1.0 - THE DAWNING: His ancestors, moving from Yemen to Andalusia and the political and cultural situation before his birth in (560/1165)
Ibn al-Arabi (Diwan, p. 163) ... See the comments on this poem in section 1.10 at the end of this chapter.
The Greatest Shaykh Muhammad Ibn al-Arabi belongs to the tribe of Tay that became famous for their celebrated poet: Hâtim al-Taiy, most known for his impressive generosity, bounty and good manners. The tribe's origins date back to Yemen and they were mostly Christians and pagans, but they were soon involved in early Islam and became brave soldiers who had contributed effectively to the spread of the new religion, whether in war or in peace by spreading science, literature and knowledge, in which they excelled.
With the outburst of Islam outside the Arabian Peninsula, the Tay tribe branches spread north to Syria and Iraq, as well as to Northern Africa and some of them settled for good in Andalusia at the beginning of its Islamic conquest, as did the family of Muhammad Ibn al-Arabi.
In the period that preceded the birth of Ibn al-Arabi, and during his early life in Andalusia, this wealthy and rich country, overwhelming with brilliance and natural scenery, went through several stages of dynasties, mainly the Murâbitîn (Almoravid) and the Muwa?idîn (Almohads). During this stage, many wars broke out, both amongst the different Muslim sects, Arabs and Berbers, and between them and the Hispanics.
This transitional period, before the birth of the Greatest Shaykh, was mainly characterized by the end of the state of Almoravids and the takeover by Almohads especially with the death of Ibn Mardanîsh, the king of Murcia and eastern Andalusia, and the peaceful delivery of power by his sons to Almohads who started to dominate and rule over all the lands of Andalusia.
For this reason, at his early childhood, Ibn al-Arabi's family moved from Murcia to Seville, the capital of Almohads State who ruled the country throughout the life of the Shaykh in Andalusia, then started to collapse with his final move towards the East, and then totally collapsed shortly after his death in Damascus.
During this period, a number of Almohads kings ruled Andalusia and the Maghrib, and all were the descendants of Abd-ul-Mu’min Ibn Ali al-Qaysiy, who took power after Ibn Tumart, who was credited with the founding of the Almohads State, which lasted nearly a century of time and saved Andalusia from falling in the hands of the Hispanics who took power afterwards.