An Introduction to ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Jīlī’s Commentary on the Futūḥāt'

Journal article

This article introduces ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Jīlī’s Sharḥ mushkilāt al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyyah wa-fatḥ alabwāb al-mughlaqāt min al-‘ulūm al-laduniyyah, a partial commentary on the 559th and penultimate chapter of Ibn ‘Arabī’s Futūḥāt, which, despite the fame of its author and uniqueness of the work, has received very little scholarly attention. After setting the text in its historical context and describing its contents, I take the third chapter of the commentary, on tanzīh and tashbīh, as a case study for al-Jīlī’s ideas and method in the Sharḥ. In analysing how al-Jīlī argues for the synthesis of tanzīh and tashbīh, I demonstrate both his capacity for originality and his commitment to the Sufi metaphysics of Ibn ‘Arabī and his school.

Authors: Morrissey, F

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Maghreb Publications
• Journal: Maghreb Review
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 499-526
• Publication date: 2016-12-31
• Acceptance date: 2016-11-08
• Keywords: FFR