Ibn Arabi

Muhyi ad-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Arabi (1165-1240 CE / 560-638 AH), known as ash-Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master) and Ibn Arabi, was one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of Islamic thought. Born in Murcia, al-Andalus, he spent his youth in Seville before traveling extensively throughout the Muslim world, eventually settling in Damascus.

His magnum opus, 'al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah' (The Meccan Revelations), is a massive encyclopedic work of Sufi metaphysics, cosmology, and spiritual knowledge that he began writing during a pilgrimage to Mecca. His other major work, 'Fusus al-Hikam' (The Bezels of Wisdom), presents the spiritual wisdom associated with each of the major prophets. These works developed a complex metaphysical system that profoundly influenced subsequent Islamic thought.

Ibn Arabi's concept of 'wahdat al-wujud' (the unity of existence), as understood by his interpreters, became one of the most debated ideas in Islamic intellectual history. Scholars have been divided about his teachings: supporters see him as the greatest Sufi master who articulated the deepest truths of Islamic spirituality, while critics argue some of his formulations conflict with orthodox theology. This debate continues among Muslim scholars today. He is buried in Damascus, where his tomb remains a site of visitation.