DOCSLIB.ORG

A Study of the Sacred in a Selection of Works by Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Salman Rushdie Feriani, R

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Study of the Sacred in a Selection of Works by Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Salman Rushdie Feriani, R WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch Symbols and Worlds: a study of the Sacred in a selection of works by Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Salman Rushdie Feriani, R. This is an electronic version of a PhD thesis awarded by the University of Westminster. © Miss Rim Feriani, 2017. The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/). In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail [email protected] Symbols and Worlds: A Study of the Sacred in a Selection of Works by Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Salman Rushdie Rim Feriani A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Westminster for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2017 Abstract This thesis provides a reading of the concept of the Sacred in a selection of texts by Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Salman Rushdie. The aims of this thesis are threefold. The first aim is to demonstrate that the selected texts of the three authors creatively engage with the Sufi Islamic heritage through the use of symbolic expressions of the Sacred. The second aim is to argue that the symbols of the Sacred in the three authors’ works ontologically project what are termed here “intermediate worlds” of the Sacred. And the third aim is to gain a hermeneutic understanding of the concept of the Sacred in the literary works of Djebar, Ben Jelloun and Rushdie. In order to achieve these aims I adopt Paul Ricœur’s hermeneutic approach which allows me to interpret the symbolic and ontological underpinnings of the Sacred in the three authors’ works. Furthermore, I draw from the Sufi philosophy of Ibn Arabi, since locating this thesis within a Sufi conceptual and philosophical framework is essential given the Islamic tradition with which, as I argue, the three writers creatively engage. The contribution of this thesis consists in seeking new lines of inquiry by expanding on the predominant postcolonial, postmodern and feminist approaches to Djebar’s, Ben Jelloun’s and Rushdie’s work. By tracing affinities between the three authors’ selected texts, through a focus on the creative encounter with the Sacred, this thesis makes a new contribution to the study of the three authors in its aim of providing a broader understanding of their literary works. The symbols that I interpret in this thesis are the journey, the “hidden”, the “openings”, “darkness” and “light”. The choice of exploring the symbolic aspect of the journey is motivated by its link, as this thesis argues, with the Sacred journey of i the Prophet Muhammad as well as with the meaning of a Sufi spiritual journey. I also chose to examine the four symbols of the “hidden”, the “openings”, “darkness” and “light” because of their connection to the Sacred names of God in the Islamic tradition and to their structural relations, as signifiers, to the symbol of the journey. In addition to the symbolic expressions of the Sacred, I explore in this thesis the ontological dimension of the experience of the Sacred in the three authors’ selected works. In this regard, I draw from Ibn Arabi’s Sufi concept of the barzakh which is an ontological concept that refers to an intermediate reality where the Sufi seeker encounters opposite worlds. My hermeneutic reading of the “projected worlds” in light of the concept of the barzakh highlights the creative encounter between the three authors’ selected texts and the Sacred. Hence, the Sacred is not presented as a definite and defined system of thought. On the contrary, it is argued that these texts oblige the reader to question philosophically how the Sacred is both expressed in the texts and experienced beyond the parameters of the texts. ii Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................. i Table of Contents ..................................................................................................iii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................. vi Author’s Declaration ............................................................................................ vii List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................... viii Dedication............................................................................................................. ix Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 i. Aims and Objectives .................................................................................... 1 ii. The Relevance of A Study of the Sacred ....................................................... 2 iii. Choice of Authors ........................................................................................ 5 iv. Methodological Approach and Conceptual Framework ............................... 16 v. Choice of Corpus ....................................................................................... 22 vi. An Overview of the Thesis Structure .......................................................... 26 Chapter I : Literature Review of Djebar, Ben Jelloun and Rushdie ......................... 30 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 30 i. Literature Review of Djebar ....................................................................... 37 ii. Literature Review of Ben Jelloun................................................................ 53 iii. Literature Review of Rushdie ..................................................................... 65 iv. Towards a Study of the Sacred in Djebar’s, Ben Jelloun’s and Rushdie’s Writing. ............................................................................................................ 81 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 93 Chapter II: Methodology ...................................................................................... 95 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 95 i. The Sacred: A Judeo-Christian Perspective ................................................. 96 ii. Stage I: A Hermeneutic Explanation of Symbols ....................................... 101 iii. Stage II: A Hermeneutic Understanding of Worlds .................................... 107 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 113 Chapter III: The Philosophical and Conceptual Context ....................................... 115 Introduction .................................................................................................... 115 i. The Sacred in Islam ................................................................................. 116 ii. The Sacred in Ibn Arabi’s Sufi Philosophy................................................ 121 iii Sufism.................................................................................................. 121 Ibn Arabi .............................................................................................. 124 The Names of God................................................................................ 127 iii. Symbols of the Sacred in Ibn Arabi’s Sufi Philosophy ............................... 133 The Journey: A Symbol of the Sacred ................................................... 134 The Opening of the Heart...................................................................... 145 The Opening of Doors .......................................................................... 150 Visionary Openings .............................................................................. 153 The Hidden Sacred ............................................................................... 156 Jihad: A Spiritual Struggle.................................................................... 162 Darkness and Unveiling ........................................................................ 165 God is The Light .................................................................................. 169 Spiritual Eye/Insight ............................................................................. 172 iv. The Experience of the Sacred and the Concept of the Barzakh in Ibn Arabi’s Sufi Philosophy .............................................................................................. 175 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 184 Chapter IV: The Sacred and the Journey through “Openings” and Towards the “Hidden”............................................................................................................ 186 Introduction: A Hermeneutic Analysis of the Journey through “Openings” and towards the “Hidden” in Vaste est la prison, L’Enfant de sable and The Satanic Verses ................................................................................................................ 186 i. Isma’s Journey
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Riba and the Islamic Solution
    NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 RAMADHAN / SHAWWAL 1440 | MAY / JUNE 2019 RIBA AND THE ISLAMIC SOLUTION In the economic and commercial methodology and procedure fol- is interest. Using end results to justify world, the biggest challenge facing lowed in the Islamic Finance system the method(s) adopted was the phi- Muslims in this era and time is to is most important and crucial. A step losophy of the polytheist of Makkah. bring their businesses in harmony missed can cause the whole transac- They said, and inconformity with the dictates tion to be un-Islamic. We are bound of Shari‘ah. It is a well-known fact to follow the Shariah and cannot that interest is Haram (forbidden). question the wisdom behind such There are many warnings both in rulings. Our obligation is to submit “...That is because they said, “Sale is just like the Qur’aan and Ahadith. Allah Ta’ala to the ordains of Allah and His Rasul. interest.” Whereas, Allah has made sale per- says: Consider the following Hadith: missible and prohibited interest“ (Surah Baqarah) It is clear from the above, the kuffār A Sahabi brought high quality dates used to deal in interest and justify it from Khaibar to Rasulullah (Sallalla- by saying the excess in interest is just hu alayhi wasallam). Rasulullah (Sal- like profit in sale. As Muslims, we can- “O you who believe, fear Allah and give up lallahu alayhi wasallam) asked, “Are not accept interest to be like profit. what still remains of riba (interest), if you are all the dates of Khaibar like these?” believers.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Education in Malaysia
    Islamic Education in Malaysia RSIS Monograph No. 18 Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid i i RSIS MONOGRAPH NO. 18 ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies i Copyright © 2010 Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid Published by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University South Spine, S4, Level B4, Nanyang Avenue Singapore 639798 Telephone: 6790 6982 Fax: 6793 2991 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.idss.edu.sg First published in 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Body text set in 11/14 point Warnock Pro Produced by BOOKSMITH ([email protected]) ISBN 978-981-08-5952-7 ii CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Islamic Education 7 3 Introductory Framework and Concepts 7 4 Islamic Education in Malaysia: 13 The Pre-independence Era 5 Islamic Education in Malaysia: 25 The Independence and Post-Independence Era 6 The Contemporary Setting: Which Islamic 44 Education in Malaysia? 7 The Darul Arqam—Rufaqa’—Global Ikhwan 57 Alternative 8 Concluding Analysis 73 Appendixes 80 Bibliography 86 iii The RSIS/IDSS Monograph Series Monograph No. Title 1 Neither Friend Nor Foe Myanmar’s Relations with Thailand since 1988 2 China’s Strategic Engagement with the New ASEAN 3 Beyond Vulnerability? Water in Singapore-Malaysia Relations 4 A New Agenda for the ASEAN Regional Forum 5 The South China Sea Dispute in Philippine Foreign Policy Problems, Challenges and Prospects 6 The OSCE and Co-operative Security in Europe Lessons for Asia 7 Betwixt and Between Southeast Asian Strategic Relations with the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Wujud Dan Tajalli Allah
    36 35 PEMIKIRAN YUSUF QARDHAWI TENTANG ISLAM DAN DEMOKRASI A. Rusdiana Fakulas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan UIN Bandung ABSTRACT This study discusses Islamic Thinking and Democracy Yusuf Qoedhawi; through descriptive- analytical, the focus of this study looks at how the thinking is. It is known that the essence of democracy according to Yusuf Qardhawi is: "the people who choose the people who will govern and organize their problems, should not be forced upon those rulers whom they do not like or the regimes they hate.” The truth is that they are given the right to correct the authorities if they are wrong, given the right to revoke and replace them if they deviate, they are not allowed to be forced to follow various economic, social and political systems they neither know nor like. If some of them refuse, they should not be tortured, persecuted, and killed. "Democracy will provide some form and practical way in the life of the nation and the state.” Therefore, the study of the historical reflection of Yusuf Qardhawi is very urgent and strategic to do. Discussion begins with the life history, the works of Yusuf Qardhawi, and ends the style of thought and the basis of his argument. Keywords: participation, equity, understanding, supervision, and coverage. PENDAHULUAN universitas terkemuka di Barat. Sejak etelah runtuhnya Kekhalifahan Islam itulah banayk cendikiawan-cendikiawan Sterakhir yaitu Turki Utsmani, poros Muslim yang mempelajari ilmu kekuatan dunia berubah drastis. Barat pengetahuan dari Barat, salah satunya mulai menguasai dunia dengan adalah ideologi demokrasi. hegemoninya yang mencakup berbagai Demokrasi adalah pemerintahan bidang, baik bidang sosial, budaya, oleh rakyat, dari rakyat, untuk rakyat.
    [Show full text]
  • Biblioteca Comunale Di Castelfranco Emilia
    11 Giugno: Gay Pride Sii quello che sei ed esprimi quello che senti, perché a quelli che contano non importa e quelli a cui importa non contano. Dr. Seuss La bisessualità raddoppia immediatamente le tue occasioni di rimediare un appuntamento il sabato sera. Woody Allen Sabato 11 giugno 2011 l’intera comunità omosessuale italiana ed europea sarà chiamata a manifestare per i propri diritti e per l’orgoglio di essere ciò che si è. Per l' occasione, una selezione di titoli significativi dalle collezioni di libri e video della Biblioteca Federiciana e della Mediateca Montanari. Narrativa: Di Wu Ameng La manica tagliata, Sellerio, 1990 (F) Jonathan Ames Io e Henry, Einaudi, 2002 (F) Antonio Amurri Il travestito, Sugar, 1974 (F) Alberto Arbasino Fratelli d'Italia, Adelphi, 2000 (M) Reinaldo Arenas Prima che sia notte. Autobiografia, Guanda, 2000 (F) Wystan Hugh Auden Un altro tempo, Corriere della sera, 2004 (F) Wystan Hugh Auden La verità, vi prego, sull'amore, Adelphi, 1994 (F) John Banville L'intoccabile, Guanda, 1998 (F) Djuna Barnes La foresta della notte, Adelphi, 1983 (F) Giorgio Bassani Gli occhiali d'oro, Mondadori 1970, Garzanti 1986 (F) Tahar Ben Jelloun Partire, Bompiani, 2007 (F) Alan Bennett La cerimonia del massaggio, Adelphi, 2002 (F) Alan Bennett Scritto sul corpo, Adelphi, 2006 (F) Vitaliano Brancati Bell'Antonio, Bompiani, 1984 (F) William S. Burroughs Il pasto nudo, Sugarco, 1992 (F), Gruppo editoriale l'espresso SpA, 2003 (M) Aldo Busi Seminario sulla gioventu, Mondadori, 1988 (F) Mohamed Choukri Il pane nudo, Theoria, 1989 (F) Colette Il puro e l'impuro, Adelphi, 1996 (F) Andrea Demarchi I fuochi di san Giovanni, Rizzoli, 2001 (F) Louise De Salvo e Mitchell A.
    [Show full text]
  • Jihadism: Online Discourses and Representations
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY-NC-ND 4.0 1 Studying Jihadism 2 3 4 5 6 Volume 2 7 8 9 10 11 Edited by Rüdiger Lohlker 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 The volumes of this series are peer-reviewed. 37 38 Editorial Board: Farhad Khosrokhavar (Paris), Hans Kippenberg 39 (Erfurt), Alex P. Schmid (Vienna), Roberto Tottoli (Naples) 40 41 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY-NC-ND 4.0 1 Rüdiger Lohlker (ed.) 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jihadism: Online Discourses and 8 9 Representations 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 With many figures 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 & 37 V R unipress 38 39 Vienna University Press 40 41 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY-NC-ND 4.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; 24 detailed bibliographic data are available online: http://dnb.d-nb.de.
    [Show full text]
  • Janna & Jahannam 05 September 2020
    05 September 2020 Janna & Jahannam Objective: To know what Janna and Jahannam represent to Muslims. To explain how Allah decides where people go. Starter: Write all the bad things you’ve done today i.e. Not doing h/w; and all the good things you’ve done today i.e. holding a door open for someone. Tally them up- do you have more good/bad deeds? BWS God weighs our deeds • Muslims believe that God will Think back to weigh up our good and bad last lesson… deeds in life and this will What determine what happens to us constitutes a after death. good deed? • God judges our actions, but also our intentions (niyyah) BWS Munkar and Nakir • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH5TGtGiHsM •Who are Munkar and Nakir? •What is their role? •What questions do they ask? BWS Barzakh •Barzakh: A place of waiting, after death until the day of judgement. •For those who die before the day of judgement, the angel of death Azrail, will take their souls to wait in the state of barzakh until the sound of the final trumpet. BWS Janna ‘In paradise, I prepare for the • What might this tell us about righteous believers Janna? what no eye has • A state of joy, happiness and peace. ever seen…’ • A reward for living a good life. (Hadith) • Everything one longs for on earth, you will find in paradise. BWS Jahannam • A place of terror. • Physical torment as well as being separated from God. • Disbelievers and sinners will go here. BWS Important questions •Read the 3 questions.
    [Show full text]
  • Shariah Compliant and Halal Investment Opportunities for American Muslims
    The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America 16th Annual Imams' Conference Houston – United States Shariah Compliant and Halal Investment Opportunities for American Muslims Mohamad Nasir, MBA "اﻷراء الفقهية في هذا البحث تعبر عن رأي الباحث و ليس بالضرورة عن رأي أمجا" Fiqh opinions in this research is solely those of its author and do not represent AMJA Shariah Compliant and Halal Investment Opportunities for American Muslims Mohamad Nasir Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 5 The Importance of Retirement Planning ........................................................................ 6 Retirement Plans ........................................................................................................ 8 Qualified Retirement Plans ....................................................................................... 8 401(k) Retirement Plans ....................................................................................... 9 403(b) Retirement Plans ....................................................................................... 9 Traditional IRA ..................................................................................................... 9 Roth IRA ........................................................................................................... 10 Roll Over IRA ....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • “Understanding Qawwali – 2015” the Anthropology and Social Impact of the Art-Form of Qawwali 7Th March, 2015 | India International Centre, New Delhi
    Sufi Kathak Foundation Presents “Understanding Qawwali – 2015” The anthropology and social impact of the art-form of Qawwali 7th March, 2015 | India International Centre, New Delhi Project Report Prepared by J-237, Basement, Saket, New Delhi- 110017 Phone: 011-41764860, +91 9871310119 [email protected] www.sufikathakfoundation.com Understanding Qawwali About the Symposium and the evening concert Conceptualized by Manjari Chaturvedi, Sufi Kathak Foundation’s “Understanding Qawwali” series of symposiums is a unique initiative to explore the music form of Qawwali. Now in its third edition, the symposium focuses on revival of the oral tradition of Qawwali with a strong emphasis on the livelihoods of performing artists. This year, we discussed the anthropology and the social impact of art-form of Qawwali. This was achieved through a multipronged approach by lectures, talks, discussions, photo documentations and actual live performances. This seminar also discussed the simple and complex approaches necessary for the artists, who are mostly uneducated themselves, to attract financial support and thus at the same time increase their livelihood opportunities through their performance skills. The evening concert presented a hitherto unexplored perspective to the festival of Holi as the Qawwals sing in their powerful voices in jubilation, reciting verses with fresh and intriguing connotations to what is already known of Holi and Basant in popular folk songs and poetry. As the music form of Qawwali has eternally imbibed within itself influences from various communities in India, this is an initiative to bring this feature of Qawwali in public domain. A riveting and unique celebration of the festival of Holi bring forth its spirit of merriment and cultural harmony in the true sense, "Colours of Love" features traditional Qawwals singing the delightful play of Holi and the revelry of the festival of Basant as written by Sufi saints and poets.
    [Show full text]
  • L'enfant De Sable'' Et ''La Nuit Sacrée'' De Tahar Ben Je
    Littérature et médiation dans ”L’enfant de sable” et ”La nuit sacrée” de Tahar Ben Jelloun, ”La virgen de los sicarios” de Fernando Vallejo et ”Le cavalier et son ombre” de Boubacar Boris Diop. Yves Romuald Dissy Dissy To cite this version: Yves Romuald Dissy Dissy. Littérature et médiation dans ”L’enfant de sable” et ”La nuit sacrée” de Tahar Ben Jelloun, ”La virgen de los sicarios” de Fernando Vallejo et ”Le cavalier et son ombre” de Boubacar Boris Diop.. Littératures. Université Paris-Est, 2012. Français. NNT : 2012PEST0009. tel-00838085 HAL Id: tel-00838085 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00838085 Submitted on 24 Jun 2013 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. LABORATOIRE LETTRES IDEES ET SAVOIRS (LIS) Spécialité : Langues et Littératures étrangères THESE DE DOCTORAT NOUVEAU REGIME Présentée et soutenue publiquement par M. Yves Romuald DISSY-DISSY Titre : LITTERATURE ET MEDIATION DANS L’ENFANT DE SABLE ET LA NUIT SACREE DE TAHAR BEN JELLOUN, LA VIRGEN DE LOS SICARIOS DE FERNANDO VALLEJO ET LE CAVALIER ET SON OMBRE DE BOUBACAR BORIS DIOP. Sous la direction de M. PAPA SAMBA DIOP, Professeur des littératures francophones et comparées Jury Examinateur : M.
    [Show full text]
  • An Inquiry Into How Some Muslims and Hindus in Indonesia Relate to Death
    An Inquiry into how some Muslims and Hindus in Indonesia Relate to Death EVA ELANA SALTVEDT APPLETON SUPERVISOR Levi Geir Eidhamar Sissel Undheim University of Agder, 2020 Faculty of humanities and pedagogics Department of religion, philosophy and history Doctor, Doctor shall I die? Yes, my child, and so shall I. Rhyme by unknown author 2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 5 METHOD ...................................................................................................................... 7 THE EMPIRICAL DATA ..................................................................................................... 7 MOST-SIMILAR SYSTEM DESIGN .................................................................................. 8 LANGUAGE CHALLENGES .............................................................................................. 8 DATA SAMPLING ............................................................................................................... 9 INTERVIEW STRUCTURE ............................................................................................... 10 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................... 10 GROUNDED THEORY ...................................................................................................... 13 METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES ............................................................................. 15 THE RELIGIOUS
    [Show full text]
  • The Protection of Forced Migrants in Islamic Law
    NEW ISSUES IN REFUGEE RESEARCH Research Paper No. 146 The protection of forced migrants in Islamic law Kirsten Zaat University of Melbourne Law School Australia E-mail : [email protected] December 2007 Policy Development and Evaluation Service Policy Development and Evaluation Service United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees P.O. Box 2500, 1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.unhcr.org These papers provide a means for UNHCR staff, consultants, interns and associates, as well as external researchers, to publish the preliminary results of their research on refugee-related issues. The papers do not represent the official views of UNHCR. They are also available online under ‘publications’ at <www.unhcr.org>. ISSN 1020-7473 Justice, kindness and charity* Despite Muslim States hosting large numbers of refugees1 and internally displaced persons (IDPs)2, the inherent protection and assistance afforded to forced migrants at Islamic Law3 has largely been overlooked. There is no readily available particularised fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) on the matter, and it was not until the early 1990s that a few Islamic scholars began delving into the Shariah in the interests of finding Islamic modes of protection. Since that time, with the exception of a few recent fatwas, little academic scholarship has persisted despite the fact that the Sharia presents as a rich source of protection and assistance for forced migrants. This article seeks to lay the ground work for establishing an Islamic protection framework by consolidating and expanding existing efforts which have identify various yet incomplete modes of protection at Islamic Law.4 The author seeks to support the development of an indigenous, culturally viable Islamic protection framework which draws heavily upon long-held5 norms6 prevalent throughout the * Q16:90, “God enjoins justice, kindness and charity to one’s kindred [humanity], and forbids indecency, reprehensible conduct and oppression.” See Dawood, N.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Inception and Ibn 'Arabi Oludamini Ogunnaike Harvard University, [email protected]
    Journal of Religion & Film Volume 17 Article 10 Issue 2 October 2013 10-2-2013 Inception and Ibn 'Arabi Oludamini Ogunnaike Harvard University, [email protected] Recommended Citation Ogunnaike, Oludamini (2013) "Inception and Ibn 'Arabi," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 17 : Iss. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol17/iss2/10 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Religion & Film by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Inception and Ibn 'Arabi Abstract Many philosophers, playwrights, artists, sages, and scholars throughout the ages have entertained and developed the concept of life being a "but a dream." Few works, however, have explored this topic with as much depth and subtlety as the 13thC Andalusian Muslim mystic, Ibn 'Arabi. Similarly, few works of art explore this theme as thoroughly and engagingly as Chistopher Nolan's 2010 film Inception. This paper presents the writings of Ibn 'Arabi and Nolan's film as a pair of mirrors, in which one can contemplate the other. As such, the present work is equally a commentary on the film based on Ibn 'Arabi's philosophy, and a commentary on Ibn 'Arabi's work based on the film. The ap per explores several points of philosophical significance shared by the film and the work of the Sufi as ge, and their relevance to contemporary conversations in philosophy, religion, and art. Keywords Ibn 'Arabi, Sufism, ma'rifah, world as a dream, metaphysics, Inception, dream within a dream, mysticism, Christopher Nolan Author Notes Oludamini Ogunnaike is a PhD candidate at Harvard University in the Dept.
    [Show full text]