Source Text
Introduction The Prayers of Ibn ʿArabī
He views the world according to a fundamental harmony, in which all things are intricately interconnected and the human being is given a place of immeasurable dignity.
Striking to the heart of essential human questions, they illuminate and challenge our view of mankind and the world.
Despite this growing interest in his works, the many prayers that are attributed to Ibn ʿArabī remain little-known. By virtue of their intimate nature, they provide a precious glimpse into the real practice of the spiritual life in the Sufi tradition. Their rich devotional content makes a striking contrast to his prose and poetry. This is the first time that some of these prayers have been published in English, although they have had wide circulation in the Arabic original.
There are fourteen prayers, each one devoted to a particular night or day of the week. The term wird (pl. awrād) is difficult to translate into English: the Arabic root carries connotations of arriving, reaching, appearing or being received.
These are supererogatory acts, in addition to the five prayers prescribed for the Muslim community.
Unlike the above, Ibn ʿArabī’s ‘Prayers for the Week’ are neither devotional in any ordinary sense, nor do they appear to be intended as prayers for communal recitation. On the contrary, they seem to be more private and intimate affairs, where the requests imply a high degree of understanding and self-knowledge. In reading them, one is immediately struck by the precision and depth of their formulation, which is consecrated primarily to the clarification and celebration of Union (tawḥīd).
They are founded upon the detailed exposition of spiritual Union, expressing the most intimate of converse with the Divine Beloved, and situating the one who prays as the true adorer. Here the reciter and the one recited to are understood to be two sides of the same reality. What is recited is that which ‘arrives in the heart’ (wārid) and is ‘received’ by the adorer, on the one hand, and the request that reaches the Real (al-ḥaqq) and is responded to, on the other. For the one who reads them, these prayers are as much educational as devotional.
Here the reciter and the one recited to are understood to be two sides of the same reality. What is recited is that which ‘arrives in the heart’ (wārid) and is ‘received’ by the adorer, on the one hand, and the request that reaches the Real (al-ḥaqq) and is responded to, on the other. For the one who reads them, these prayers are as much educational as devotional.
The Divine Work: request and response Whosoever is in the heavens and the earth is in request of Him; every day He is at work.[1]
AI Summary
The Seven Days of the Heart by Ibn Arabi presents key insights from the Sufism tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.