101 Hadith Qudsi by pImam ibn Arabi

Appendix
the largest comprising 858 traditions compiled by Mu¢ammad al-Madan¨
(d.|881/1476).
One of the characteristics of ¢ad¨th quds¨ is that they might be described
as “pithy sayings”, that is to say, sayings whose few words contain a wealth
of meaning. They embody the quality that the Prophet Muhammad referred
to when he explained that he had been given the jawåmi ¡ al-kalim (literally,
the synthesis of the words).
Mu¢y¨dd¨n Ibn ¡Arab¨ and ¢ad¨th
Born in Murcia in southern Spain (the Andalus of the Arabs) in 1165 (AH
560), Ibn ¡Arab¨ began his study of ¢ad¨th in Seville at about the age of
¥fteen or sixteen, as the result of a remarkable spiritual experience. During
a period of retreat he had a unique vision of the three major prophets of
the Western tradition: Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, each of whom gave
him particular instruction. In the vision, he was rescued from danger by the
Prophet Muhammad, who said to him: “My beloved, hold fast to me and
you will be safe.” Ibn ¡Arab¨ says, “It was from that time on that I occupied
myself with the study of ¢ad¨th.” 6
It was as a result of this vision that he began his spiritual quest in earnest.
Soon afterwards, he came into contact with several spiritual teachers in
Andalusia, and rapidly displayed his exceptional gifts. In Cordoba in 1190
(AH 586), for example, he had a glorious vision of all the prophets, from
Adam to Muhammad, during which he was told of his own function as Seal
of Muhammadian Sainthood. As he says in a poem,
Without doubt I am the heir of the knowledge of Muhammad
And of his state, both secretly and manifestly … 7
Ibn ¡Arab¨ left Spain to make the pilgrimage at the age of thirty-¥ve. He arrived
in Mecca in July or August 1202 (AH 598) and spent the next two and a half
years there. During this period he had several visionary experiences, including
an encounter with the mysterious youth, who he describes as a union of opposites,
“steadfast in devotion, who is both speaker and silent, neither alive nor
dead, both complex and simple, encompassed and encompassing”. From
6. Kitåb al-Mubashshiråt, p.|5; Hirtenstein, Unlimited Merci¥er, p.|55.
7. For further biographical details of this period, see Hirtenstein, Unlimited Merci¥er,
Chapters 3–7.
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