al-Shaikh al-Akbar

Shaikh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi’s (may Allah be pleased with him) father, Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Arabi, went to Baghdad at an advanced age for his dearest wish was to leave a son in his place when he passed away. He went to see the great shaikh Muhyiddin Abdul-Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to pray for Almighty Allah to give him the gift of a son. The Master secluded himself and went into deep contemplation. On his return, he informed Ali ibn Muhammad, "I have looked into the world of secrets and it has been revealed to me that you will have no descendants, so do not tire yourself out trying." Although disappointed, the old man would not give up. He begged and insisted: "0 Saint, almighty Allah will certainly grant your prayers. I ask you to intervene in this matter for me."

Shaikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani once again withdrew and fell into deep contemplation. After a while he came back and said that although Ali ibn Muhammad was not destined to have a descendant, the saint himself was so destined. Would the old man like to have the saint's future son? His visitor gladly accepted. The two men stood back to back, their arms interlocked. 

Ali ibn Muhammad later recounted this incident:

"When I was back to back with the saint Abdul-Qadir Jilani, I felt something warm running down from my neck to the small of my back. After a while a son was born to me, and I named him Muhyiddin, as Abdul-Qadir Jilani had ordered." Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi's full name was Abu-Bakr Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hatimi al-Tai al-Andalusi. He has been given many titles: al-shaykh al-akbar [the Greatest Shaykh]; khatim al-awliya al-Muhammadi [the Seal of the Saints of Muhammad]; al-shaykh al-azam [the Exalted Shaykh]; qutb al-arifin [Axis of True Knowledge]; imam ul-munahiyuddin [Religious Leader of the Converts]; rahbar ul-alam [Guide of the World]; and many more. On his great learning, Shamsuddin ibn Abu-Bakr al-Jawziya [1295-1356], a theologian and follower of Ibn Taymiyya, has commented, "Ibn Arabi was well versed in alchemy, and knew the secret of the Greatest Name of God, which is hidden in the Koran." Shaykh Saduddin Hamawi [1191 or 98-1252 or 60] said, "Muhyiddin is an ocean of knowledge which has no shores." Shaykh Saduddin Hamawi (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the 12 inheritors of the great Shaikh Najmuddin Kubra (may Allah be pleased with him), and a famous Sufi of his time. Sadruddin Qunyawi, the disciple of Ibn Arabi, attended his gatherings as a young man.

Muhyiddin Ibn.Arabi was born in the city of Murcia in the then Islamic province of Andalusia, Spain, on Monday the 17th of the holy month of Ramadan in the year 560 A.H. Ouly 28, 1165). His father was a Sufi and a renowned and respected. [Source: Journey to the Lord of Power - introduced by Shaikh Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi]

Journey to the Lord of Power, known most widely in Arabic under the title Risalat-ul-anwar fima yummah sahib al-khalwa min al-asrar ["Treatise on the Lights in the Secrets Granted One Who Undertakes Retreat"] by Muhiyiddin Ibn al-Arabi [1165-1240], was originally edited in 1204/1205 in Konya, Turkey. About the commentary, al-Isfar an risalat-ul anwar fima yatajalla li ahl il-dhikr min al-asrar ["Unveiling of ‘Treatise on the Secrets Revealed to the People of Dhikr’"] by Sayyid Abdul Karim Jili [1365-1408] (may Allah be pleased with him), little information is available. Many stories of Shaikh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi’s (may Allah be pleased with him) have come down to us, but, much less, however is known of Sayyid Abdul-Karim Jili. This highly respected man, who died between 1408 and 1417, was also a Shaikh, a descendant of the great Sayyiduna Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be well pleased with him). He is the foremost systematizer and one of the greatest exponents of the work of Shaikh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi’s (may Allah be pleased with him). His book al-Insan ak-kamil [the Perfect Man], and explanation of Shaikh al-Akbar’s teachings on the structure of reality and human perfection, is held to be one of the masterpieces of Sufi literature in its own right.

According to  S.A.A. Rizvi [History of Sufism in India - Volume 2] the initiation of Ibn Arabi into the Qadiriyya order had made all Qadiriyyas staunch supporters of his controversial Wahdat al-Wujud philosophy. It has also produced in them a great source of pride that such a famous Sufi could be numbered among them. However, the author does not give any references to substantiate [validate/authenticate] the above statement.

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