The spiritual ascension: Ibn 'Arabī and the Mi'rāj . Pt. 1

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The spiritual ascension: Ibn ‘Arabī and
the Mi‘rāj
. Pt. 1
Author: James Winston Morris
Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/4138
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Boston College University Libraries.
Published in Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 107, pp. 629-652, 1987
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The Spiritual Ascension: Ibn 'Arabf and the Mi'raj. In Journal of the American
Oriental Society, vol. 107 (1987), pp. 629-652, and vol. 108 (1988), pp. 63-77.
THE SPIRITUAL ASCENSION:
IBN cARABI AND THE MIcRAJ
PART I
JAMES WINSTON MORRIS
INSTITUTE OF ISMAIL! STUDIES, PARIS
The scriptural accounts of the Ascension (mi'ro}) of Muhammad provided a comprehensive
symbolic representation of man's spiritual development for later traditions of Islamic thought.
The creative adaptation of those materials by the famous mystical thinker Ibn 'ArabI (1165
1240), reflecting the full range of his metaphysical-theological insights and practical spiritual
concerns,influenced manysubsequentIslamicliteraryand philosophicmovements.Thisstudyof
his majorMi'raj narratives(focusingonarevealingautobiographicalversion ofhis ownspiritual
journey) should also interest students ofcomparative mysticism, philosophy and religion from
other"Oriental"traditions. Part IIofthisstudywillappearin the nextissue.
STUDENTSOF ISLAMIC LITERATURE ARE WELL AWARE world.2 For Ibn 'ArabI, the Prophet's "nocturnal
that the brief Koranic indications concerning Mu journey" (an expression he prefers both because it is
hammad's Ascension (mi'riij) or nocturnal voyage that ofthe Koran and because it is more appropriate
(isriF, at 17:I) and the decisive revelatory vision in to the complete, circular nature of the movement in
whichitculminated (53:1-18),togetherwith therelated question») is above all an archetype of the highest,
discussions in the collections of hadith, subsequently culminating stages in the inner, spiritualjourney that
gave riseto avast bodyofinterpretation among many must be followed by each of the saints or mystical
later traditions ofIslamicthought and spirituality.' In "knowers" who would participate fully in the noetic
Sufi writing, especially, the stages and events of the heritage of Muhammad:even ifthe subjective phases
Prophet's journey soon came to be understood as a
comprehensive symbolic representation both of the 2 Seethehistoricaloverviewofthisprocessoftransmission
inner, spiritual itineraryfollowed by the accomplished and assimilation in our article "Ibn 'Arabi and His Inter
saints and of the various macrocosmic or metaphysi preters,"JAOS,volumes 106.3, 106.4,and 107.1.
calstructuresunderlying theirrealizations. l There are a number ofshades ofmeaning in the Koranic
The elaborate adaptation of those traditions and expressionasrii(at 17:I and in the related hadith) that help
scriptural sources by the celebrated mystical thinker explain Ibn 'ArabI's preference for thatexpression: in addi
Ibn 'ArabI(560/1165-638/1240)reflects both the typ tion to its being used to describe a complete spiritualjour
ical features of his distinctive approach to the Koran ney involving both "ascent" and "return"-a fundamental
and hadith and the full range of his metaphysical dimension he emphasizesespecially in the R. al-Anwiir-the
theological teachings and practical spiritual concerns. term refers more specifically to a "nocturnalvoyage," with
Here, as in so many other areas, it would be difficult alltheimplicationsofa"hidden,"profoundlyspiritualtrans
to exaggerate the influence of his interpretation on formation that are so decisive for the innerjourneys ofthe
later Islamic literature throughout the eastern Islamic saintsdescribed inallthesenarratives. Finally,thisparticular
verbal form clearly insists on God as the (ultimate) Agent
I See, for example, the outlineoftheearliersources(from and Source ofthis movement, pointingto the key factors of
a strictly historicist perspective) and extensive bibliography divinegraceand individualpredispositionthatarecentralto
inthearticles"Isro""(B.Schreike)and"Mi'riij"(J. Horovitz) hisunderstandingofthisvoyage(whetherforthe Prophetor
in theSEIand Ell, aswellasthe widerrangeofhadith and forthesaintsingeneral).
legendary materials studied in the opening chapters of M. 4 While acknowledgingthe unique"physical"nature ofthe
Asin Palacios' La Escat%gia musulmana en la Divina Prophet's Mi'raj (in section II below), Ibn 'Arabi stresses
Comedia (Madrid, 1919) [abridged English translation as the primary importance of the spiritual isro"iit-even for
Islam and the Divine Comedy (London, 1926; repro 1968)]. Muhammad-in the proportions implied by the Prophet's
Ibn 'Arabi's own use of the related hadith is discussed in "thirty-three" other, purely spiritual journeys mentioned at
detailinthenotesbelow. theendofthatsection.
629
630 Journal ofthe American Oriental Society 107.4 (/987)
and experiences markingthat route necessarilyappear or the Throne where the final "unveiling" takes
differently to eachindividual.5 place-all of these, he insists, are so many places of
Thus the theme of the MiCraj provides Ibn cArabi the Heart.7
with a single unifyingsymbolicframework for the full Modern readers who want to understand these nar
range of practical spiritual questions and theoretical ratives on this ultimate and more intimate level, how
issues(ontological,cosmological,theological,etc.) that ever, must first find their way through an extremely
are discussed in various contexts throughout the complex set ofsymbols and often only implicit refer
Futul)iit and his otherworks. Ifeach ofhis treatments ences to what are now largely unfamiliar bodies of
of the MiCraj approaches those issues from its own knowledge. The task ofinterpretation is therefore not
particular standpoint and purpose-and in addition, unlike that fac)ngstudents ofDante's Divine Comedy
with very different literary styles and degrees ofauto (especially the Paradisio). Hence our annotation to
biographical openness-they all do share what is per this translation of chapter 367 of the Futul)iit (along
haps the most fundamental feature ofall his writing: with a short Appendix from the K. aJ-[srii') attempts
the continually alternating contrast between the to provide that indispensable background in the fol
metaphysical (universal and eternal) "divine" point of lowing areas: (I) the actual Islamic source-materials,
view6 and the "phenomenological" (personal and primarily in the Koran and hadith, which provide the
experiential) perspective of each individual voyager. basicstructureand keysymbolsfor all ofIbn cArabi's
The aim of this sort of dialectic, as he pointedly MiCraj narratives;'(2)the cosmologicaland astrologi
reminds his readers at the very beginning of chapter cal presuppositions which he generally shared with
367ofthe Futul)iit (theopeningsectionofthe transla other intellectual traditions (more or less "scientific")
tion below), is quite clear: if the journey in question
necessarily appears to move through time and dis
tance, that is not so that we can eventually "reach"
God-since"He is with you wherever you are"-but , Hence the central importance of the celebrated divine
rather "so that He can cause [us] to see His Signs" saying(I)adfth qudsf) with which he concludes that opening
(31:31) that are always there, "on the horizons" and section: "My earth does not encompass Me, nor does My
"in the souls." The heavens of this journey, the heaven, but the heart ofMy servant, the man oftrue faith,
doesencompass Me."Thekey positionofthe Heart(qalb) is
prophets and angels who populate them, the Temple
againbroughtout,inamoreautobiographicalandexperien
tial context, in section IV-H (notes 168-72) in Part II. For
furtherreferencestothisfundamentalconceptinIbn'ArabI's
Thecrucial notion ofthesaints'innerparticipation in the thought,seeMu'jam, pp.916-21,andthefamouschapteron
distinctive spiritual "heritage" (wiriilha) ofeach prophet is the"Wisdom ofthe Heart"in the FU#i~, 119-26(= Bezels,
assumed throughout all of these MiCraj narratives: for Ibn pp. 145-57).
cArabi, its ultimateverification(andperhapsevenitssource) , TheseworksprovideastrikingillustrationofIbn 'Arabi's
is to be found in the personal revelation ofthe all-encom typical approach to hadith. He scrupulously and literally
passing "Muhammadan Station" described in section IV-I follows thesayingsanddeedsofthe Prophetasrecountedin
and in the corresponding passage from the K. a/-Isrii>given the canonical collections-in this chapter (367), relying
inthe Appendix. Forfurther referencesto thiskey notionin especially on the Sal:zfl:z of Muslim and, to a slightly lesser
Ibn <Arabi's religious thought, seethe discussions in Sceau, extent,ontheSal:z;1:zofBukhari-and hemostoftendevelops
ch.5,andMU7am, pp. Il91-1201. his own spiritual interpretations from close attention to the
S This fundamental point is openly stressed below in the slightest literaldetails ofthose narratives(thereby implicitly
reminderbyYahya(= John theBaptist,atthe beginningof excludingthe much wider body oflegends that had become
IV-F, the sphere of Aaron) that "each person has a path popularlyassociated withtheseevents). Ratherthanfocusing
(Iarfq) thatnooneelsebuthetravels,"which"...comesto ontheexternaldifferencesorapparentcontradictionsamong
bethroughthetravelingitself." various hadith, Ibn 'Arabi typically-one might say "ecu
6 In addition to 11m <ArabI's own explicitly metaphysical menically"-concentratesonconveyingthespiritualmeaning
technical terminology,thattranscendentperspectiveisrepre and intentions implicit in each Prophetic saying, pointingto
sented more dramatically in chapter 367 of the FUlul:ziil a level of understanding unifying what might otherwise be
(translated below) by the spirits of the different prophets, perceivedasconflictingexpressions.(Thistreatmentofhadith
especially Adam, Idris and Aaron-all of whom tend to mirrors his broaderattitude to thevarious Islamicsectsand
speak here (as is so often the case in the Koran) from a schools of law, and ultimately toward the full diversity of
divineor"supra-temporal"perspective. humanreligionsand individualbeliefs.)
MORRIS: The Spiritual Ascension: Ibn CArabiand the M;criij. Part I 631
of his time;9 (3) his distinctive personal metaphysical of the Qur'iin in its full eternal reality-realizations
theoriesor"doctrines,"whichare basicallythosefound that were soon to coalesce in Ibn 'Arabi's conception
throughout his other writings; and (4) his conception of his own unique spiritual role as "Seal of the
of the particular spiritual "heritages" and distinctive Muhammadan Saints."Il (His concise summary of
qualities of each of the prophets encountered during one of the most important of these experiences has
the Mi'raj, as they are developed in the Fu~ii~ been translated as aseparate Appendixin Part II.) In
a/-lJikamand throughout the FUlii/:Jiit.IO Finally,since an emotionally fluid and highly expressive Arabic
his four major Mi'raj narratives do share certain style, drawing on an extremely dense and allusive
common features-and since several are now avail symbolic vocabularyl4 and combining long poetic
able (at least partially) in French or English trans interludes with rapidly moving rhymed prose-and
lations-it may be helpful, for comparative purposes, culminating in a series or"remarkable "intimate con
to point out some of the more distinctive features versations" (muniijiit) with God (pp. 50-82)-he
ofeach. constantly returns to celebrate and elaborate on the
twin themes of the eternal Muhammadan Reality
The Other MiCraj Narratives:1I K. al-Isrii'. R. a/ (encompassing all the prophets and their teachings)
Anwar, Chapter 167 and the metaphysical universality of the Qur'iin as
they were inwardly realized and verified in his own
The Kitiibal-/sra',12 at oncetheearliest,the longest
mystical experience. Here the passage of this auto
and the most personally revealing of the works dis
biographical"voyager"'S throughtheheavenlyspheres
cussed here, was composed in Fez in the year 594,
apparently only a relatively short time after certain
decisive personal inspirations concerning the ultimate Il In addition to the important autobiographical passage
unity ofthe prophets and their message (in the spirit (pp. 13-14) translated and summarized in the Appendix
ual "station of Muhammad") and the inner meaning here,theK. al-Isrii'asawholeconveysamoodofexcitement
and immediacy that must reflect the relative proximity of
• Fortunately, theseelements are much lessimportant here some personally decisive (and perhaps not yet fully assim
(inch.367)than inchapter167(seebelow),whichassumesa ilated)spiritualrevelation. Morespecifically, Ibn'ArabIdoes
far more detailed acquaintance with alchemy, Ptolemaic notyetseemtodistinguishwithcompleteclarityinthis work
Aristotelean astronomy, a wide body of traditional astro between what he later calls the "maqiim mu/:lammadT"(the
logical loreconcerningthe particularinftuences ofthestars, spiritual"station of Muhammad")-orthat supreme partof
and additional"esotericsciences." it uniquelyreserved for himselfas"Seal"-andwhathethen
10 Wemayaddthatotherprophetsnotexplicitlymentioned calls the"station ofProximity(to God)"(maqiim al-qurba)
in the hadith or in these Micraj narratives are elsewhere attained moregenerallybythehighest rank ofthesaints,the
symbolicallyassociated by Ibn (ArabIwithspecificheavenly afriid or maliimTya. See the extensive discussion of this
spheres: see,forexample, Noah'sconnectionwiththesphere questionin Seeau,chapterIX,aswellasthefamousopening
ofthe sun, mentioned at the end ofch. 3 of the FU~ii~(in passageofthe Futii/:liilrecountinghissubsequentexperience
referencetoalongeraccountinIbn<ArabI'sK. al-Tanazzuliil (or full recognition) of his "investiture"as the "Seal of the
al-Maw~i/rya). MuhammadanSaints":thiseventisdescribedinthe Khulbat
II There are also a number of other less complete treat al-Kitiib, I, pp. 21f./O.Y. ed., 1,43-55[also accessible in the
ments of the Mi<raj theme in Ibn 'ArabI's extant writings, partial French translation by M. Villsan, in Etudes tradi
some ofwhich are cited in notes below. The most accessible tionnelles, Paris, 1953,pp. 300-311).
of these is the passage on the Ascension of the Prophet .. bayn al-marmiiz wa-l-majhiim (p. 3): most ofthis laby
understood as the cosmic "Muhammadan Reality" or"Per rinth of symbols and allusions to the Koran and hadith
fect Man"-in the possibly apocryphal Shajaral al-Kawn, (usually through only single words or briefphrasesevoking
now available in translations by A. Jelfery, "Ibn <ArabI's much larger passages or events in the hadith narratives)
Shajaral al-Kawn," in Siudia Is/amica, vol. X, pp. 43-78, could potentially beelucidated byextensive reference to the
and vol. XI, pp. 113-60[MjCraj section at pp. 145-60];and FUlii/:liit and other works. However, such a commentary
M. Gloton, L'Arbredu Monde, Paris, 1982[Mi(raj section, would often require page-long notes of explanation for
pp.93-106]. virtually every other word-an approach which could not
12 SeeR.G., no. 313;thisentrymentionsseveralalternative hopetoconveythatpoetic,immediatelyexpressiveemotional
titlesandanextantcommentarybyIbn<ArabI'sclosedisciple qualitywhichistheessentialtrait ofthiswork.
Isma'rl b. Sawdakin.Thedateandplaceofcompositionare " The autobiographical nature of the work is not even
mentionedintheauthor'sowncolophon(p.92). thinlydisguised. At p. 66, Ibn 'ArabIexplainshiscontinued
632 Journal ofthe American Oriental Society 107.4 (/987)
and the higher revelatorystages ofthe Mi<raj (pp. 11 intention and experiential(rather than primarily doc
49) is not so much a means for describing the suc trinal or metaphysical) in its terms of reference and
cessive steps of the spiritual path and "progress" of expression. It is aimed at the needs ofa reader who,
the saints more generally-as it is, to some extent, in already necessarily possessinga considerabledegree of
all the other Mi'raj narratives-but instead primarily personal spiritual accomplishment and experience, is
a framework forevokingand clarifyingvarious aspects intimately involved with the guidance of disciples at
of the author's own spiritual achievement, as they earlier stages of the Path. While the allusions to the
mirror the even loftier rank of the Prophet (pp. 83 MiCraj proper(pp. 9-13; Journey, pp. 40-46)are very
92). What is perhaps most noteworthy about this brief-mentioning for the most part only the cos
composition, in a way that reinforces Ibn 'ArabI's mological powj:rs or spiritual qualities traditionally
repeated assertions that he first received all of this associated with each of the heavenly spheres and the
only by divine inspiration (and not through an indi Koranic cosmographyofthe Gardens ofParadise, the
vidual effort of reasoning), is the way the complex divine "Throne," "Pen," etc.IS_it does provide an
systematic metaphysical and ontological framework indispensable complement to the other MiCraj nar
developed in the Futiil)iit is already entirely present, ratives in two critical areas: (I) its relatively detailed
but for the most part only implicitly-expressed discussion ofthe essential practical methods and pre
instead through an incrediblyprofusearray ofsymbols liminary stages preparing the way for the inner reali
and allusions drawn from the Koran and hadith (and zation of these more advanced spiritual insights; and
whose full explanation is to be sought, for the most (2) Ibn 'ArabI'srepeated emphasison thefundamental
part, only in later, more analytical prose worics such importance of the concluding phase of the saints'
asthe Futubiit). "return" to a transformed awareness of the physical
Compared to the literaryand doctrinalcomplexities and social world (in its immediate relation with God)
of the preceding work, the Risiilat al-Anwiir, a rela and to the particular responsibilities and activities
tively brief prose treatise composed at Konya in 602 whether teaching and spiritual guidance, orthe other,
A.H. (near the beginning of Ibn 'ArabI's long stay in less visible tasks ofthe representatives ofthe spiritual
the Muslim East), is stylistically far more accessible hierarchy-flowingfrom that realization.'9
and its contents are more readily understandable Finally, the long chapter 167 of the Futu/Jiit, "On
features which(alongwiththeexistenceofanexcellent the Inner Knowledge ofthe Alchemy ofHappiness,,,20
commentary by the later Sufi writer 'Abd aI-KarIm
1I1l) no doubt help account for its popularity with
modern translators.16 Written in response to a request article"Khalwa"(by H. Landolt)in E12. Chapters78-79(II,
by a Sufi friend and fellow master, this study, as its ISO-52) ofthe Futii/:riit, on the stations ofkhalwa and tark
full title partly indicates,17 is above all practical in al-khalwa, involve a more metaphysical approach to the
subject; see also the French translation ofthose sections by
M. Villsan, in Etudestraditionnel/es, Paris, 1969,pp.77-86.
reference to himself as a "siilik" in terms of his desire to .. Thesecosmological features are all far moreelaborately
emphasize the fact that "even now [i.e., after reaching the developed in chapter 167 of the Futii/:riit (described below).
highestspiritualstation)Iamstillvoyaging"-inotherwords, In particular,the R. al-Anwiirdoesnotcontainanyofthose
as evidence that he is not claiming "union" in the sense of personal encounters with the prophets associated with each
someabsolutemutualidentitywithGod. heavenly sphere (or with each planet's respective "spiritual
16 Forthe date and placeofcomposition, see R.G., no. 33 entity"[rii/:riinrya], such as Mercury, Mars, Venus,etc.) that
(the long list of manuscripts there may likewise reflect the make up the major part of the Mi'raj narrative in both
relatively accessible character of this short work). To facili chapters of the Futii/:riit, as well as in the corresponding
tate reference by non-Arabists, citations of this text in the sectionsofthe K. al-Isriio.
notesbelowalso mentiontherelevantsectionsfrom boththe I. The extensive commentary by M. Chodkiewicz (Sceau,
completeEnglish translation(Journey,virtuallyunannotated chapter X) provides important references to many other
but with useful selections from Jili's commentary) and the works of Ibn 'Arabi (especially sections of the Futii/:riit)
partial French version included in the concludingchapter of further illustrating both of these key themes. (The latter
Sceau (which is accompanied by an extensive commentary point,in particular,isalsostressed inanumberofimportant
drawnfrom manyofIbn'Arabi'sotherwritings). sectionsofchapter367translated below.)
17 "TheTreatiseofLights,ConcerningtheSecrets Bestowed 20 II, 270-84; also available in French translation (Alchi
on the Person in Spiritual Retreat." For the Sufi practice of mie)withsomeannotation.[Anearlierpartial Frenchtrans
spiritual retreat more generally, see the referen~_. in the lation of this chapter, without notes or commentary, was
MORRIS: The Spiritual Ascension: Ibn 'Arabiand the MiCra}. Part I 633
uses the framework of the MjCraj to retrace, in as features that make it considerably more accessible (at
cending order, the many levels of Ibn cArabI's com leastfor most modern readers) than eitherchapter 167
plex cosmology or cosmogony.21 Its primary focus or the Kitab al-Isra". To begin with, it is written for
(compared withthe otherworks mentioned here)is on the most part in relatively straightforward expository
the "objective" metaphysical realities underlying the prose; the style does presuppose a profound acquain
spiritual insights described in more experiential terms tance with Ibn <Arabi's systematic terminology and
in the other narratives. In this respect it often resem symbolism(largelydrawn from the Koran and hadith)
blesthe FU~il~al-lJikam, and frequently thetreatment as it is to be found throughout the Futil/:liit, but the
ofthe various prophetsencounteredduring this heav role of literary and artistic effects is relatively less
enly voyage (e.g., Jesus, Aaron or Moses) closely important than in the preceding works. Secondly, the
parallels that found in the corresponding chapters of focus of this chapter is almost exclusively on the
the F~il~. This feature is further underlined by Ibn universalspiritualdimensions ofthe Mi<raj,especially
<ArabI's unique narrative technique of comparison, as expressed in thelanguage ofthe Koran and hadith,
throughout this ascension, between the initiatic spir in a way that should already be familiar to readers of
itual knowledge granted to the "follower ofMuham the Fu~il~al-lJikam; unlike chapter 167, it does not
mad"(representingthe practice and approaches ofthe presuppose such extensive acquaintance with the vo
saints and Sufis more generally) and the limited cabulary and symbolism of other relatively esoteric
cosmological and theological insights available to his medieval Islamic sciences (alchemy, astrology, etc.).
companion,the archetypal"man ofreason.,,22 Ingen Similarly,the encounterswith the individual prophets
eral, the full elucidation of many of those complex associated with each heavenly sphere can often be
allusions would require extensivereference tosome of readily illuminated bycomparisonwithcorresponding
the most obscure and unfamiliar aspects of the
Shaykh'sthought.
Ptolemaic astronomy, and even more "esoteric"sciences of
thetime,suchasalchemy.
Ibn cArabT's Own MiCra}: Chapter36723 23 III, pp. 340-54. The enigmatic complete title of this
chapteris"Concerningthe Inner Knowledge ofthe Stageof
Ibn cArabI's long treatment ofthe MiCraj in chap the Fifth Tawakkul, Which None of the People of Reali
ter 367 ofthe Futii/:lat is marked by some distinctive zation(mul;zaqqiqrn) Has Discovered, Becauseofthe Rarity
ofThose (Naturally) Apt to Receive It and the Inadequacy
of(Men's)UnderstandingstoGraspIt."(Thetermtawakkul,
also published by G. Anawati, in the Revue de tlnstftU! usually translated as "trust" or "inner confidence~ in God,
Dominicaind'Etudesorientalesdu Caire, Melanges6(1959 occursmanytimesinthe Koran andgraduallybecameakey
1961),pp.353-86.] terminSufispiritualpsychology). Herethismysterious"fifth
2. Thebestgeneralsurveyofthisdifficultsubject(although tawakkul" (mentioned again at the end of the chapter, III,
by no means complete) probably still remains the introduc 351.21-22) apparently reflects an advanced stateofspiritual
tion (pp. 29-159) of H. S. Nyberg's Kleinere Schriften des insight in which the saint's absolute reliance on God-an
Ibn al-"Arabi, based largely on Ibn cArabl's Kitiib Inshii' inner attitude which in lower stages of tawakkul is usually
al-Dawii'ir. Within the Futu/:ziit, one of the most compre thoughttoimplyasortofasceticdisdainand unconcernfOT
hensive treatments is in chapt. 360 (III, 416-48), while the the "secondary causes" (asbiib) of things of this world-is
samethemes are also developed in theearlierchapters4-12 nowseenassimultaneously"affirmingthesecondarycauses"
(I;98-149).(Amuchbrieferandmoreaccessibleaccountcan (a phrase from the opening poem of this chapter, at III,
alsobefound inthetranslationandintroduction,byD.Gril, 340.15),whicharefinally perceivedintheirtruemetaphysical
ofIbn <ArabI'sshort R. al-Itti/:ziidal-Kawnr[R.G., no. 317], status as necessary and intrinsic manifestations of the ever
entitled Le Livre de /'Arbre et des Quatre Oiseaux, Paris, present divine Reality. This ultimate stage of trust in God
1984.). wouldthereforecloselycorrespondtoIbn<Arabi'scharacter
22 ~ii/:zib na;ar: the insights ofthis allegoricalcharacter(or istic, constantly reiterated stress on the superiority of the
psycho-spiritual "type") reflect features ofseveral different state of"enlightened abiding" in the world (baqii') charac
"rational sciences" of Ibn cArabi's day, including kaliim terizingthosesaintswho-liketheProphet-have"returned"
(especially for its "negative theology" or tanzih concerning (the riijicun) from the station of divine Proximity while
the highest insights into the divine nature), the popular retainingtheongoingrealizationofthatinsightintheworld:
mixture ofastrology (concerning, e.g., the particular influ see,forexample,theinsistenceonthispointinhisconversa
ences and qualities of various planets) and Aristotelean- tionwithAaroninsectionIV-FinPartII.
634 Journal ofthe American Oriental Society 107.4 (/987)
pa<isages elsewhere in Ibn 'ArabI's writings.24 And virtually all the most distinctive features of his later
finally, as so often in the Futul:ult, the genuinely thought and conviction, those forms ofdivine knowl
autobiographical passages/5 especially at the conclu edge which he goes on to elaborate in a long enu
sion ofIbn 'ArabI's own spiritual ascent(section IV-I meration of "what he saw" in that culminating
in Part II), add a powerful new dimension of clarity "Muhammadan Station."
and persuasive force to what otherwise might appear
to be simply a complex intellectual and symbolic TRANSLATION OFCHAPTER 367
"system,"
The overall structure of this chapter is quite clear, [I. Introduction: the Contextand Purpose
consisting of four successively broader and more ofthe SpiritualJourney)
detailed elaborations ofthe central theme ofthe inner
spiritual meaningofthe"nocturnaljourney,"a theme ,.. God said "There is nothing like His likeness
whose ultimate premises and metaphysical-theological [and Heisthe All-Hearing, the All-Seeing)"27(42:11),
context are brieflyevoked in the openinglines(section so Hedescribed himselfwith a description that neces
I), already summarized at the beginning ofthis intro sarily belongs only to Him, which is His saying:"And
duction, In section II, Ibn 'ArabItakes up the hadith He is with you whereveryou are"(57:4).28 Thus He is
accounts of Muhammad's Mi'raj-which provide the with us whereverwe are, in thestate ofHis"descend-
formal framework for the rest of the narrative-and
adds his own allusions to many of the key themes
developed at greater length in the following sections. 27 This verse, with its paradoxical~doublenegations"(cor
In section III, he provides a condensed, still highly respondingtotheshahiida)ofGod's"resemblance"tocreated
abstract schematic outlineofthe"spiritualjourneys of things. is usually treated by Ibn 'Arabias aclassic reference
the saints"(awliyti'), expressed in his own distinctive to that mystery of the simultaneous immanence (tashbfh)
metaphysical-theological terminology. Finally, the and transcendence(tanzfh) ofthe Divine Reality reflected in
greater part of the chapter (section IV) is taken up the Perfect Man (al-insiin al-kiimi/) which is the central
with Ibn cArabI's account, narrated in the first person intuition of all his work. Often he even interprets "His
and closely following the path ofthe Prophet, ofthe Likeness" in this verse as a reference to the Perfect Man,
climacticstages ofhis own personal spiritualjourney,26 alluding to Adam's creation (according to a famous hadith)
Ifthe autobiographicalguise at first seems only asort "inthe imageofthe Merciful":seethefamousdiscussionsof
ofdidactic literarydevice, at the end (section IV-I) he thisverse inthechaptersonNoah(ch.3)and Hud(ch. 10)in
does conclude with the description of a decisive per the Fu~il.fal-Ifikam,and furtherreferences in the Futil/:!iit I,
sonal revelation, a compelling spiritual experience 62,97, 111,220;11,129,510,516-17,541,563;III, 109, 165,
that seems to havecontained--orat leastconfirmed- 266, 282, 340,412, 492; IV, 135, 141,306,311,431. In
additiontothisambiguityoftheexpressionkamithlihi(which
can also be ready simply as "like Him"- i.e., God), Ibn
2. Such cross-references in the notes are concentrated on 'Arabi also frequently stresses the apparently paradoxical
otherchaptersofthe Furil/:!iitand correspondingsectionsof combination of the absolute insistence on divine transcen
the Fu~il~al-Ifikam,especiallygiventhemuchgreateracces dence at the beginning of this verse and the apparent
sibilityoftranslationsandcommentariesofthe lalterwork. anthropomorphismofitsconclusion.
25 Although all ofsection IV, forming the greater part of In either reading, the absolute universality of the divine
thischapter,isnarrated inthe first person, that procedure is Presence implied by this verse includes all the more par
oftenclearlyaliterarydevice, especiallyinthosecaseswhere ticular,"restricted"modalitiesofthedivine"descent"(nuzil/)
particular prophets are explaining what readers can easily and manifestation whichareindicatedin thefollowing verses
recognize as Ibn 'ArabI's own characteristic insights and and hadith.
perceptions. However,section IV-I(and the Appendix,from 28 For Ibn 'Arabi, this verse is simply a direct implication
the K. al-lsrii~) are dearly summaries of his own direct ofthe broader truth implied in the opening verse: this inner
personal experience, evidently--to judge by his ensuing correspondence betweenthe different manifestations ofGod
account ofwhat he"saw"there-recallingsome ofthe most and the Perfect Man (al-lnsiinal-Kiimil),at all the levels of
crucialstages on hisownspiritual path. being (or "worlds") is assumed throughout the rest of this
,. An account which, as he reminds us at the beginningof chapter. More generally, the reality of the divine "com
Section IV, essentially parallels his earlier autobiographical presence" (maCfya, "with-ness") with all existent things
descriptionsofthesame personalspiritualitineraryin the K. expressed in this verse is discussed in many parts of the
al-lsrii', Futuf}iit.
MORRIS: The Spiritual Ascension: Ibn CAroMandthe Micriij. Part I 635
ingto the heaven ofthis world during the last third of andin heaven (43:84; etc.),32 in the state of His being
the night,,,29 in the state of His being mounted upon closer to man than hisjugular vein (50:16)33-and all
the Throne (5:20; etc.)/o in the state of His being in ofthese are qualifications with which only He can be
the"Cloud:,]' in thestate ofHis beingupon theearth described.
Hence God does not move a servant from place to
place in order that (the servant) might see Him, but
2' A reference to a famous "divine saying"(J;adfth qudsl) rather "so that He might cause him to see of His
which Ibn CArabi included in his own collection of such
Signs" (41:53; etc.)J4 those that were unseen by him.
hadith, the Mishkiit al-Anwiir(no. 56[cited from the Saf:zIlJ
of Muslim]; Niche, pp. 86-87): "Our Lord descends every
night to the heaven ofthis world when the last third ofthe in the collections of Ibn Mlija, Tirmidhi and Al:imad b.
night remains, and.then He says: 'I am the King! Whoever J:lanbal.) Our translation here reflects Ibn 'Arabi's interpre
callson Me, Ianswerhim. Whoeverasks(something)ofMe, tation in chapter 34 of the FutilJ;ot (0.Y., III, 323ff.). For
I give to him. Whoever requests My forgiveness, I forgive the broader meaningofthe term amo"("the Cloud") in Ibn
C
him.'" (This same hadith is recorded, with a number of cArabI,seethe referencesin Mu'jam, pp.820-826and inthe
minor variations, in the canonical collections of Muslim, FutilJ;ot II, 310, as well as its treatment in the penultimate
Malik, BukharI,TirmidhI, Ibn Mlijaand Al:imad b. J:lanbal: stage ofthe cosmological ascension described in chapter 167
seedetailed referencesand variantsin Word, pp. 177-78.) (Alchimie, pp. 138-40).
As Ibn cArabi explains in detail in the latter part of JZ This phraseisalsocontained(with minorvariations)ina
chapter 34 of the Futilf:ziit (O.Y., III, 320-32), the "night," number ofother Koranic verses(3.5; 10:61; 14:38; 22:70) all
in this hadith, "is the place of the descent in time of God insistingonGod'sintimateacquaintancewithallthings:see,
and His Attribute" (of Mercy), and this "last third of the for example, "Our Lord. surely You know what we say
night"-which, he insists, lastsforever-is none other than openlyand what wehide:notathing upon theearth andin
the Perfect Man (the first two "thirds" being "the heavens heaven is hiddenfrom God" (14:38), or even more appro
and the earth," man's "two parents"). The Koranic verses priately, "He is God in the heavens and upon the earth; he
and hadith immediately following here (notes 30-32) are knows your secret [si,,] and what you proclaim. and He
interpreted in chapter 34 as references to different ontologi knowswhatyouacquire"(6:3).
cal degrees or "moments" of that universal divine Self JJ Ibn 'ArabI'S understanding ofthe divine "nearness"(cf.
manifestation. the related notion of "with-ness," maCfya, at n. 28 above)
'0 There are seven Koranic verses referringto God's being expressedinthis Koranicphraseisintimatelybound upwith
"mounted [istiwo"] on the Throne," often following "the the cosmic reality of "perpetual re-creation" (khalq jadfd)
creation of the heavens and the earth" (i.e., what lies expressed in the rest ofthis famous verse and itsimmediate
"beneath" or constitutes the Throne in its cosmological context: " ...yet they are in confusion about the (ever-)
sense). ForIbn'Arabi'Sunderstandingoftheseversesseethe renewedcreation;but surely We createdman [al-insiin] and
extensive references to the Futilf:ziit in Mu'jam, pp. 791-803 We know what hissoulinsinuatesto himand We are closer
(on the many meanings of the divine "Throne," Carsh) and tomanthanhisjugularvein"(50:15-16). Asindicatedinthe
pp.622-29(onistiwo"). Introduction, for Ibn CArabI the spiritual "station of
An even more fundamental meaning ofthe''Throne,''for Proximity"(maqiim al-qurba), inwhich oneactuallyrealizes
Ibn 'Arabi, is the "Heart ofthe man oftrue faith"(which is the full extent of this intimate relation with God, is the
the"Throneofthe Merciful,"accordingto afamous hadith), ultimate goal ofthe Ascension ofthesaints outlined in this
i.e., thePerfect Man(see Mu'jam, pp. 916-21,on theqalb). chapter:thatrelationisoutlinedschematically,intheological
The inner connection between these two senses is brought language, in section III and discussed in more experiential
out explicitly in the famous f:zadfth qudsfdiscussed at n. 7 terms in the final two parts ofsection IV. (See the extensive
above and quoted at the end of this section (n. 37). Their references in Mu'jam, pp. 936-40 and Sceau, index s.v.
metaphysical equivalence is a fundamental assumption (maqiimal-qurba].)
throughout sections III and IV below, since the "Heart" is J4 While Ibn 'Arabiisalludinginparticulartothe"reason"
precisely the "theater" of the entire spiritual journey; see for the Prophet's Ascensiondescribed in 17:I(seefollowing
especiallythesectionsIV-Gand IV-I in PartII. note), the same phrase (with only minor variations in the
JI A reference to the following hadith, concerning the pronouns) is addressed to mankind more generally in a
Prophet's response to the question "Where was our Lord number ofotherKoranicverses(27:93;31:3I;etc.).Ofthese,
beforeHecreatedthecreation?":"HewasinaCloud(Camii"), certainly the most important and best known is the verse
withoutairaboveitand withoutairbelowit,and Hecreated 41:53-tosuchanextentthatitisclearlyassumed whenever
HisThrone upon the Water."(Thisfamous hadith isfound Ibn 'Arabi mentions the divine "Signs" (oyot): "We shall
636 Journal ofthe American Oriental Society /07.4 (1987)
He said: "Glory to Him Who made His servantjour moves(any)servantthrough his(innerspiritual)states
ney one nightfrom the Sacred Place of Worship to in orderalso tocause him tosee His Signs, He moves
J6
the Furthest Place of Worship, whose surroundings him through His states. ... (I.e., God)says: "I only
We have blessed, so that We might cause him to see made him journey by night in order that he see the
of Our Signs!" (17:I).J5 And similarly, when God Signs, not(to bring him) to Me: because no place can
hold Me and the relation of all places to Me is the
same. For 1 am such that (only) 'the heart of My
cause them to see Our Signs on the horizons and in their servant, the man oftrue faith, encompasses Me',J? so
souls, so that it becomesclearto them that He isthe Truly how could he be 'made to journey to Me' while 1am
Real[al-Jfaqq]-or isyour Lordnotenough.for surely He 'with him where':,erheis'(57:4)1!"
is witnessing every thing! What, are they in doubt about
meeting.their Lord? Does He not surely encompass all [II. TheNarrativeFramework:the
things?" Especially important, for Ibn (Arahi as for many MiCrajofMuhammad]
other Islamic thinkers, is the insistence in this verse on the
coincidence of the Signs "on the horizons," Le., in the [The long following section (III, 340.32-342.34)
external world [but note also Muhammad's decisive revela combines a virtually complete quotation of one long
tion at the "Loftiest Horizon" (53:7)] and those "in the
souls," in the totality of awareness of the "Perfect Man" section III below, and at theend ofhis R. al-Anwiir) on the
(al-insiinal-kiimi/). critical importance of the "descending" phrase of return
Secondly, Ibn (ArabI always emphasizes the causative, which distinguishes the highest rank of the saints (and of
active meaning of the verb form Jarii as "to make someone course the prophets). Although we have consistently trans
see,"notjust"to show": for him, God's"Signs"arealready lated isrii"and its related verbal forms here as "journey,"it
there, throughout our experience, but usually "unseen" shouldbekeptinmindthatthe Arabictermrefersspecifically
(ghiiba)-i.e., notperceived assuch.Thusthewholepurpose to a nocturnaljourney: for Ibn (ArabI, this corresponds to
ofthespiritualjourneyissimplyto open our(spiritual)eyes the fact that the spiritual israJ,at least, is an inner,"secret"
to the reality of"things"as (divine) Signs, oras Ibn (Arabi process largely hidden from outward observation, especially
goeson toexplainimmediatelybelow(andinmoredetailin inthoseraresaintswho havefollowed itthroughtotheend.
section III), to recognize the divine Names "in our states." Thecomplex innersignificanceofthis and othergrammati
Allthisisimplicitinthefamous prayeroftheProphetwhich caland lexical nuances ofthissameKoranicverse(17:I)are
is likewise assumed throughout this chapter: "0 my God, discussed indetail in Ibn (ArabI's Kitiibal-Isfiir can Natii"ij
causeustoseeCarina)thingsastheyreallyare!" al-Asfiir (= Rasii"il II, no. 24), pp. 17-21; our translation
J5 The masjidal-IJariim("Sacred Place ofWorship") was a here cannot convey most of those nuances or alternative
commonnameforthesanctuaryofthe Kaabaat Mecca,but meanings.
there is some disagreement in the hadith concerning the 36 Here, asso often with Ibn cArabi(seeespeciallysection
identification ofthe masjidal-aq~ii:sometimes, especiallyin III below), the pronouns are rather ambiguous; in this case
latertraditions, it was presented as the site ofthe Temple at the intended meaning is clarified by the following lines
Jerusalem (al-bayt al-maqdis, "the sacred House") where (340.25-30, not translated here) citing several other hadith
Muhammad stops to pray before his heavenly Ascension and Koranic passages where God shows some of His crea
accordingtoseveralhadithaccounts(inclUdingthatfollowed tions to certain propheticmessengers in orderto teach them
by Ibn (ArabIbelow); buttheearliertraditions agree that it aparticularlesson. Here Ibn cArablimplicitlycontrasts this
referstothe"furthestpoint"(al-r;/ariil;z) orgoalofthe MiCraj "spiritual"journey ofthe saints (and ultimately ofall men)
(i.e., where Muhammad received the culminating revelation through their inner"states"-i.e., the"Signs in yoursouls"
describedinSura53).Inthelattercaseitisthereforeclosely ofverse 41:53 (see notes 34 and 72)-with the physical (or
identified withthe"Inhabited House"orheavenlyTempleof possibly"imaginal")journeythroughheavenlyplaceswhich,
Abraham (al-bayt al-ma"miir), the symbol of the Heart of as he explains below (end ofsection II), was the exclusive
the Perfect Man discussed in section IV-H (notes 168-72). privilegeofthe Prophetonthissingleoccasion.
Here Ibn (Arabiimplicitly seems to follow the latter inter 37 An allusion to the celebrated IJadith qudsf(notfound in
pretation. (See also the articles from the SEllEll cited in thecanonicalcollections,butfavored bymanySufiauthors)
n. Iabove.) already cited in n. 7above. This divinesayingis mentioned
Throughout this chapter(and in the K. al-Isrii", etc.) Ibn repeatedlybyIbn (Arabi, whotakesitasaclassicalreference
cArablgenerallyusestheKoranicexpressionisrii"toreferto totheroleofthe Heart(ofthe"Perfect Man," asrealized by
the Prophet'sAscensionanditsspiritualanalogues-possibly theaccomplishedsaints)as thecompletemirrorofthedivine
because the term mi(rii) might appear limited only to the Self-manifestations(ta)a/liyat).(Seethe referencesatnotes7,
"ascending"portion,whereas Ibn(Arabialwaysinsists(asin 30and33above, andallofsectionIV-H.)
MORRIS: The Spiritual Ascension: Ibn cArabland the MiCrii}. Part I 637
hadith account of the Prophet's Micrii/8-whose Thesecond ofthese parenthetical remarks occursin
sequence of events and heavenly encounters with the the lowest heaven (the one immediately surrounding
spirits of earlier prophets provides the narrative this sublunar world), when Muhammad is brought
framework for all ofIbn CArabl'sdifferent versions of face to face with all the blessed and the damned
that voyage-with a numberofthe Shaykh's personal among the descendants of Adam.40 "Then (Muham
observations. These brief remarks either foreshadow mad) saw himself among the different individuals
themes developed at greater length in the rest ofthis belonging to the blessed, at Adam's right hand, and
chapter (and in his other treatments of the MiCraj he gave thanks to God. And through that he came to
theme) or else allude to interpretations (e.g., of the know how it is that man can be in two places (at the
drinks offered the Prophet at the beginning of his same time) while remaining precisely himselfand not
journey, or ofthe rivers ofParadise)that hediscusses anyoneelse: this was for him like thevisible(physical)
more fully in the other contexts and chapters of the form and the (reflected) forms visible in the mirror
Futiil)iit. However, four ofthose asides aresignificant and(other) reflected images.,,41
enough todeservespecialmention. The third such passageis Ibn 'ArabI'sstatement, in
The first is Ibn 'ArabI's understanding ofthe state connection with the Prophet's visit to Jesus in the
ment in this hadith that Muhammad"descended from second heaven, that"He was our first master, through
Buraq (his celestial steed) and tied him up with the whose assistance we returned (to God); and he has a
same halterthe(other) prophetshad used to tie him." tremendous solicitude (Ciniiya) for us, so that he does
For the Shaykh, "all ofthat was only so as to affirm notforget us for asingle hour.,,42
(the reality of) the secondary causes39 ..• , although
he knew that Buraq was commanded (by God) and
would have stayed there even if he had left him 40 The existence of those two groups on either side of
without tryingthehalter." Adam is mentioned in thesecond long Mi'raj hadith (from
Abu Dharr) given by Muslim (fman, 264); however, that
hadithdoes not mention Muhammad'sseeinghimself,sothis
aspectmaywell beIbncArabI'sownaddition.
38 Although Ibn'ArabIdoes not identifyhishadithsources 41 For the simultaneous presence ofeach soul-even ifwe
in this section or explicitly distinguish his "quotations"(or areusuallyunaware ofthefact-in itsownGarden(or Hell)
paraphrases) from his personalcomments and explanations, alreadyduringthislife,seetheillustrativepassagesinchapter
theparticular"f}adftha/-isra)"(III,340.30)whichhefollows 302(III, 12-13)andchapter73,question62(II,82).
forthebasicorderofeventsand the Prophet'sencountersup More generally, this experience of the simultaneous
tothe"Lotus-TreeoftheLimit"-bothhereandintheother presenceofone'sessentialindividualreality(Cayn:translated
Mi'raj narratives discussed in the introduction-is the first as "precisely himself" in this passage) in different planes of
one given in the corresponding section of Muslim's Sal)fl) beingisonlyoneillustrationofIbncArabI'suniversalpercep
(fman, 259, from Anas b. Malik). Here and in the other tion of the reality of all manifest being as theophanies
MiCraj narratives he adds many additional details (e.g., the (taja//iyat, ma;ahir,etc.)ofthe"Realities"or Names within
four mystical "rivers" flowing from the Tree of Life, the the divine Essence and of the "eternal individual entities"
sound of.thedivine"Pens,"themilkandotherdrinksoffered (aCyan thabita) in the divine Knowledge-a conception for
the Prophet) which are drawn for the most part from the which he frequently uses this image of mirrors and reflec
followingrelatedhadith in Muslim(fman, 260-94)-although tions. See the famous metaphysical development of this
most of those traditions are also to be found in the other imageinthe firsttwochaptersofthe FU$u$al-Ijikam; inthe
canonicalcollections with minor variationsin the order and Futubat I, 163 and IV, 2; and further references in Mu'jam,
descriptionoftheevents. pp. 499-505, as well as the striking set of diagrammatic
39 ithbat a/-asbab: i.e., the affirmation ofall the "realities" representationsofthese"mirrors"ofGod and man provided
or phenomena other than God (the ultimate and Primary byI:faydarAmuiIintheintroduction to hisvastcommentary
Cause). This assertion of the reality and importance of all on the FU$u$. Na$$ a/-Nu$u$("Le textedes textes"), ed. H.
phenomenal existence as perceived from the very highest CorbinandO. Yahya,Tehran/Paris, 1975,plates3-30.
spiritual perspective-a central leitmotif of Ibn 'ArabI's 42 Thespecialrole ofJesusin the beginningofIbn'ArabI's
thought, and an attitude by no means shared by all Sufis own spiritual path is alluded to repeatedly in the FutuI)at:
was alreadystressedin thetitleand openinglineofthepoem "Hewaslookingafteruswhenweentered uponthis Pathwe
beginning this chapter, where he stresses that the true, ulti arefollowingtoday"(I, 15.26);"Ireturned[toGod: tubtu]at
matestateof"tawakku/(absolutetrustand relianceonGod) thehands ofJesus"(IV,77.30);"Ourreturntothis path was
affirms the secondary causes" (see n. 23 above and section through good tidings (mubashshira) at the hand of Jesus,
IV-F). Moses and Muhammad" (IV, 172.13); and "we found that