Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Milad Milani
diversity of thought and the ultimate aim of spiritual union and fulfillment
of being, it has particular importance for the tradition of Persian Sfsm.
231
232
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233
234
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235
236
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237
19
238
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239
27
Ibid, 266.
Ibid, 267.
29
Ibid, source: Al- Shraward, Umar, uvres philosphiques et mysticques, Vol
1, Tehran + Paris, Biblioteque Iranienne, 1331/1952, Opera Metaphysica et
Mystica II, 112.
30
Nicholson, The Mathnaw of Jalluddn Rum, Vol I, London, 2001, 167.
28
240
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241
Rm
The Persian poet, Rumi, was founder of the Mawlawiyya (or
Mevlevi) order, known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes,
because of his reputation for suddenly falling into a romantic
trance and whirling in the middle of the marketplace while
reciting poetic verses. It was at the behest of his beloved student
Hosamoddn Chalabi (himself the head of an order of chivalry) 34
that the Mathnaw, Rms celebrated and most treasured work,
was written down in order to collect the spiritual couplets that he
would otherwise randomly recite. Of course, all of this was due to
Rms falling in love with the legendary wandering dervish,
Shams-i Tabrizi, who is celebrated in Sfsm as a great mystic
with somewhat miraculous abilities. Before his meeting with
Shams-i, Rm was already at the head of his fathers Sf
school. After migrating from Balkh (in modern day Afghanistan),
where Rm was born in the year 604/1207, his father (Bah
Vald) established his school at Konya at the request of the
Seljuk Prince when Rm was still very young. 35 After his fathers
death, he completed his education in all the traditional Islmic
sciences including theology, jurisprudence, prophetic traditions,
Islmic philosophy and literature under the eldest member of the
school.
It was at the height of his career as a well-respected scholar that
Shams-i entered his life. The famed exchange that took place
between them is recited by Sf tradition as the example par
excellence of the relationship between master and apprentice. In
one story, it is told that Shams-i (who is described as jendepoosh: a person who dresses in rags and looks no more than a
beggar on the streets) speaks to Rm and inquires about the
34
242
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For other versions of their meeting (including this one) see Eva de VitrayMeyerovitch, Rm and Sfsm, California, 1987, 23ff.
37
M VI/263.
38
This is indicative of the proper state of mind of the seeker, in that the subject
wishes to understand more than what is made manifest. In addition, this arises
from the fundamental clause and first principle in Islmic practice, which is the
act of taslm (or surrender [to God]).
39
Emotion here infers the power of love, loving-kindness, compassion, mercy,
fear, repentance, and so on.
243
244
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M I/2835.
M III/1124.
44
Estelami, op cit, 403.
43
245
M I/1409. For the use of Jesus in the Mathnaw, see J. R. King, Jesus and
Joseph in Rms Mathnaw, Muslim World, LXXX, No. 2, Hartford, 1990, 8195; For a detailed discussion on the subject of Jesus in Sf literature see Milad
Milani, An Analysis of the mystical significance of Jesus in Sf Literature,
forthcoming.
46
M I/1019.
47
M I/3461; Estelami, op cit, 405.
48
M II/496.
49
Estelami, op cit, 406.
246
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M I/571.
Literally poor or indigent, which was to be applied later on as a symbol of
inner poverty or spiritual poverty.
51
247
248