living islam _ Islamic tradition

A First Attempt to Understand Ibn 'Arabi's The Journey to the Lord of Power

Preliminary Work to be done by the Seeker

Your first duty is to search for the knowledge which establishes
your ablution and prayer, your fasting and reverence.
You are not obliged to seek out more than this.
This is the first door of the journey;
then [b] work;
then [c] moral heedfulness;
then [d] asceticism;
then [e] trust.
And in the first states of trust, four miracles befall you. These are the signs
and evidence of your attainment of the first degree of trust. These signs are
crossing the earth,
walking on water,
traversing the air,
and being fed by the universe.
And that is the reality within the door.
After that, stations and states and miracles and revelations
come to you continuously until death.

Ibn ʿArabi, The Journey to the Lord of Power

OUTLINE -- A PERSONAL APPROACH TO SUBDIVIDING THE TREATISE

A) Preliminary Work to be done by the Seeker

[a] "Your first duty is to search for the knowledge which establishes

your ablution and prayer, your fasting and reverence.

You are not obliged to seek out more than this.

This is the first door of the journey;

[b] then work;

[c] then moral heedfulness;

[d] then asceticism;

[e] then trust."

B) The Ascent

[I-a] Unveiling of the sensory world.

[I-b] Unveiling of the imaginal world.

[I-c] Unveiling of the world of abstract meanings.

[I-1] God will show you the secrets of the mineral world

[I-2] God will show you the secrets of the vegetal world

[I-3] God will show you the secrets of the animal world.

[I-4] The Infusion of the world of life-forces into lives

[I-5] "If you do not stop with this, He reveals to you the 'surface signs"

[I-6] Next the light of the scattering of sparks becomes visible.

[I-7] Then the light of the ascendant stars (tauhid) and the form of universal order

[I-8] The proper adab for entering into, standing in and leaving the Divine Presence.

C) What is the Knowledge that awaits you in the Divine Presence?

[II-1] Knowledge of degrees of speculative sciences & other things -- sustenance of preachers

[II-2] Revealing Form and Beauty -- sustenance of poets

[II-3] Degrees of qutb -- highest station of Sufi hierarchy and one able to see with both eyes (rational & imaginal) the unity perspective and the mercy flowing from it

[II-4] [Of Diversity and Deeper Unity]

[II-5] The world of dignity and serenity and firmness

[II-6] The world of Bewilderment and Helplessness and Inability

[II-7] Seeing the Gardens ascending and Hell descending

[II-8] [Of Ecstasy and Light and Seeing the Original Forms of the Children of Adam]

[II-9] The Throne of Mercy

[II-10] The Pen (First Intellect) and the Mover of the Pen

[II-13] Full sense of Fana:

"you are [i] eradicated, [ii] withdrawn, [iii] effaced, [iv] crushed, then [v] obliterated."

[II-14] Full sense of Baqa

"you are [i] affirmed, [ii] made present, [iii] made to remain, [iv] gathered, and then [v] assigned."

D) The Return: Ibn 'Arabi's Closing Comments

more at:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/sufilit/AL-ARABI.htm xL =broken link 2021