Inscriptions of Wisdom
Description
Two important texts in the Sufi tradition made available together in English for the first time.
Inscriptions of Wisdom brings together, for the first time in English, two pivotal Sufi texts that illuminate Ibn al-¿Arabi's (d. 1240) celebrated work Fu¿u¿ al-¿ikam. The first, Naqsh al-Fu¿u¿ (the Inscription of the Fu¿u¿), is Ibn al-¿Arabi's own distillation of Fu¿u¿ al-¿ikam, presenting a concise yet profound articulation of its core teachings. The second, Naqd al-nu¿u¿ fi shar¿ Naqsh al-Fu¿u¿ (texts commenting on Naqsh al-Fu¿u¿), by ¿Abd al-Räman Jami, is an anthology of carefully selected passages from the earliest and most authoritative interpreters of Fu¿u¿ al-¿ikam, enriched with Jami's own insights. Together, these works explore the quintessential knowledge and divine principles embodied by each of the twenty-seven major prophetic figures of the Islamic tradition, from Adam to Muhammad. If Fu¿u¿ al-¿ikam represents the culmination of Ibn al-¿Arabi's thought, then Naqsh al-Fu¿u¿ distills its very essence and inner mystery. Mukhtar H. Ali's meticulous presentation of the Fu¿u¿ al-¿ikam commentarial tradition-featuring the first complete English translation of Jami's Naqd al-nu¿u¿, chapter-by-chapter analysis, and extensive notes on key Sufi terms and concepts-establishes this volume as a landmark study in Islamic metaphysics and Sufi thought.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Mukhtar H. Ali is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of Philosophical Sufism: An Introduction to the School of Ibn al-¿Arabi and The Horizons of Being: The Metaphysics of Ibn al-¿Arab in the "Muqaddimat al-Qaysòar."
Content
A Note on Names and Transliteration
Introduction
The Quintessence (Fä¿) of Wisdom (¿ikma) Concerning...
1. Divinity (Ilahiyya) in the Word of Adam
2. Exhalation (Nafthiyya) in the Word of Seth
3. Glorification (Subbu¿iyya) in the Word of Noah
4. Holiness (Quddusiyya) in the Word of Idris
5. Rapturous Love (Muhaymiyya) in the Word of Abraham
6. Veracity (¿aqqiyya) in the Word of Isaac
7. Sublimity (¿Illiyya) in the Word of Ishmael
8. Spirit (Ru¿iyya) in the Word of Jacob
9. Light (Nuriyya) in the Word of Joseph
10. Unity (A¿adiyya) in the Word of Hud
11. Opening (Futu¿iyya) in the Word of ¿ali¿
12. The Heart (Qalbiyya) in the Word of Shu¿ayb
13. Strength (Malkiyya) in the Word of Lot
14. Destiny (Qadariyya) in the Word of Ezra
15. Prophethood (Nabawiyya) in the Word of Jesus
16. Mercy (Rämaniyya) in the Word of Solomon
17. Existence (Wujudiyya) in the Word of David
18. The Soul (Nafsiyya) in the Word of Jonah
19. The Unseen (Ghaybiyya) in the Word of Job
20. Majesty (Jalaliyya) in the Word of John
21. Sovereignty (Malikiyya) in the Word of Zachariah
22. Intimacy (Inasiyya) in the Word of Elias
23. Excellence (I¿saniyya) in the Word of Luqman
24. Leadership (Imamiyya) in the Word of Aaron
25. Supremacy (¿Uluwiyya) in the Word of Moses
26. Recourse (¿amadiyya) in the Word of Khalid
27. Uniqueness (Fardiyya) in the Word of Mu¿ammad
Translator's Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Qur¿anic Passages
Index of Hadiths and Sayings
Index of Poetic Verses
General Index
