Le Sceau Des Saints: Prophétie Et Sainteté Dans La Doctrine D’ibn Arabî

Ibn ‘Arabi, recognized in his lifetime as “al-Shaykh al-Akbar” – the supreme spiritual Master – was born in 1165 in Andalusia and died at Damascus in 1240. Over a period of eight centuries he has exerted a profound influence on Islamic mysticism. In recent years a number of important studies have helped acquaint the Western reader with Ibn ‘Arabi’s metaphysics so that a coherent picture of his spiritual supremacy has begun to emerge.Chodkiewicz explores the Master’s “hagiology” or teaching on sainthood. Founded on a careful analysis of the relevant texts, Chodkiewicz’s work examines this essential aspect of Ibn ‘Arabi’s formulation of doctrine of sainthood, defining the nature and function of sainthood, while also specifying the criteria for a typology of saints, based on the notion of prophetic inheritance. The book concludes with a detailed description of the two phases of the initiatory journey, the ascent to God, followed by the descent to created beings which, once accomplished, makes a saint the necessary mediator between heaven and earth.