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An Analytic Philosophical Approach to Ibn Arabi's Conception of Ultimate

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An Analytic Philosophical Approach to Ibn Arabi's Conception of Ultimate AN ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH TO IBN ARABI’S CONCEPTION OF ULTIMATE REALITY BY NADER AHMED M ALSAMAANI A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Philosophy School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham June 2017 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. II Abstract In my thesis, I aim to develop a systematic and philosophically coherent thesis of ultimate reality for Ibn Arabi. In this pursuit, I adopt the style of analytic philosophy, seeking to employ and utilise some of its methods and theories. The philosophical aspects of Ibn Arabi’s doctrine are in dire need of conceptual clarification and systematic analysis with a closer focus on argumentation. The analytic tradition will prove most helpful in this regard. In my thesis, I begin by tracing Ibn Arabi’s related views and concepts as they are dispersed throughout his writings. I then clarify, sharpen and, in many cases, develop these views and concepts into fully constructed forms. Finally, I weave the developed concepts and views into a systematic thesis or set of sub-theses. Where necessary, I provide my own (or borrowed) arguments and concepts to help substantiate and strengthen the structure of Ibn Arabi’s thesis. I propose that Ibn Arabi’s various, and sometimes apparently inconsistent, views are best presented in terms of three main concepts: the concept of ultimate reality as existence (wujud), which has long been known as Ibn Arabi’s thesis of the oneness of existence (wahdat al-wujud); the concept of ultimate reality as the Divine Self (dhat); and the concept of ultimate reality as God (ilah). The three concepts neither represent different ultimate realities nor different perspectives of the same ultimate reality. Instead, they represent the same ultimate reality but each one has its own unique scope and encompassment. The three concepts are aimed at encompassing Ibn Arabi’s various views and concepts of ultimate reality in a consistent and systematic manner. III To my parents, Ahmed and Munirah IV Acknowledgement Firstly, I would like to thank God for all the blessings He has brought into my life. Then, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, mentor and, if I may, friend, Professor Yujin Nagasawa. I am indebted to his continual support of my PhD research, for his patience, motivation and immense knowledge. Since the beginning, I have been fascinated and impressed by his supervision style, availability and enthusiasm; a sentiment that, I realised later, is shared by all his supervisees. His guidance and constructive advice have helped me immensely throughout the research and writing of this thesis. I could not have imagined having a better supervisor and mentor for my PhD study. Also, I would like to thank the University of Birmingham for offering me whatever assistance I have needed. I would, furthermore, like to thank my employer, Qassim University, for giving me a scholarship and granting me a study leave during my work on this PhD thesis. My thanks also go to David Chichester and Simon Mussell for proofreading my thesis. Last but not least, my sincerest gratefulness goes to my parents Ahmed and Munirah; my brothers, particularly Thamer, Mohammed and Muath; my uncle Ibrahim and his family; and my wife Tahani. I could not have completed this work without their everlasting support, care and love. They are the treasure, the blessing and the light of my life. V Table of Contents Acknowledgement ...................................................................................................... IV 1. Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 1.1 Ibn Arabi: A Brief Biography .............................................................................. 1 1.2 Ibn Arabi and Sufism ........................................................................................... 5 1.3 Ibn Arabi and Traditional Sciences...................................................................... 9 1.4 Ibn Arabi and Philosophy .................................................................................. 11 1.5 Approaches to Ibn Arabi Doctrine ..................................................................... 15 1.6 The Aim of the Thesis and a Chapter Outline ................................................... 18 2. Chapter 2: The Problem of Ibn Arabi’s Presentation of His Conception of the Conception of Ultimate Reality: Speaking on Different Levels .................................. 26 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 26 2.2 Four Levels of Discourse ................................................................................... 27 2.2.1. The First Level: The Level of Common Muslims ................................. 29 2.2.2. The Second Level: The Level of Theologians ....................................... 30 2.2.3. The Third Level: The Level of the Elite People of Allah ...................... 31 2.2.4. The Fourth Level: The Level of the Highest Elite ................................. 32 2.3 A Problematic Style ........................................................................................... 33 2.4 Ibn Arabi’s Justification for Speaking on Different Levels ............................... 35 2.5 Ibn Arabi’s own Doctrine: A Practical Guide.................................................... 38 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 42 3. Chapter 3: A Critical Evaluation of Izutsu and Chittick’s Overall Approaches to Ibn Arabi’s Doctrine .......................................................................................................... 44 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 44 3.2 Against Izutsu’s interpretation of Ibn Arabi’s Doctrine .................................... 46 3.2.1. Izutsu’s Interpretive Approach ............................................................. 46 3.2.2. Problems with Izutsu’s interpretation ................................................... 47 3.3 Against Chittick’s interpretation of Ibn Arabi’s Doctrine ................................. 53 3.3.1. Chittick’s Interpretive Approach .......................................................... 53 3.3.2. Chittick’s Interpretive Approach is Unwarranted ................................. 58 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 61 4. Chapter 4: Ibn Arabi’s Apparently Inconsistent Views and Concepts on Ultimate Reality ......................................................................................................................... 63 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 63 4.2 Ibn Arabi’s Apparently Inconsistent Views on the Concept of God ................. 64 4.3 Ibn Arabi’s Apparently Inconsistent Views on the Reality of the World .......... 67 4.4 Ibn Arabi’s Apparently Inconsistent Views on the Relationship between God and the World ........................................................................................................... 68 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 73 5. Chapter 5: Ibn Arabi’s Concept of Ultimate Reality as Existence (wujud) (the Thesis of wahdat al-wujud) I: Two Interpretations ..................................................... 75 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 75 VI 5.2 Two Interpretations of Ibn Arabi’s Thesis of the Oneness of Existence (wahdat al-wujud) .................................................................................................................. 77 5.2.1. Ibn Taymiyyah’s Pantheistic Interpretation .......................................... 77 5.2.2. Affifi and Chittick’s Acosmistic Interpretation .................................... 81 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 84 6. Chapter 6: Ibn Arabi’s Concept of Ultimate Reality as Existence (wujud) (The Thesis of wahdat al-wujud) II: My Interpretation ...................................................... 85 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 85 6.2 The Metaphysical Nature of Ultimate Reality as Existence (wujud) ................. 88 6.2.1. The Impossibility of Nothingness and the Necessity of Existence ....... 88 6.2.2. Existence is not a Property ..................................................................... 93 6.2.3. Ibn Arabi’s
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