When the mystery of the oneness of the soul and the Divine is revealed to you, you will understand that you are no other than God.
Ibn ‘Arabi
The Soul and the Divine
Topic: Immanence & Transcendence
When the mystery of the oneness of the soul and the Divine is revealed to you, you will understand that you are no other than God. … Then you will see all your actions to be His actions and all your attributes to be His attributes and your essence to be His essence.
… Thus, instead of [your own] essence, there is the essence of God and in place of [your own] attributes, there are the attributes of God. He who knows himself sees his whole existence to be the Divine existence, but does not experience that any change has taken place in his own nature or qualities. For when you know yourself, your sense of a limited identity vanishes, and you know that you and God are one and the same.
Ibn ‘Arabi, known as Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi and often referred to as the Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master), was born in 1165 in Murcia, Andalusia, a region in present-day Spain. This period was marked by a remarkable cultural and intellectual exchange among Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions. Ibn ‘Arabi’s early life was shaped by this rich environment, which fostered his spiritual and intellectual development. His mystical inclinations and profound visionary experiences became evident from a young age, earning him recognition as a leading spiritual figure.
Over his lifetime, Ibn ‘Arabi traveled extensively across the Islamic world, seeking knowledge and engaging with scholars and spiritual teachers. His journeys took him from Andalusia to North Africa, Mecca, and eventually to Damascus, where he settled and spent his final years. He passed away in Damascus in 1240. Throughout his travels, Ibn ‘Arabi composed an extraordinary body of work, including more than 350 writings. Among his most significant contributions are the Fusûs al-Hikam (The Bezels of Wisdom), which explores the inner wisdom of the prophets, and the Futûhât al-Makkiyya (The Meccan Revelations), an expansive encyclopedia of mystical knowledge.
Ibn ‘Arabi’s teachings emphasize the Unity of Being (Wahdat al-Wujud), a concept that articulates the interconnectedness of all existence within the singular reality of the Divine. His works delve into the relationship between human beings and God, highlighting self-knowledge as a path to understanding the Divine. Rooted in the Quran, his writings remain universal, presenting each person’s journey as unique while ultimately united in truth. Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human.
Landau, Rom. (1959). The Philosophy of Ibn 'Arabi. New York, The MacMillan Company. pp. 83-8
Ibn ‘Arabi
Theme: Our Soul
About This Ibn ‘Arabi Quotation [Commentary]
Ibn ‘Arabi’s statement, “When the mystery of the oneness of the soul and the Divine is revealed to you, you will understand that you are no other than God,” invites contemplation of our true nature and its divine origins. For Ibn ‘Arabi, self-knowledge is not just understanding individual traits but realizing the soul’s unity with the Divine. This awareness transcends separation, revealing that the essence of one’s being is inseparable from God. The soul, in this understanding, reflects the Divine, embodying its attributes and actions.
In the passage, Ibn ‘Arabi explains that this realization does not change one’s nature but unveils its true identity. When the sense of a separate self dissolves, one recognizes Divine attributes—love, wisdom, creativity—expressed through the soul. This perspective situates individual expression within the infinite reality of God’s essence. He invites seekers to view their actions and attributes as Divine expressions, fostering a life aligned with this awareness.
Ibn ‘Arabi challenges the boundaries of duality, affirming that the soul’s unity with the Divine is a truth awaiting discovery. This unity does not erase individuality but reveals existence as interconnected and sacred. Knowing oneself becomes synonymous with knowing God, as both share the same essence. This insight transforms the way we view ourselves and the world—not as separate but as expressions of a unified divine reality. Ibn ‘Arabi’s teaching offers a path to seeing the soul as a mirror of the Divine, embodying its infinite beauty and oneness.
Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240)
According to the website of the The Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society:
“Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240) [was] a medieval mystic from Andalusia, known as the Sheikh al Akbar (the greatest teacher) in the East, and as Doctor Maximus in the West.
Mystic, philosopher, poet, sage, … Ibn ‘Arabi is one of the world’s great spiritual teachers. Known as Muhyiddin (the Revivifier of Religion) and the Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master), he was born in 1165 AD into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the center of an extraordinary flourishing and cross-fertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought, through which the major scientific and philosophical works of antiquity were transmitted to Northern Europe. Ibn ‘Arabi’s spiritual attainments were evident from an early age, and he was renowned for his great visionary capacity as well as being a superlative teacher. He traveled extensively in the Islamic world and died in Damascus in 1240 AD.
He wrote over 350 works including the Fusûs al-Hikam, an exposition of the inner meaning of the wisdom of the prophets in the Judaic/ Christian/ Islamic line, and the Futûhât al-Makkiyya, a vast encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge which unites and distinguishes the three strands of tradition, reason and mystical insight. In his Diwân and Tarjumân al-Ashwâq he also wrote some of the finest poetry in the Arabic language. These extensive writings provide a beautiful exposition of the Unity of Being, the single and indivisible reality which simultaneously transcends and is manifested in all the images of the world. Ibn ‘Arabi shows how Man, in perfection, is the complete image of this reality and how those who truly know their essential self, know God.
Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has profoundly influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human.”
—Accessed at http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/ibnarabi.html
Additional Ibn ‘Arabi quotes
Resources
Related Quotes
Copyright © 2017 – 2025 LuminaryQuotes.com About Us