The station of prophethood lies in an intermediate realm …
A little above the messenger, yet below the saint. (1)
Ibn Arabī said in al-Fusūs (2): “This knowledge belongs only to the Seal of the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets. No prophet sees it except through the niche of the Seal of the Prophets (3), and no saint sees it except through the niche of the Seal of the Saints (4). [Indeed, even the messengers, when they see it, see it—[when they see it] (5)—only through the niche of the Seal of the Saints] (6). For messengership and prophethood—I mean lawgiving messengership and prophethood (7)—come to an end, whereas sainthood never comes to an end (8). Thus, insofar as the messengers are saints, they see what we have mentioned only through the niche of the Seal of the Saints (9). What, then, of those (10) saints who are below them? And even if
(1) I have not located this verse, but I found a verse conveying the same meaning in Ibn Arabī’s *Latā’if al-Asrār*, edited by Ahmad Zakī Atiyya and Taha Abd al-Bāqī Surūr (Dār al-Fikr al-Arabī, 1380/1960), p. 49. It reads:
“The heaven of prophethood lies in an intermediate realm,
just below the saint and above the messenger.”
In *al-Futūhāt al-Makkiyya*, 2:252, he states:
“Between sainthood and messengership lies an intermediate realm;
within it is prophethood, whose status is not unknown.”
See also *al-Futūhāt al-Makkiyya*, 2:52–53.
(2) *Fusūs al-Hikam*, 1:62.
(3) *Fusūs al-Hikam* reads: “from among the prophets and messengers except through the niche of the Seal-Messenger.”
(4) *Fusūs al-Hikam* reads: “No saint sees it except through the niche of the Seal of the Saints.”
(5) W alone reads: “when they see it”; *Fusūs al-Hikam* reads: “whenever they see it.”
(6) The text between square brackets is omitted from N.
(7) *Fusūs al-Hikam* reads: “I mean lawgiving prophethood and its messengership.”
(8) *Fusūs al-Hikam* reads: “and sainthood never comes to an end.”
(9) N reads: “the prophets”; this is an error.
(10) *Fusūs al-Hikam* reads: “whoever.”