2.2.17 - His Position of the Different Doctrines

Shaykh Muhyiddin did not prefer any specific doctrinal school, although most of the Shaykhs he learned at their hands the various Islamic sciences belonged to the Maliki school, which was popular in Andalusia at the time. In fact he says that the door of ijtihad (discretion) is open and that it is permissible to select from any of the sects that the scholars advocate, without necessarily following any particular doctrine by itself, although this is something prevented by many scholars who obliged to adhere to a particular doctrine. This distinctive opinion of Ibn al-Arabi refutes the allegation of those who attributed him to Ibn Hazm, claiming that he is Zahiri, as we stated at the end of the first chapter.

However, although the Greatest Shaykh accepts all doctrines and allows to select from them for the purpose of seeking the easier permissions if necessary, he mourns and urges the followers to keep themselves safe from all disputations by taking the precautions and resorting to the rules on which most scholars agreed [Futuhat: III.336, as well as: I.405, 545-548, II.559, III.69, 142, 413, 502].

The Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, devoted a large part of the Meccan Revelations (chapters 68-71) to explain the different jurisprudence rules on the various Islamic obligations. In connection to each separate rule, he mentioned the different opinions and then he selected the view that he prefers, without mistaking the rest of the views. Moreover, he clarified the esoteric meanings of these different views, and he made it clear that the people of disclosure - those who rely on the science of unveiling as we shall mention in section [ref:unveiling of Chapter III - do not judge according to their own views or convictions, but they follow what God revealed to them, and that they already knew the general rules of all the doctrines and all the sects and views, since Allah taught them all that. Whatever view in any doctrine or private opinion about Allah or the world, advocated by anyone, but it has been disclosed to them who advocated it, what does it mean and from where did it emerged; thus they know the reasons behind it and they give the due excuse of why it might not be correct or perfect, but without falsifying any school, because they know that everyone in creation knows something but not everything, except the Perfect Human footnote(The Perfect Human Being is the pole on which the orbits of existence revolve. This is a Sufi term employed by Ibn al-Arabi to refer to the First Intellect that God created on His Image. He is also our master Muhammad, peace be upon him, but also manifested in some other prophets and saints who have reached such a level of perfection. See, for example, the Meccan Revelations: I.639. who has been taught all the Names and given the Collective Words (jawamia al-kalim) [Futuhat: III.398].

It has been narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “If the ruler ruled after discretion, then if he is right he gets double reward, and he gets a reward if he is wrong.” Therefore, we should not challenge any discretion ruling because the law which is the rule of God has approved that judgment. Many followers of various doctrines have failed to understand this critical issue, although they know it and they read about it, but they often tend to overlook it. As a result, they misbehaved with God at the time when the disciplined servants observed this rule by not faulting any particular diligent [Futuhat: I.348], although it is permissible to judge the righteousness of a specific doctrine without specifying any particular jurist or advocate. From here we see the big difference between Ibn al-Arabi and his followers and those who criticize them as we will discuss in the last chapter.