6.5.13 - Fusus Certificate for al-Qunawi (630/1233)

We mentioned before that despite the many disciples who gathered around Shaykh Muhyiddin to hear his different books, especially the Meccan Revelations, we do not find many hearings for this equally important book, which is the Bezels of Wisdom. Perhaps this problem was the source for a misconception by some later scholars who deny the attribution of this book to Shaykh Muhyiddin. Although it was intended as a defense by distancing him away from the many problematic statements that can be found in the Fusus, this negative opinion is not supported by any logical proofs. Apart from the fact that this book is clearly listed by the author in the Ijaza as one of his books, there is one certified hearing from the author himself, given specifically to his closest disciple and step-son Shaykh Sadruddin al-Qunawi, that can be found on the first page of the oldest surviving manuscript of the Fusus: Evkaf Muzesi 1933. It is in Qunawi’s handwriting and bears an authorization note in Ibn al-Arabi’s own handwriting on the first page, which is dated 630/1232.

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The first page of of Fusus in Istanbul Evkaf Muzesi 1933 with the hearing certificate written by Shaykh Muhyiddin to his step-son Sadruddin al-Qunawi.

Additionally, there are dozens of explanations made by many scholars and followers of Shaykh Muhyiddin, including Sadruddin al-Qunawi, and therefore this book cannot be attributed to anyone other than Greatest Shaykh.

As for the various accusations that some of the statements of the Shaykh in this book are deviated from the origins of the Islamic faith, this requires a lengthy discussion which will show the fact that he does never deviate from the heart of Islam, neither in the Fusus nor in any other book, but it is often very difficult for the average and even some advanced readers who are not trained in the profound philosophical and theological conceptions which are stuffed in this condensed book.

It seems that this is the real reason why Shaykh Muhyiddin did not really read this book to a large number of students, because not everyone can absorb what is in it. On the other hand, the Meccan Revelations, despite its mild difficulty, is an easy book for anyone who wants to open his heart to the sciences of mysticism, so the subjects dealt with in this book are much simpler and more general than the topics raised by the Shaykh in his other more specialized books. Therefore, we have only one hearing on the Fusus limited only to his close student and his beloved son Sadruddin al-Qunawi, while there are dozens of listeners for the Meccan Revelations and some other books. One other reason is that the Shaykh wrote the Fusus, which is his last book, a few years before his death as we saw in section

effusus above.