By Joseph Victor Edwin

New Delhi, Aug 14, 2023: Islamic Studies Association, a New Delhi-based group of Christian scholars on Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, has celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by organizing two webinars on Islamic mysticism.

The first seminar on August 9 was on “Mysticism of Ibn al Arabi” was addressed by Jesuit Father Jaime Flaquer, professor of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at the Faculty of Theology, Granada, Spain.

On the same day, Capuchin Father Michael Calabria, professor of Arab and Islamic Studies, St Bonaventure University, New York, spoke on “Mughals and Sufism: A Survey in Arts and Architecture.”

Ibn Arabi was a 13th century Muslim mystic who systematized Sufi doctrines in his two major works: ‘Fusus al Hikam’ (Bezels of Divine Wisdom) and ‘Al Futuhat al Makkiya’ (Meccan Revelation). The concept of ‘Wahdat al Wujud’ is central to his religious-mystical thinking, Father Flaquer pointed out.

Traditional Western scholarship often explained this concept as ‘unity of existence,’ a form of pantheism. Even Fazlur Rahman, a 20th-century Muslim scholar, finds in Ibn Arabi a representative of Islamic pantheism. Rahman critiqued Ibn Arabi that he through his pantheistic thought, destroyed Islamic idea of God, the living and acting, the Jesuit explained.

Ibn Arabi recognizes in creation the attributes of God: “We are attributes of God by which we describe God. Our existence is merely an objectification of God’s existence. God is necessary for us that we may exist. We are necessary for God that he may manifested to Himself. In the mystical thought of Ibn Arabi, God and creation are like water and ice; being in different modes of existence.” In the words of Henry Corbin – quoting Ib Arabi – “the Absolute yearned in His Loneliness … I was a hidden treasure and I wanted to be known, so I created the world.”

Father Flaquer commenting upon Ibn Arabi’s understanding of ‘Wahdat al Wajud saying though it is rendered as ‘unity of being,’ for ibn Arabi, the doctrine pointed out that “at the end of the path only God is found.” In other words, everything gains its ‘wujud’ by being ‘found by God.’ ‘Wahdat al Wajud’ doesn’t involve substantial continuity between God and creation. God is above all qualities; they are neither ‘He’ nor ‘other than He.’ God manifests only by means of names (not by essence). Creation is not identical to God, but only a reflection of his attributes.

Then the Jesuit presented the Christology of Ibn Arabi. For Ibn Arabi, Jesus is the mystical embodiment of the divine breath. The human body of Jesus Christ was animated by the divine spirit. Thus, Jesus reveals the spiritual quality of every human being. Jesus’s spiritual Constitution determined all his life and activities: his healing, forgiving, and ability to give and transform life.

He also pointed out that Jesus Christ ‘the Word proceeding from God’ make him the paradigm of another quality – pilgrim of God – the spiritual traveller, who comes from God and returns to God without ever leaving God’s presence. Jesus is the model of both movements, because he realizes in himself the cosmic journey by being the manifestation of the Word arising from the divine breath and walking through the world in the constant presence of God. Jesus manifests in himself the three-fold dimension of the pilgrim of God in an ideal way: he proceeds from God, returns to God without ever leaving God’s presence.

Mughals and Sufism

In the second webinar Father Calabria looked at the many mystical texts popular with the Mughals and the paintings that reflect their interest in Sufism. He pointed out that Muslim mystics belonging to Naqshbandi, Chishti and Qadiri orders were active during the Mughal period in South Asia.

lAs described by Khwaja Mu’inuddin Chishti, the two pillars of Sufism teachings are love and selfless service. The Chishti and other Sufis taught: (1) that no human person be discriminated in the name of religion, caste, creed, place or station (spiritual state); (2) that one must follow a religion that satisfies one’s soul and esteem the religious convictions of others; (3) that in the spirit of Tawhid, all humanity is one, and (4) a friend of God is one who has love for all and malice towards none.

Through the paintings and photographs of original manuscripts, the Capuchin presented the mystical bend of the mind of Mughal Emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan, and other key figures of the royal household like Dara Shikoh and Jahan Ara.