16
polytheism held sway over them because of sorcery and satanic states. They spent their lives observing the celestial bodies, seeking thereby aid in sorcery and polytheism; they likewise occupied themselves with natural phenomena. The furthest reach of their intellects was universal intelligibles, such as knowledge of absolute existence
(* and its division into cause and effect, substance and accident, followed by the classification of substances and then of accidents. This, in their view, is the highest wisdom and first philosophy, and its culmination is knowledge of absolute existence *)(1)
which exists only in minds, not in external reality.
This became the point of entry for the philosophizing Sufis who followed their path, such as Ibn Arabī (2), Ibn Sabīn (3), al-Tilimsānī (4), and others. Thus, the utmost limit of their knowledge was—
(1) The text between the two asterisks is omitted only from M.
(2) He is Abū Bakr Muhyī al-Dīn Muhammad ibn Alī ibn Muhammad al-Hātimī al-Tāī al-Andalusī, known as Ibn Arabī and styled among the Sufis as al-Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Shaykh), al-Kibrīt al-Ahmar (the Red Sulfur), and other titles. For his biography, see: *Nafh al-Tīb*, 2:361–348; *Shadharāt al-Dhahab*, 5:190–202; *Tabaqāt al-Sharānī*, 1:163; *Mīzān al-Itidāl*, 3:659–660; *Lisān al-Mīzān*, 5:311–315; *Fawāt al-Wafayāt*, 3:478–482; and *al-Alām*, 7:170–171. See also Asín Palacios, *Ibn Arabī*, trans. Dr. Abd al-Rahmān Badawī, Anglo Press, Cairo, 1965; Ibrāhīm ibn Abd Allāh al-Qārī, *Manāqib Ibn Arabī*, ed. Dr. Salāh al-Dīn al-Munajjid, Beirut, 1959; and al-Biqāī, *Tanbīh al-Ghabī ilā Takfīr Ibn Arabī*, *Masra al-Tasawwuf*, ed. Abd al-Rahmān al-Wakīl, al-Sunna al-Muhammadiyya Press, Cairo, 1373/1953.
(3) Abū Muhammad Abd al-Haqq ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Muhammad ibn Nasr, known as Ibn Sabīn, was born in 613 AH and died in 669 AH. For his biography, see: *Shadharāt al-Dhahab*, 5:329–330; al-Sharānī, *al-Tabaqāt al-Kubrā*, 1:177; *Lisān al-Mīzān*, 3:392; *Fawāt al-Wafayāt*, 1:516–518; *Nafh al-Tīb*, 2:395–406; and *al-Alām*, 4:51. See also *Rasāil Ibn Sabīn*, ed. Dr. Abd al-Rahmān Badawī, Cairo, 1965.
(4) N and M read: “Ibn Sabīn al-Tilimsānī,” which is incorrect. The person intended is Afīf al-Dīn Sulaymān ibn Alī ibn Abd Allāh al-Kūfī al-Tilimsānī. For his biography, see *Fawāt al-Wafayāt*, 1:363–366, which states: “He was of Kufan origin and claimed gnosis. Qutb al-Dīn al-Yūnīnī said: ‘I saw a group attribute to him religious laxity and an inclination toward the Nusayrī doctrine.’” See also *al-Bidāya wa-l-Nihāya*, 13:326; *al-Nujūm al-Zāhira*, 8:29–31; and *al-Alām*, 3:193 (where *Sharh Mawāqif al-Naghrā* is listed among his works; the correct reading is *al-Niffarī*). He died in 69[0] AH.
الشِّرْكُ مُسْتَحْوِذًا عَلَيْهِمْ بِسَبَبِ السِّحْرِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ الشَّيْطَانِيَّةِ، وَكَانُوا يُنْفِقُونَ أَعْمَارَهُمْ فِي رَصْدِ الْكَوَاكِبِ لِيَسْتَعِينُوا بِذَلِكَ عَلَى السِّحْرِ وَالشِّرْكِ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْأُمُورُ الطَّبِيعِيَّةُ. وَكَانَ مُنْتَهَى عَقْلِهِمْ أُمُورًا عَقْلِيَّةً كُلِّيَّةً، كَالْعِلْمِ بِالْوُجُودِ الْمُطْلَقِ
(* وَانْقِسَامِهِ إِلَى عِلَّةٍ وَمَعْلُولٍ وَجَوْهَرٍ وَعَرَضٍ، وَتَقْسِيمِ الْجَوَاهِرِ، ثُمَّ تَقْسِيمِ الْأَعْرَاضِ. وَهَذَا هُوَ عِنْدَهُمُ الْحِكْمَةُ الْعُلْيَا وَالْفَلْسَفَةُ الْأُولَى، وَمُنْتَهَى ذَلِكَ الْعِلْمُ بِالْوُجُودِ الْمُطْلَقِ *)
(١)
الَّذِي لَا يُوجَدُ إِلَّا فِي الْأَذْهَانِ دُونَ الْأَعْيَانِ.
وَمِنْ هُنَا دَخَلَ مَنْ سَلَكَ مَسْلَكَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُتَصَوِّفَةِ الْمُتَفَلْسِفَةِ كَابْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ
(٢)
وَابْنِ سَبْعِينَ
(٣)
وَالتِّلِمْسَانِيِّ
(٤)
وَغَيْرِهِمْ، فَكَانَ مُنْتَهَى مَعْرِفَتِهِمْ
(١) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) فَقَطْ.
(٢) هُوَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحْيِي الدِّينِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَاتِمِيُّ الطَّائِيُّ الْأَنْدَلُسِيُّ، الْمَعْرُوفُ بِابْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ، وَالْمُلَقَّبُ عِنْدَ الصُّوفِيَّةِ بِالشَّيْخِ الْأَكْبَرِ وَالْكِبْرِيتِ الْأَحْمَرِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي: نَفْحِ الطِّيبِ ٢/٣٦١ - ٣٤٨؛ شَذَرَاتِ الذَّهَبِ ٥/١٩٠ - ٢٠٢؛ طَبَقَاتِ الشَّعْرَانِيِّ ١/١٦٣؛ مِيزَانِ الِاعْتِدَالِ ٣/٦٥٩ - ٦٦٠؛ لِسَانِ الْمِيزَانِ ٥/٣١١ - ٣١٥؛ فَوَاتِ الْوَفَيَاتِ ٣/٤٧٨ - ٤٨٢؛ الْأَعْلَامِ ٧/١٧٠ - ١٧١ وَانْظُرْ كِتَابَ " ابْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ " لِآسِينَ بَلَاثِيُوسَ، تَرْجَمَةُ د. عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بَدَوِيٍّ، ط. الْأَنْجِلُو، الْقَاهِرَةِ، ١٩٦٥؛ مَنَاقِبَ ابْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقَارِئِ، تَحْقِيقُ د. صَلَاحِ الدِّينِ الْمُنْجِدِ، بَيْرُوتَ، ١٩٥٩؛ تَنْبِيهَ الْغَبِيِّ إِلَى تَكْفِيرِ ابْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ لِلْبِقَاعِيِّ مَصْرَعَ التَّصَوُّفِ، تَحْقِيقُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْوَكِيلِ، ط. السُّنَّةِ الْمُحَمَّدِيَّةِ الْقَاهِرَةَ، ١٣٧٣/١٩٥٣.
(٣) أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ الْحَقِّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نَصْرٍ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِابْنِ سَبْعِينَ، وُلِدَ سَنَةَ ٦١٣ وَتُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٦٦٩. انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي: شَذَرَاتِ الذَّهَبِ ٥/٣٢٩ - ٣٣٠؛ الطَّبَقَاتِ الْكُبْرَى لِلشَّعْرَانِيِّ ١/١٧٧؛ لِسَانِ الْمِيزَانِ ٣/٣٩٢؛ فَوَاتِ الْوَفَيَاتِ ١/٥١٦ - ٥١٨؛ نَفْحِ الطِّيبِ ٢/٣٩٥ - ٤٠٦؛ الْأَعْلَامِ ٤/٥١. وَانْظُرْ رَسَائِلَ ابْنِ سَبْعِينَ، تَحْقِيقُ د. عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بَدَوِيٍّ، الْقَاهِرَةَ ١٩٦٥.
(٤) ن، م: " ابْنُ سَبْعِينَ التِّلِمْسَانِيُّ " وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. وَهُوَ عَفِيفُ الدِّينِ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلِيٌّ الْكُوفِيُّ التِّلِمْسَانِيُّ، انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي: فَوَاتِ الْوَفَيَاتِ ١/٣٦٣ - ٣٦٦، وَفِيهِ: " كَانَ كُوفِيَّ الْأَصْلِ، وَكَانَ يَدَّعِي الْعِرْفَانَ، قَالَ قُطْبُ الدِّينِ الْيُونِينِيُّ: رَأَيْتُ جَمَاعَةً يَنْسُبُونَهُ إِلَى رِقَّةِ الدِّينِ، وَالْمَيْلِ إِلَى مَذْهَبِ النُّصَيْرِيَّةِ "؛ الْبِدَايَةِ وَالنِّهَايَةِ ١٣/٣٢٦؛ النُّجُومِ الزَّاهِرَةِ، ٨/٢٩ - ٣١؛ الْأَعْلَامِ ٣/١٩٣ (وَذَكَرَ مِنْ مُؤَلَّفَاتِهِ شَرْحَ مَوَاقِفِ النَّغْرَى وَالصَّوَابُ: النَّفْرَى) وَوَفَاتُهُ سَنَةَ ٦٩.