"Tafsīr al-Qur'ān bi'l Qur'ān": The Hermeneutics of Imitation and "Adab" in Ibn 'Arabī's

Interpretation of the Qur'ān

Author(s): SYED RIZWAN ZAMIR
Source: Islamic Studies , Spring 2011, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Spring 2011), pp. 5-23
Published by: Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41932574

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 Islamic Studies 50:1 (201 1 ) pp. 05-23

Tafsir al-Qur'an bi'l

and Adab in Ibn 'Ara

SYED RIZWAN ZAMIR

Abstract

It is well-established in scholarship that the Qur'ân plays a vital role in Ibn ' ArabVs
writings and spiritual teachings . Ibn ' Arabi himself is conscious of the centrality of the
Qur'ân to his works . The hidden analogs between the Qur'ân and Ibn ' ArabVs
writings explain the seemingly abrupt transitions from one topic to another in the
chapters of Futūhāt or the non-chronological presentation of the wisdom associated
with the various prophets in the Fusūs. Although these strong connections between the
Qur'an and the Shaykh's writings have been noted and demonstrated by many , and
some of the general hermeneutical principles documented , a more in-depth
examination of his concrete exegetical method remains to be done. This short essay
carries out this task . It highlights the main features of Ibn ' ArabVs hermeneutics, his
own prescriptions for the interpretive method , and how it was, or was not , enacted
and embodied in his writings .

Introduction

The Qur'an and Hadīth play a vital role in Ibn 'Arabl's (d. 1240) writings.
Even an inattentive reader could not fail to notice abundance of scriptural
references in his writings. Ibn 'Arabi himself is conscious of the centrality of
the Qur'ân to his works as he says, "everything of which we speak in our
meetings and in our writings comes from the Qur'ân and its treasures,"1 and
that God gave him "the key to understanding it and taking aid from it."2
Scholars of Ibn 'Arab! agree that his writings, especially Al-Fusūs al-Hikam
(from hereon referred to as Fusūs) which is a summary of his teachings, and Al-
Futūhāt al-Makkiyyah (from hereon referred to as Futūhāt), his encyclopedic
magnum opus , can be seen effectively as Qur'ânic commentaries: "The 'Meccan

1 Ibn 'Arabi cited in Michel Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Shore : Ibn Arabi, the Book, and the
Law (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993), 20.
2 Ibn 'Arabi, Al-Futūhat al-Makkiyyah, vol. m, 334.32 cited in William C. Chittick, Ibn ' Arabi :
Heir to the Prophets (Oxford: Oneworld, 2005), 124.

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£ SYED RIZWAN ZAMIR

Openings' like the Shaykh a

commentary upon the Holy Bo
seemingly an extremely unorg
other tracts are mysteriously
This lead Chodkiewicz to conf
present in everything he writ
perceive this relationship betw
harmonies will be disclosed to yo
at first sight, seemed to be quit
more comprehensive study of
structure (and not just the conte
of the Book... and... that the trip
the Word of God."6 These h
'Arabl's writings explain the se
another in the chapters of Fut
the wisdom associated with the
strong connections between th
noted and demonstrated by m
principles documented, a more i
method remains to be done. In t
At the outset it should be m
vain exercise altogether) to sys

3 William C. Chittick, The Sufi Path o

(Albany: State University of New York
"It is not incorrect to consider that
Qur'ânic commentary," Chodkiewicz,
claim of centrality of the Qur'ân to th
says is expressed in the form of som
Islamic scripture, whether the Qur'ân
Thought in a World Civilization, Lo
comparing Ibn 'Arab! with Meister E
'Arabi is inseparable from the Qur'a
speculative it might appear, as nothing
that holy book (as well as on the áhá
Dobie, Logos & Revelation: Ibn 'Arabi,
DC: Čatholic University of America Pr
4 Michel Chodkiewicz, "Some Remark
Syeda S. Hameed (ed.), Contemporar
Cultural Relations, 1993), 40.
5 Chodkiewicz's discovery of these patt
his paper "Some Remarks about the
book-length examination of the issue in
6 Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Shor

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TAFSÌR AL-QUR'ÄN BI'L QUR'ÄN -j

interpreting the Qur'än. Two reasons for this, amon

1. Ihm 'ArabVs Sources & Language-. Ibn 'Arabi dr

Compared to predecessors of his stature, such
generations after him, this is of course not uni
however, is the manner in which transmitted (¡
sciences are synthesized with mystical unveiling
even here, that the particular insight itself orig
three of the above is one thing; but what does no
down his method any easier is that it is expr
incorporates the specific technical terminology o
interplay, frequent transitions from one to anot
juxtaposition of technical vocabulary of the Qur
philosophy, and Sufism in one short passage or som

2. Mystical Unveiling : Ibn 'Arab! insists on t

unveiling upon which all his writings rely: "I
written a single letter of this book that was not
dictation, a spiritual inbreathing and a casting b
introduction of Futūhāt. Similarly, in Fusūs's Introd
how the whole text was given to him by the Prop
my hope, made my faithful intention, and purified
to present this book as set out to me by the Messen
omission nor addition."8 If these writings are divin
higher inspirational order, then an attempt to se
may amount to stripping them of the integrity
about them. It is for this reason that I have cons
judgment on the possibility or veracity of these cla

In view of these inherent limitations, in this pap

highlighting the main features of Ibn 'Arabx
prescriptions for the interpretive method, and how
and embodied. One might ask, if any attempt t
Qur'änic hermeneutics has already been ruled out
his method and to what end? The simple answer is:

7 Ibn 'Arabï, Meccan Revelations, trans. Morris, Chittick an

Pir Press, 2002), Introduction, vol. I, 9. Cf. "I base my [Qur'an
which God has unveiled to me, so it is His meaning" (Chittick
It is to be noted that these are not Ibn 'Arabï's own words
Ibn 'Arabi would have said to his critics.
8 Ibn al-' Arabi, The Ringstones of Wisdom [Fusus al-Hikam],
Publishers, 2004), 1.

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g SYED RIZWAN ZAMIŘ

answers given by him constitu

provide helpful insights into I
much of the debate surroundi
apparently "free" interpretati
examine the reasonableness of t
question will be to determine
Qur'an is to be studied, how he c
any, between the two. Therefo
aside for some time, the inquir
questions - questions of what th
audience is, what the intent
hermeneutical principles that
passages. In the remaining p
illustrations from his writings.

What is the Qur'an?

The Qur'an (and also hadītb) hol

crucial, thus, to see what the pos
universe. The Shaykh's under
epistemological status rests on
what the Qur'an has to say abou
Arabic root q.r.' which means '
Qur'an is all-comprehensive and g
declarations: "In the Book We h
trees on earth were pens and the
to add to its (supply), yet would
This is why the Shaykh calls th
that "The Qur'ân unveils all the
contains that which is not con
Qur'an has been given perfect l
to say that Muhammad was given

' "For Ibn 'Arabi, the Qur'an was the vi

replenished his soul, a living presence
(Chittick, Ibn 'Arabi: Heir to the Proph
him in visions is actually a reference to
See Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Sho
10 Ibid., 35. Given the infinite meaning
readings of the Qur'an could ever be t
readings of a Qur'ânic verse or chapter,
reading the Qur'an correctly.
11 Ibn 'Arabi, Futuhat, vol. II, 107.20. See

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 TAFSĪR AL-QUR'ÂN BI'L QUR'ÂN 9

context, the Shaykh notes that "the Qur'ân is one

that, to the exclusion of all other books,
comprehensiveness (jāmi ; iyyah )."12
For the Shaykh, the Qur'ân is not only inclusive
but also exclusive as it stands for 'separation' and 'd
meaning of the term al-Furqãn, another well-kno
scripture) from others. Here he has recourse to the Q
term in describing itself: "... [He] hath revealed al-Fur
He who sent down al-Furqãn to His servant" [25: 1
"criterion" (of judging right and wrong), the term Fu
attention. Studing the literal root of the term, h
understanding: "The two primary names of the ho
Furqãn together mean that the Qur'ân gathers everyt
same time separates everything out into clear and dis
Qur'ân contains all that is there to know and that
doorway to this knowledge is a crucial point because i
the Qur'ân that guides all his hermeneutics. Ian Almon
should be stressed that the Great Shaykh's herme
concern the Qur'ân. What Ibn 'Arab! says about mea
seldom explicitly extended to other secular w
general... the Shaykh will always find one Book to be
other ones."14 All Muslims would agree with the
method by which he arrives at this conclusion is uniq
of the reality of the Qur'ân is essentially derived
words the Qur'ân chooses for itself.

Method of Interpretation

For Ibn 'Arabi, "[the Prophet] did not stray from the
had been revealed to him, but rather transmitted to u
told to him: for the meanings that descended upon hi
form of a certain combination of letters, of a certain
a certain order of verses, a certain composition o
comprises the Qur'ân."15 Every word, in fact, eve
counts. This understanding of the Qur'ân provi
Shaykh's hermeneutics, whose first and most obv

12 Ibid.

13 Ibn 'Arabi, Futuhat ... Vol. IE, 164.34.

14 Ian Almond, Sufism and Deconstruction: A Comparative Study of Derrida and Ibn 'Arabi (New
York: Routledge, 2004), 68.
15 Ibn 'Arabi, Futuhat , vol. m, 158. See also, Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Shore, 23.

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 ļQ SYED RIZWAN ZAMIŘ

literalism.'16 If every letter and ever

Qur'ân is revealed in 'clear Arabic'1
way there is) to enter the treasure-h
in the minutest possible detail, with
one could afford, while taking the Q
attention to the form of the Word o
only the most adequate expression of
the bearer of meaning, it is the m
'Arabï's reading of the Qur'ân.18

Ibn 'Arabï's method is literal beca

sense. No doubt the Qur'an conta
spiritual meanings are not intende
they are precisely in them. One does
knowledge obtained from other
unpack the Qur'ân. Instead one only
contained in the very words of the
guide. Thus, his method is that of
plurality of meanings. In any case, t
the spirit.19

Ibn 'Arabi points out this method

discontent with prevalent modes o
Bãtiniyyah and the Falãsifab. "It is
to prefer another to it. Any offense
the alteration of the Word of G
reproaches the People of the Book."2
the possessors of steadfastness amo
taking the outward sense along w

"Various terms have been used to describe this hermeneutic: Kristin Sands calls it
'hyperliteralism,' Morris 'spiritual literalism' and Chodkiewicz 'strict literalism.' It is worth
noting that Ibn 'Arabï's literalism extends to the discipline of fiqb, what Eric Winkel has called
"Legal Literalism." See his Islam and the Living Law: The Ibn al-Arabi Approach (New York:
Oxford, 1996)., especially chap. 4.
17 A reference to certain Qur'änic verses, including 12: 2, 13: 37, 16: 103, 20: 113, 26: 192-5,
39: 28, and 41: 3.
Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Shore, 24.
w Ibid., 22.
20 Ibid., 24.
21 The word here is 'ibarah, from which is derived ta 'blr, a term for the interpretation of dreams.
One can already notice how he deploys the various meanings of the same term 'ibārah - ta 'blr
in this context, as interpretation (commonly held view), 'crossing over' and 'giving expression,'
all possible meanings of the root '.b.r.

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TA FS i R AL-QUR'ĀN BIX QUR'ÄN ļ j

outward sense to the inward sense, but they take th

meaning, without 'giving expression' to it."22

Literalism, as generally understood, implies univocalis

one possible meaning of the text. Ibn 'Arabi, however
the literal exactitude demanded by him concurrently
meanings that are embedded in the letter, while restr
explanations that would violate it. That the Qur'än w
in no way accidental: its vocabulary is abundantly rich a
multiple interpretations. Ibn 'Arabi does not simply s
enacts it throughout his writings. I have already note
case of the words qur'än and furqan.

Another example is found in his interpretation o

verse: "Naught is there anything like Him" (laysa ka
preposition ka which means 'like' is generally con
emphatic of likeness {mithlihī), thus, the usual tr
Although not excluding this standard translation and
verse, Ibn 'Arabi often reads the ka as not simp
preposition that does in fact add meaning to the verse.
context of the verse ka could mean exactly what it
simile or likeness. And because it could mean that, it do
reading (where ka is redundant and emphatic) the verse
nothing like Him [i.e., God]" while in the second re
rendered as "There is nothing like His [i.e., God's] lik
then, the variant 'His likeness' permits Ibn 'Arabi t
Universal or Perfect Human (al-insān al-kāmit) and his u
his likeness to Him. Consequently, the hermeneutic
literal word (and the multiple possibilities inherent in
retain both interpretations and then employ either
various occasions in the Fusūs and Futūhāt.21

Chodkiewicz cites numerous other examples to ela

spiritual literalism. In one passage he notes:

In the Qur'än, the divine command to Adam and Eve is

that of not eating the forbidden fruit, but rather that of n
(Qur'än 2: 35). Now the tree ( shajarah ) is, for Ibn 'Arabi -
etymology, and more directly by the meaning of the verb

22 Ibn 'Arabi, Futuhat, vol. DI, 257.16. Cited in Chittick, The Sufi Path
For a more elaborate discussion of this interpretation, see Chod
Shore, 37. Also see Ibn al-' Arabi, Ringstones, 41. Cf. note 19 above.

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12 SYED RIZWAN ZAMIŘ

root, in another verse (4: 65) - th

division, this rupture of unit
metaphysical significance of thei
nature of the forbidden object
interpretation is perfectly coherent
as given in Surah Ta hã (20: 121)...
apparent to them. Nudity is the usu
to the pudenda, Adam and Eve
differentiations, the most elementa
division , of the rupture of unity.
the spherical form that originally w

It is clear from the example that

patient engagement with the prec
is a prerequisite for its proper int
spiritual literalism is summarized

Every sense (wajh) which is suppo

whether it is the Qur'än, the Torah
in the view of anyone who knows
the case of that interpreter (mut
senses... Hence no man of knowledge
it into practice , except in the case of
authority... Hence, when someone u
intended by God in this verse in the
not found outside God's speech. Eve
may be that it was not intended by
of encompassing all the senses of
{tafsīr) the Qur'än and does not g
commentator (italics added)."28

In sum, the letter itself is th

Qur'än, and within its very words
two drops could ever be the same.

24 It must be noted that other dictionary

each lending itself to interesting outcomes
25 And the whole metaphysical drama is
therefore, require no allegorical interpret
26 Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Shore ,
It should be noted that Ibn 4 Arabi exten
that all scriptures, like the Qur'än, ar
commonly held by Muslims.
28 Ibn 4 Arabi, Futuhat , vol E, 567.19. C
significance of the sentence in italics will

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TAFSÌR AL-QUR'ĀN BI'L QUR'ÂN ļj

Divine Intentions and Human Response

I have noted in the previous section that thoug
interpretations, in his own exegesis Ibn 'Arabī
various possibilities contained within the root me
those he deems most appropriate. A question na
decide which of the possible meanings are the '
study of his writings reveals that there is an
hermeneutic principle at work here, that of Divine

The Divine Mercy that encompasses everythin

'Arabi and guides all his teachings: "Just as misguid
the Divine Wrath an accident. The final end is M
everything and outstrips [others]."30 The being
The whole universe is nothing but 'the Breath of
God's Mercy,31 and so is the Prophet.32 One of the
in Ibn 'Arabī's writings is, "My Mercy precedes my
references to God's all-inclusive Mercy in the Qur
which begins all but one chapter of the Qur'ân,
unveilings also convinced him of the centrali ty
makeup of the cosmos.

In this connection one may cite Ibn 'Arabī's ow

in which Adam taught him the universality of the
culminating stage of his journey, he notes that "I s
the divine Gift [of Mercy and Pardon]... as He sa
sinners... Do not despair of God's Mercy: surely God
surely He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful (39
the hermeneutics of mercy - to use Chittick's t
worldview is witnessed in almost all his con
theological and legal matters. For example, in his
he consistently draws inspiration from the Qur'

29 Cf. Qur'an, 7: 156.

Ibn al-4 Arabi, Ringstones , 105.
31 Say: "1 but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord: thi
Lord, and Guidance, and mercy, for any who have faith/' Qur
32 "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." Qur'an
33 For a more detailed analysis see James Winston Morris, "T
and the Mi'raj": Part I," JOAS 107, 1987), 629-52; Idem, "T
and the Mi'rāj Part H," JOAS 108: 1 (1988), 63-77.
34 Ibn 'Arabi, Futūhāt, vol. II, 230. It is worth stating here that
of the Shakyh not only employs much Qur'ânic terminology
as a journey within it.

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 14 SYED RIZWAN ZAMIŘ

make for you in the religion any co

Divine Mercy.36 Chittick, in the dis
of the unbelievers has shown how
(that precedes His Wrath) that the s
Fire.37

If the Qur'an is mercy and the Divine intends nothing but mercy in all
things, then it is incumbent upon the interpreter of the Qur'an to take the
principle of mercy as one of his main guiding principles. The hermeneutics of
the interpreter, therefore, should be those that are consistent with the divine
intentions as revealed through the Qur'anic teachings. From the interpreter's
point of view, responsiveness to divine mercy is another attribute crucial to
his intellectual outlook. The meanings contained within the scripture are
infinite and ever-new, because there is no repetition in the [divine] self-disclosure
{la takrār fi tajallīf8 of which the cosmos, the human, and the Qur'an are three
manifestations. This receptiveness to the infinitude of meanings is only
possible when one opens oneself to divine mercy by learning the adab
(etiquettes) of listening. To be a good listener to the divine-discourse, one has
to pay full attention to what has been said. One need not be distracted by the
points of view learned from elsewhere. Rather one should be in a state of
'illiterate infancy:'

As did the Prophet, the virginal receptacle of Revelation, a being should open
himself to the lights of grace... To hear Him, man must thus return to the 'state
of infancy' - an expression that might after all be the most exact translation of
ummiyyah .39 This state of infancy is what the Qur'an describes in the following
terms: "God had you come out of the womb of your mothers and you knew
nothing" (16: 78). Among the possible meanings of a word, of a verse, there is no
choice at the end of a mental process: the 'true' meaning - that which is true at
that moment for that very being - is that which wells up, in the nakedness of
the spirit, from the very letter of divine speech. It is to this letter and it alone that

35 Qur'an, 22: 78.

36 See E. Winkel, Islam and the Living Law for an extensive discussion of how the principle of
mercy was enacted in Ibn 'Arabī's writings on legal matters.
37 See William C. Chittick, "Death and the Afterlife" in Imaginai Worlds : Ibn ' Arabi and the
Problem of Religious Diversity (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994), 97-122.
38 This is one of the cornerstones of Ibn 'Arabī's cosmology.
39 Umml is one of the Qur'anic terms mentioned in 7: 157: "Those who follow the messenger,
the unlettered (umml) Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures) ...and the
verse that follows: "Say: O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom
belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He. It is He That
giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet
(umml), who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided."

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TAFSÌR AL-QUR'ÂN BI'L QUR'ÂN ^

he whose heart is ready to welcome that 'shower of s

on the day that the Qur'an is no longer recited 'in se

To be sure, the heart that is ready is the

preparation through intense spiritual practice, pra
the Law and the example of the Prophet. Though
short essay, no discussion of Ibn ť Arabī's hermene
side of the spiritual life, toward which his writing
to which they have always been seen as a complem
Ibn 'Arabī's views on the meaning and application
his Futühät. In chapter 168 he defines an adib
noble virtues" (al-adib huwa al-jãmi( al-makārim al-
of the good (al-adab jama' al-kbayr).41 Notice ho
restricted to a particular kind of 'good' or Virtu
gathering of all the various kinds of goodne
encompassing nature of this understanding of
conclude that,

while the classical literature of tasawwuf makes rath

express the quality of the attitude which it should be
or in relation between master and disciples (adab al-su
the level of doctrine. He particularly insists on respe
the prophetic and Qur'anic message, and adab
becomes... one of the keys to his understanding.42

From the point of view of Ibn 'Arabī's hermeneu

attitude of proper etiquette and respect toward
that underlies his literalism, a sense of utter sub
Word. One has to take the letter of Scripture se

40 Chodkiewicz, An Ocean without Shore , 33.

41 Ibn 'Arabi, Futuhat , vol. E, 284.
4 See his essay "Adab and Revelation or One of the Found
'Arabi" in Muhyiddin Ibn ' Arabi : A Commemorative Volume
Michael Tieranen (Rockport, MA: Element, 1993), 228-63
completely the significance of adab in Ibn 'Arabī's writing
'Arab! discusses four different kinds of adab : adab al-sharVah
adab al-haqīqah. Chapter 202 of Futühät titled "The State of
four categories by way of enumerating concrete expressions
of the four. Thus far, GriPs essay is the most comprehensive
adab in the Shaykh's writing. The essay does, however, des
unpacking this variety, some assessment as to how these vari
and clarify his broader hermeneutics.

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ļ £ SYED RIZWAN ZAMIŘ

the divine Word demands it. Submi

cannot subvert, bypass, or ignore its

One may cite two examples wher

invokes the principle of proper adab:
'Arabi criticizes those who deny tash

...in the sight of the Folk of the Reali

Divine is to assert delimitation a
incomparability is either ignorant or i
and speaks it, speaking through th
incomparability, stopping there and se
bad adab and gives the lie to the Real a
believe in some and disbelieve in some.n

It is out of fidelity and respect

tashbih are both affirmed - that Ib
Divine Transcendence (tanzih). It
Immanence (tashbih) at the expens
rejected by him.

A second example concerns Ibn '

God mentioned in the Qur'ân in
decision to refrain from attributi
fidelity to the literal word of Go
chosen not to name Himself in tha
could not be stated about God are s
through conscious application of ad

Since in religious parlance the at

identified with faith, in closing this
from faith. Whereas faith usually im
of faith, i.e., the scripture or God
'Arabi is more akin to a concrete app
the scriptures and deciphering these
is a consequence and application of
right comportment, and proper att

43 Ibn al-' Arabi, Ringstones, 37; italics corr

disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, an
messengers, and say: We believe in some an
between." Interestingly enough, Ibn 'Arab
which is something he frequently does. Non
claim that in the case of the Qur'ân, every w

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 TAFSÌR AL-QUR'ÂN BU QUR'ÂN yj

activities, strictly religious or otherwise. Faith, a

parlance, is essentially a subjective phenomenon
whereas adab connotes the concrete embodiment o
consequences in the daily life of a believer. It is this b
adab that informs not only Ibn 'Arabl's method of int
way of the Qur'an but also his other prescriptions.

Ibn 'Arabī's intent and his audience

The question of why Ibn 'Arabī wrote, and to whom

heart of Ibn 'Arabl's hermeneutic project: By drawin
understanding of his divinely bestowed spiritual fu
his writings and thought has influenced Islamic em
assess the full import of his hermeneutic, its purpose
Regardless of whether the Shaykh's claims a
autobiographical accounts confirm that from his yout
to hold a special status and office designated by God
to be the Seal of the Saints ( khãtam al-awliyã). What is
see the function of this office, which in turn would s
and audience of Ibn 'Arabl's writings. Ibn 'Arabi me
following verses:

"I was created to assist the religion of God -

But the assistance comes from Him, as it is laid down in

Chodkiewicz understands this mission of assista

doctrinal, whereby he is the repository of guidanc
and "teacher of all teachers" and through him the "kn
bayt al-walayah remains living and accessible to
necessary qualifications;"46 and as transmitter of
"which when the circumstances require it, comes t
groups, to re-establish the ways of sainthood, and
restored of the Islamic order."47

44 For a detailed discussion of Prophethood (nubuwwab) and S

relationship between them, please see Michel Chodkiewicz, Seal o
Sainthood in the Doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi , trans. Liadain Sherr
Society, 1993). Chapter 9 of the book provides references to v
discusses his role as the "Seal."
45 Ibid., 130.
46 Ibid., 139-40.
47 Ibid., 140.

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 J g SYED RIZWAN ZAMIR

Over the years, William Chittick4

continuously demonstrated the power
teachings have influenced Islamic intel
be a source of barakah is accepted by
much more profound is also involved
been addressed except in the writings
As outlined by Morris in the essay
'Arabi has influenced four contexts t
1. Muslims directly involved in prac
Sufi Shaykhs, preachers, jurists, and Q
who have come to be identified w
Qûnawl, Qaysarl, Jandi, and Mullā S
Islamic tradition of the philosophy of
in the Islamic world, people like 'I
polemics, especially the arguments for
and practices associated with Sufi tarlq
places in his writings, what makes
dialectic in his works between the o
signs on the horizon ) and the spiri
within the souls).50 For our task, th
crucial.51
Anyone who reads Ibn 'Arab! is immediately struck, not only by the
radical departure in his conclusions from the 'official' and 'standard' readings
of scripture, but also by the very linguistic style in which they are
communicated. The chapter on Noah in Fusūs is one example where Ibn
'Arabi, asserting the message of both transcendence ( tanzih ) and immanence
(tashbīh) based on his reading of certain Qur'ânic verses, takes the prophet to

48 For Chittick's works, see Imaginai Worlds, Sufi Path of Knowledge, and The Self-Disclosure of
God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabï's Cosmology (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998).
For the works of Chodkiewicz, see An Ocean without Shore and Seal of the Saints.
49 James Morris, "'...Except His Face:' The Political and Aesthetic Dimensions of Ibn 'Arabi's
Legacy," Journal of the Muhiyyidin Ibn 'Arabi Society, li (1998): 19-31.
50 A reference to Ibn 'Arabï's frequently cited verse: "Soon will We show them our Signs in the
(furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that
this is the Truth" (Qur'ân, 41: 53).
51 In passing it must be noted that William Chittick's elaboration of the doctrinal teachings of
Ibn 'Arab! and Morris's examination of the phenomenological intentions and impact of the
same texts on the reader represent two radically different approaches to Ibn 'Arabl's works. It is
quite timely to investigate how these two scholarly approaches complement or contradict one
another. Morris's recent studies, Orientations: Islamic Thought in a World Civilization and The
Reflective Heart: Discovering Spiritual Intelligence in Ibn 'Arabi's 'Meccan Illuminations'
(Louisville: Fons Vitae, 2005) show that the gap between the two modes is only widening.

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TAFSÌR AL-QUR'ĀN BI'L QUR'AN ļg

task for not employing both in his call to his comm

Based on this analysis, the prophet turns out to be on
while the community appears justified in not payi
Beyond teaching the lesson of simultaneous necessity
and immanence in one's view of things, Ibn 'Arabl
seem designed to jolt the reader in one way or the
Morris his writings are spiritual interpretation of th
and hadītb "...whose constantly shifting facets and
intellectual perspectives are and have long remaine
inimitable, designed to alternatively shake, surpris
trouble, intrigue, and fascinate even the most as
readers."52 The uniquely inimitable style and esoteric c
mark on the reader's soul, to which it inevitably respo
It is no surprise then that reception of Ibn 'Ara
characterized by two extreme reactions: immense fa
on the one hand, and extreme hostility on the othe
apathy or indifference is not an option. Many Sufis
takes away from his writings is a function of wher
journey. For the ones who are overpowered by the h
live a routine life, the psychological impact is mean
tahqiq (the process of realizing the deeper meanings
cosmological). For those, on the path, new meaning
elevate the understanding and inspire more inquisitiven
insights elicited, but many complex spiritual matters a
the advanced stages. Historically, the Shaykh's wri
employed to defend the Sufi path and its doctrines a
critiques. Morris has consistently pointed out that it is
writings more than anything else that make Ibn 'Arabi

Concluding Remarks
From all that has been said so far, it would not be an e
the hermeneutics of Ibn 'Arabi is essentially that of
style and method of interpretations, and in his claims,
Qur'an. His writings are a way to gather from the

52 Morris, Orientations , 41.

53 Space limitations do not allow an in-depth analysis of the vari
dimension of his writings. Please see the various writings of
'Arabl's 'Esotericism': The Problem of Spiritual Authority," Stu
and "How to Study Futuhať. Ibn 'Arabi's own Advice," in S. Hir
Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi: A Commemorative Volume (Rockport: Elem

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20 SYED RIZWAN ZAMIR

meanings from its words prese

and comprehensible language wi
the Qur'ân. Just like the Qur'ân
eternal wisdom is expressed in th
Arabia, Ibn 'Arabī's writings us
day to express the various gems
was trans-disciplinary; while enga
jurisprudence, Kalām, philos
structure and spirit and ethos of
witnessed through the principles
textuality and their essential Qur

In sum then, Ibn 'Arabī's writ

of "interpreting the Qur'ân thr
Qur'an)" in which simultaneously
Qur'ân, and the form in which it
is the Qur'ân which sets the te
becomes the model which the i
process of interpretation. The h
through the door it has chosen fo
Prophet;54 but most often it is t
the Saints,' it is Ibn 'Arabī's func
meanings contained within the W
style. What each reader would
spiritual orientation and standin
immense insights - flashes of sa
any comprehensive mapping or
style that bypasses all expectation
read like:

Ibn 'Arabï became more and more c

such revelation which helped him t
of communication his insights to th
It is centered, in the first place, on
for its texts commonly accepted
other appealing statements current
eccentric and striking procedure w

54 In the scholarship, the role of hadith h

in what ways his understanding of the
cites quite frequently and what is the
process.

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TAFSÌR AL-QUR'ÂN Bl'L QUR'ÂN 21

they struck his fancy , and to meditate on them wi

constant outpouring of surprising verbal associations w
and impress even today's reader.55

One may wonder whether his writings are a r

insights based on spiritual unveilings, or a "free flow
his fancy." Yet, there is no doubt that his manner
one as constant outpourings that continue to astonish
No author before or after him has confronted the
no one has drawn out the full import of a scriptu
itself essentially determines its own status, its own
of exegesis; primarily, the Qur'ân itself tells us w
interpreted, and what it conveys. And the matter
being learned is also displayed and effected: Ibn 'A
that the Qur'ân is an ocean without a shore; his writ
best evidence of it. Modeled after the Qur'ân, in tu
an ocean without a shore for Islamic intellectual li
the plethora of Qur'ânic citations present a clear con
the Qur'ân, they do not immediately reveal the inne
and method to the Qur'ân itself. The picture that em
is summarized beautifully by Morris in his introd
criticizing the prevalent ways of approaching the wr
elucidating Ibn 'Arabl's underlying intentions in
passage particularly seeks to stress the significan
effect of his writings on the reader:

The inevitable result of such primarily intellectual (or

"summarizing" Ibn 'Arabi - where he is somehow i
few paradoxical formulae supposedly drawn from the F
what has happened over several millennia, in Helle
thought, which attempts to summarize Plato's osten
cases what is lost by neglecting the indispensable role o
dramatic rhetorical forms and underling intentions of t
most essential to both: the actual transformation
necessarily engaging every dimension of the indiv

55 Franz Rosenthal, "Ibn 'Arabi between "Philosophy" a

Philosophy are Neighbors and Visit Each Other"" Oriens 31 (1
See for example Peter Heath's essay comparing the hermeneu
4 Arabi in which he notes that whereas Tabari never Confr
unmediated, and Ibn Sina superimposes methods and unders
'Arabi seems to 'confront' directly the words of the Scripture.

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22 SYED RIZWAN ZAMIR

particular concrete existence - thro

intelligence (< tahqlq ) ...

In order to appreciate this gui

writing... one has to keep in m
assumptions. These are not the same
with in order to understand and ap
order of "orientations," or existent
aware of in order to make the indi
symbolic language and the universal,
the profound concordance or corre
being or creation; of revelation; an
soul and its actual surrounding exi
that particular person at that particul
difficulty are carefully designed to a
meanings accessible to individual re
spiritual development. As the reader
distinctive language and rhetoric o
jarring sudden shifts of perspec
(momentary) piety - is marvelously
Qur'ân, to break through each reader
and levels of habitual programmin
unity of perception... of "things as t
is each reader's active intention and
connection between Ibn 'Arabī's
experience and realization.57

It is therefore in view of these ph

that the significance of the quote c
follows from Morris's analysis tha
the Qur'ân the impact of a careful r
Ibn ťArabl noted that "when someo
sense is intended by God in this verse
there is nothing arbitrary abou
engagement: When an attentive rea
the meaning and interpretation
force for the reader and is absolute
The inherent plurality of mean
certainly result in plurality of inte
taken for granted or construed as
divinely intended plurality of mean

57 Ibn 'Arabi, Meccan Revelations „ vol. 1, 12

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TAFSIR AL-QUR'ĀN BI'L QUR'ÄN 23

Qur'än, the inevitable pluralism witnessed in the

again those will be different for different people -is
also divinely ordained and in the spirit of approp
with equal reverence, and submitted to without reser

$ $ $

58 In the end it must be noted that many questions arise as to the f

method of interpretation. For example, if all interpretations, so long as
the language of the Qur'än, are valid, then one may surmise what wou
extremist understandings of the verses such as 5:51 "Do not take Christi
(a term that can be translated as friends, allies or protectors) and othe
verses often cited today. No clear answer is given by the scholars on
interpretations with the Ibn 'Arabi's method who seems to endorse all
least for the person who reads it this way. Perhaps, one way to respon
avoid isolating the plurality of interpretations that emerge from his
overall purposes and teachings on spiritual and theological matters. Nev
seems worth exploring for a more definitive answer.

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