Product Description

Called by Moslems "the greatest master," Ibn Al-'Arabi was a Sufi born in twelfth-century Spain. The Bezels of Wisdom was written during the author's later years and was intended to be a synthesis of his spiritual doctrine. Bezel means a setting in which a gem, engraved with one's name, is set to make a seal ring. The setting in which Ibn Al-'Arabi has placed his spiritual wisdom are the lives of the prophets. It was in Damascus that he had the vision that prompted him to write this book. He describes it in his preface: "I saw the Apostle of God in a visitation…He had in his hand a book and he said to me, 'This is the book of the bezels of Wisdom; take it and bring it to men that they might benefit from it.'"

The book portrays the wisdom of love through Abraham, of the unseen through Job, of light through Joseph, of intimacy through Elias and so on. Ibn Al-'Arabi invites us in these pages to explore the inner spiritual meanings of the Quran, its heartful meanings. In one of his poems he stated, "Love is the creed I hold: wherever turns His camels, Love is still my creed and faith."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #196118 in Books
• Published on: 1980-11
• Original language: Arabic
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780809123315
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Language Notes
Text: English, Arabic (translation)

Customer Reviews

Ibn' Al Arabi's "The Master of All Sufi Masters" Last Work
One of the greatest saints to bless this earth, the emminent Ibn' Al Arabi, peace be with him, delves into the innermost realm of the human soul. Divulging divine secrets through the lives of the Prophets (Peace be upon all of them), eternal wisdoms are sure to expand your heart.

A Description of Gnosis in Philosophical Terminology
This book is truly impressive. Arabi's deep knowledge of philosophy allowed him to describe many aspects of the experience of gnosis and prayer in a rare form that could be comprehended by the rational mind of only someone who has been there even to some small degree. This kind of reflection is beautiful and useful. Arabi is completley experienced and educated in Philosophy, but is not what we would call a philosopher in the impractical, rhetorical, or sophist sense. Rather, this work brings Philosophy back to it's primal roots as a way of mapping out mystical experience.

The Mirror of Infinite Beauty
First of all, what's a "bezel"? A bezel is the grooved interior of the setting on a ring which holds the precious stone in place: a feat of craftsmanship in the days of irregular jewels. Here it's a metaphor for the Prophets, each a unique receptacle for a unique precious stone: an aspect of Divine Wisdom revealed to one person, at one place and time.

The Qur`an has its own perspective on Prophets, different from Judaism or Christianity. Mankind perpetually strays from Divine Wisdom and God sends messengers to call us back. Thus a variety of Biblical figures are considered as Prophets: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Aaron, Jacob, Joseph, Job, John the Baptist and Jesus. There are also Arab Prophets not in the Bible: Sâlih, Hûd, Shu`aib.

Formless Divine Wisdom is Infinite, so this list of Qur`anic Prophets can only be a sample of Its limitless manifestations. But it's hard for us to realise how deeply traditional Muslims were imbued with the Qur`an: those who could read learnt to read from it; it was recited constantly; it was not uncommon to know the whole text by heart. For Ibn `Arabî, the succession of Prophets was a symbolic history of the world, and so although only a sample of God's Self-Revelations, they form a symbolically complete picture, a mandala.

From the beginning this text was singled out from Ibn `Arabî's enormous output: it was more widely studied, the subject of more commentaries, than any of his other works. It is one of his most difficult, yet accessible works. Difficult because... well, read a bit and see. Accessible because it comes closest to summing up his ideas. Westerners are often baffled when they first encounter a work like this. What exactly is it? Philosophy, poetry, theology, mysticism? Complex philosophical arguments in the Neo-Platonic tradition mingle harmoniously with Scriptural commentary, poetic and metaphorical language, and mystical paradoxes.

We are told at the start of the first chapter (about Adam) that God Knows Himself directly, but it is different to know oneself through Another, so God created the Universe to be His mirror. At first it was amorphous and rough [mirrors were made of metal in those days] but gradually it was polished until it could reflect Him. With the creation of human beings, self-conscious like God Himself, the Universe reached completion. Adam was the first Prophet, the first to receive Formless Wisdom in a unique form. The task of every human being is to know God, so that He may know Himself in us.

I have written at such length to try to give some idea of what this unique and wonderful book is, what you can expect to find in it. This is the most readable translation yet of a work that has for centuries been considered a marvel.