |
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| author | Ismail Lala |
| author_facet | Ismail Lala |
| author_sort | Ismail Lala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While most traditional works on the life of Prophet Muḥammad focus on how his ostensible teachings and actions can be used as a template for human conduct, the thirteenth-century Sufi thinker, Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn ‘Arabī (d. 638/1240), turns his attention to the spiritual significance and inner reality of Prophet Muḥammad. Ibn ‘Arabī argues that as the seal of the prophets, Muḥammad was not only given the Qur’an, which incorporated elements from previous revelations, nor was he just given a religion that had elements from prior religions; rather, in his very spiritual essence, he combined the essences of previous prophets. It is in this sense that Muḥammad represents the culmination of the prophetic life. In his <i>Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam</i>, Ibn ‘Arabī reveals the spiritual significance of all the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an, with the exception of Khālid ibn Sinān, whom Ibn ‘Arabī considers to be a prophet and dedicates a chapter to, but who is not mentioned in the Qur’an. The present paper explores how the spiritual essences of previous prophets are manifested in Prophet Muḥammad, and the ways in which this comprehensiveness is exhibited in his life. This ‘spiritual <i>sīrah</i>’ is all the more significant in the modern context, where spirituality is privileged over religiosity. Ibn ‘Arabī demonstrates that the spiritual basis of the life of Prophet Muḥammad cannot be extricated from his external actions. The ‘spiritual <i>sīrah</i>’ thus provides an antidote to the religious associational formalism that is rejected by many modern Muslims. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:59:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3c89e54ac0841b8882bfd24538dc54c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:59:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3c89e54ac0841b8882bfd24538dc54c2023-11-18T12:24:05ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-06-0114680410.3390/rel14060804Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet MuḥammadIsmail Lala0Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Gulf University for Science & Technology, Mubarak Al-Abdullah 32093, KuwaitWhile most traditional works on the life of Prophet Muḥammad focus on how his ostensible teachings and actions can be used as a template for human conduct, the thirteenth-century Sufi thinker, Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn ‘Arabī (d. 638/1240), turns his attention to the spiritual significance and inner reality of Prophet Muḥammad. Ibn ‘Arabī argues that as the seal of the prophets, Muḥammad was not only given the Qur’an, which incorporated elements from previous revelations, nor was he just given a religion that had elements from prior religions; rather, in his very spiritual essence, he combined the essences of previous prophets. It is in this sense that Muḥammad represents the culmination of the prophetic life. In his <i>Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam</i>, Ibn ‘Arabī reveals the spiritual significance of all the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an, with the exception of Khālid ibn Sinān, whom Ibn ‘Arabī considers to be a prophet and dedicates a chapter to, but who is not mentioned in the Qur’an. The present paper explores how the spiritual essences of previous prophets are manifested in Prophet Muḥammad, and the ways in which this comprehensiveness is exhibited in his life. This ‘spiritual <i>sīrah</i>’ is all the more significant in the modern context, where spirituality is privileged over religiosity. Ibn ‘Arabī demonstrates that the spiritual basis of the life of Prophet Muḥammad cannot be extricated from his external actions. The ‘spiritual <i>sīrah</i>’ thus provides an antidote to the religious associational formalism that is rejected by many modern Muslims.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/804SīrahSufismIbn ‘ArabīFuṣūṣspiritualityProphet Muḥammad |
| spellingShingle | Ismail Lala Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad Religions Sīrah Sufism Ibn ‘Arabī Fuṣūṣ spirituality Prophet Muḥammad |
| title | Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad |
| title_full | Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad |
| title_fullStr | Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad |
| title_short | Ibn ‘Arabī and the Spiritual Sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad |
| title_sort | ibn arabi and the spiritual sirah of prophet muhammad |
| topic | Sīrah Sufism Ibn ‘Arabī Fuṣūṣ spirituality Prophet Muḥammad |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/804 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ismaillala ibnarabiandthespiritualsirahofprophetmuhammad |