Ibn al-'Arabi & the Sufis

Binyamin Abrahamov is Professor Emeritus of Islamic Theology and Mysticism, and Quranic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. He was the head of the Department of Arabic and then the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. He has published several books and articles on early Islamic theology,al-Ghazali and Ibn al-'Arabi.

• Preface Reference abbreviations Introduction THE EARLIER SUFIS Al-Muhasibi Dhu al-Nun al-Misir Abu Yazid al-Bistami Sahl al-Tustari Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz Al-Junayd Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi Al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj Ibn Masarra Abu Bakr al-Shibli Abu Talib al-Makki THE LATER SUFIS Al-Ghazali Ibn Barrajan Ibn al-'Arif al-Ṣanhaji Ibn Qasi 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Abu Madyan Abu al-'Abbas al-'Uraybi Conclusion Bibliography Index

Ibn 'Arabi is such a majestic zenith of the Islamic mystical tradition that at times it's tempting to treat him like an isolated mountain. Ibn al-'Arabi and the Sufis by Abrahamov helps remind us that the tallest mountains stand connected to, even as rising above, wider mountain ranges. Abrahamov locates Ibn 'Arabi in dialogue with earlier Muslim sages whose works he draws from, even as he makes his own contribution. Highly recommended to all those who want to learn about the context from which Ibn 'Arabi emerges. Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies, University of North Carolina This is a useful and well-documented survey of how Ibn 'Arabi viewed many of his illustrious predecessors on the spiritual path. William C. Chittick, Professor of Religious Studies, State University of New York, Stony Brook