Ibn 'Arabi Society

• The Secret of God's Most Beautiful Names

  This is an online book launch in December 2024 in conjunction with Anqa Books (Stephen Hirtenstein) and the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society (Kris Ramlan). Professor Michael Sells gives an appraisal, followed by a Q&A. This book is the first English translation of two key works by Ibn 'Arabi on the 99 Divine Names: Kashf al-ma'nā and an excerpt from Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya. With an introduction and insightful notes, it presents Ibn 'Arabi's comprehensive understanding of the Divine Names, which underpin the very fabric of existence, and how he focuses on three aspects of the Names: our dependence on each Name, the reality of the Name in relation to God, and the servant's being characterised by the Name. It is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the real mystical significance of the Divine Names and Ibn 'Arabi's vision of the divine-human relationship. Pablo Beneito, Professor in the Department of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Murcia, Spain, is a renowned translator and commentator on Ibn 'Arabi's works. He also serves as the editor of El Azufre Rojo: Revista de Estudios sobre Ibn Arabi and coordinates activities for the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society–Latina.

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• Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy

  To help bring Ibn 'Arabi's timeless teachings to life for people today, Dickson, in his new book, explores key themes from the Fusus al-Hikam (The Gemstones of Wisdom), a work that conveys the essential wisdom of the prophets on being, reality and human capacity. Dickson addresses many of the challenging aspects of Ibn 'Arabi's thought, showing how multiple interpretations allow it to engage modern audiences and contribute to philosophical and ecumenical discussions. This conversation will focus on how complex metaphysical ideas and theological debates can be accessible and relevant for both spiritual seekers and intellectuals. Join us for a gathering featuring an insightful contemporary engagement with Ibn 'Arabi’s ideas. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, William Rory Dickson was drawn to Islam and Sufism in his late teens. He pursued the study of Sufism in graduate degrees in Waterloo, Ontario, while maintaining a broad interest in various contemplative traditions. His first book, Living Sufism in North America: Between Tradition and Transformation (SUNY 2015), was the first academic monograph on North American Sufi groups. He has co-authored an introduction to Sufism with Meena Sharify-Funk, Unveiling Sufism: From Manhattan to Mecca (Equinox 2017), as well as an overview of Sufism in the modern period, Contemporary Sufism: Piety, Politics, and Popular Culture (Routledge 2018), with Sharify-Funk and Merin Shobhana Xavier. His latest work, Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy (Anqa 2024) offers an introduction to Sufi philosophy, providing a modern commentary on chapters of Ibn ‘Arabi’s Gemstones of Wisdom. Dickson is Associate Professor and Chair of the Religion and Culture Department at the University of Winnipeg.

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• The Heart of Azrael: Angelification and Angelomorphism in Akbarian Sufism

  Dunja writes: In Islam, Azrael is best known as the angel of death. The divine unveilings he received led Ibn Arabī to the conclusion that he is also a friend, healer and protector of pious Muslims. My lecture dwells deeper into the archangel's relationship with humans – with special emphasis on the spiritual seekers endowed with the heart of Azrael. Dunja Rašić is a researcher at the University of Religions and Denominations and the author of The Written World of God (Oxford: Anqa Publishing, 2021), Bedeviled (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2024) and The Nightfolk (Oakland: University of California Press, 2025). Her research interests revolve around philosophical Sufism, philosophy of language, Sufi cosmology and the school of Ibn 'Arabī.

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• The Perfect Human and the Greatest Name

  The title for this talk is drawn from the final mysterious book-title mentioned by Ibn 'Arabi in his listing of his own writings in the Fihrist ('Catalogue'). It would be impossible to appreciate Ibn 'Arabi's writings without encountering the notion of al-insān al-kāmil explicitly or implicitly, but how and where does Ibn 'Arabi actually use the term in his writing? What are the key features of this perfect human? In what way could it apply to each and every human being? Stephen Hirtenstein is a MIAS Senior Research Fellow and Director of Anqa Publishing. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society from 1982 to 2023. Since 2001, he has been working on the MIAS archiving project for the historic manuscripts of Ibn 'Arabi. He works as an Editor for the Encyclopaedia Islamica (Brill in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London) and runs courses on Sufism and Sufi poetry at the University of Oxford. His most recent publications include a three-part article on Ibn 'Arabi’s Fihrist ('Catalogue') in the Journal, and books such as Patterns of Contemplation (2021) and Ibn 'Arabi’s Prayers for the Week (2021). He is currently revising his first book, The Unlimited Mercifier (1999). He has just been elected an Honorary Fellow of the Ibn 'Arabi Society.

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• Dispatch from the Red Planet: Prophet Aaron’s Paradoxical Persona

  Angela writes: Overshadowed by his younger brother Moses, known primarily for his negative role in the Golden Calf saga, the Prophet Aaron’s importance may seem to some negligible, his status auxiliary, his effect doubtful. A close reading of the Shaykh al-Akbar’s various treatments of this seemingly minor prophet, however, allows us to take a second look at this paradoxical prophet and the complex nature of his leadership and cosmic significance, as themes as perplexing as transcendental and immanental worship, mercy and severity, beauty and majesty come to the fore. This presentation will examine a number of texts where Aaron’s role is singled out in a significant way. In addition to the more familiar Futūḥāt chapters (primarily: "Alchemy of Human Happiness," and "Breath") and the Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam’s "Chapter on the Religious Leadership in the Word of Aaron,"" we will also take a look at various other sources, including the Prayers of the Week, the Mosul Revelations, the Night Journey, and the Voyages of the Prophets. Angela Jaffray is an independent scholar specialising in the translation of and commentary on the short works of Ibn ‘Arabī. Her translation of Ibn ‘Arabī’s al-Ittiḥād al-kawnī (The Universal Tree and the Four Birds) was published by Anqa Publications in 2007, and her translation and commentary on Ibn ‘Arabī’s Isfār ‘an natā’ij al-asfār (The Secrets of Voyaging) was published by Anqa Publications in 2015, reprinted in 2016. She is currently working on a revised translation and commentary on al-Niffarī’s Mawāqif and Mukhaṭabāt.

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