Anqa Publishing – förlag

While used for centuries in Sufi circles, the prayer known as 'The Most Elevated Cycle' or 'The Prayer of Protection', had never before been available in English. This book provides a lucid English translation of this beautiful and powerful prayer written by the great Sufi master, Muhyi al-Din Ibn 'Arabi, as well as a transliteration for those unable to read Arabic but who wish to recite it in its original language. It also delves into the prayer's contemporary life and historical transmission and gives details of generations of well-known scholars and Sufi masters who transmitted the prayer, providing an intimate insight into Islamic history.

This is the first systematic overview of the science of letters (ilm al-huruf) according to the great Andalusian spiritual master, scholar, poet and philosopher Ibn Arabi (d. 1240). Ibn Arabi defined the science of letters as familiarity with the building-blocks of the Quranic revelation and everything in the world of Nature. Letters are understood as visual and aural signs of pointing to the mysteries of existence. The present study examines how the universe came to be, for what purpose it as created and the hierarchical structure it is endowed with. It is an old story told anew -- through the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, their orthographic forms and the meanings attributed to them, utilising Ibn Arabis own diagrams. Although the story could be told through geometrical figures or numbers, letters were chosen on the basis of Ibn Arabis doctrine that the meanings carried by the letters fully encompasses the whole of existence: God and the universe.

Text in English & Arabic. This is the first English translation of Ibn 'Arabi's Hilyat al-abdal, a short work which he wrote in the space of an hour during his Meccan period as something that would be "of assistance for those on the Path to true happiness". Beginning with an anecdote concerning one of his Andalusian companions, Ibn 'Arabi proceeds to explain the exterior qualities of the spiritually transformed (abdal). He particularly focuses on the four essential prerequisites of spiritual discipline: silence, seclusion, hunger and vigilance, describing how these appear among both aspirants and the spiritually realised. One of the most popular of his short works, the Hilyat al-abdal was much copied, and this book includes the first critical edition of the text based on the best manuscripts, including one written in Malatya during the author's lifetime. In addition, it provides a substantial introduction on the abdal saints, and a translation of Chapter 53 from the Futuhat al-makkiyya, which deals with the same subject-matter. Published in association with the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society.

A collection of 101 hadith sayings, this work is one of the most important and influential early collections of hadith qudsi. Falling into three categories, the first 40 sayings each have a full, unbroken chain of transmission that goes back to God through the medium of the Prophet Muhammad. The second category are sayings mostly taken from well-known written collections. The final section is drawn from similar books, with Ibn 'Arabi adding one extra hadith, orally transmitted. Comprised of a full introduction explaining the meaning of Hadith, the text stresses the importance of this tradition in Ibn 'Arabi's writing.

In these global times it is a curious and pertinent fact that the life and writings of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi, which since the 12th century have incalculably influenced the metaphysical structure of much Oriental thought and practice, still remain relatively unknown and undiscussed in the Western theoretical architecture of the twenty-first century. His remarks on causality, time, contingency, necessity, epistemology, ontology, ethics and aesthetics alone would entice even the most wary of modernity's intellectual authorities. This book deals with the findings of just some of these authorities modern philosophy, social science and psychology in an open discourse between the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the scientific, the industrial and the personal. It is an invitation to reconsider some of the central and defining ideas of modernity in the light of Ibn 'Arabi's writings on the Unity of Existence. The book will be of interest to academics and students in psychology, sociology and philosophy, and to readers with an academic and/or personal interest in Ibn 'Arabi.

This is a translation of the spiritual poems of one of the greatest Ottoman Sufi masters, Mehmed Muhyiddin Üftade (1490-1580). Üftade was born and lived in Bursa, a hugely important spiritual centre at the height of the Ottoman Empire. He was founder of one of its main dervish orders, the Jelvetiyye, through the training of his famous disciple, Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi. In addition, Üftade composed a collection of poems, which express his spiritual quest in simple, direct and wonderfully human language, and these are presented here for the first time in English. Paul Ballanfat's introduction provides a detailed overview of the main features of Üftade's life and teachings, and of his cultural background, where sultans were often affiliated to Sufi orders. Particularly prominent in Üftade's teaching was the thought of "the greatest master", Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, and of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Üftade had a direct spiritual connection with both of these extraordinary men and a great veneration for them.

Through the story of the universal tree, representing the complete human being, and the four birds, representing the four essential aspects of existence, Ibn 'Arabi explains his teaching on the nature and meaning of union with God. Providing an excellent initiation into the often complex works of Ibn 'Arabi, this brief, delightful tale is the first English translation of an important, early work, complete with Arabic text, commentary, and notes.

Providing a precious glimpse into the real practice of the mystical life within the Sufi tradition, this volume marks the first time any of Ibn ‘Arabi's prayers have been translated into another language. The 14 prayers include not only the most astounding expressions of devotion and contemplation, but also an unparalleled depth of knowledge of union. The very structure of the prayers is itself a mode of contemplation, making for a unique spiritual experience.

A major work of mystical literature, this account focuses on 14 visions in the form of dramatic conversations with the divine, interspersed with dazzling visionary episodes regarding the nature of existence, humans' relationship with reality, and the way to achieve true happiness. The introduction presents a resume of Ibn 'Arabi's life and examines in detail the style and symbolism of the contemplations. Presented for the first time in English, this work is a superb example of Ibn 'Arabi's inimitable style and deep perception.

Investigating sufi-inspired spirituality in the modern world, this multi-faceted and interdisciplinary volume focuses on Beshara, a spiritual movement that applies the teachings of Ibn 'Arabi in a non-Muslim context. It traces the movement's emergence in sixties Britain and analyses its major teachings and practices, exploring through this case-study the interface between Sufism and the New Age, and the encounter between Islam and the West. Examining from a global perspective the impact of cultural transformations associated with modernisation and globalisation on religion, this timely volume concludes by tracing possible futures of Sufi spirituality both in the West and in the Muslim world.

Providing a precious glimpse into the practice of the mystical life within the Sufi tradition, this volume marks the first time any of Ibn ‘Arabi's prayers have been translated into another language. The 14 prayers include not only the most astounding expressions of devotion and contemplation, but also an unparalleled depth of knowledge of union. The very structure of the prayers is itself a mode of contemplation, making for a unique spiritual experience.

Text in English & Arabic. This book unearths a hidden treasure from the golden age of Ottoman scholarship, an original Arabic commentary by Isma'il Anqarawi on the Light Verse of the Quran, presented here in English for the first time. A devoted follower of Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, Anqarawi was a highly influential figure in the 17th-century Ottoman world. Perhaps best known as a charismatic and beloved shaykh of the Sufi Mawlawi (Mevlevi) order, he was also a renowned author. "The Lamp of Mysteries" reveals profound insights into the famous and mysterious Light Verse. Bilal Kuspinar has also provided a detailed account of Anqarawi's life and works, an analysis of the Commentary, and a critical edition of the Arabic text.

Text in English & Arabic. If it is true, as Ibn 'Arabī claims, that voyaging never ceases in all worlds and dimensions, the paradigmatic voyages recounted in this remarkable book offer the reader an inexhaustible source of reflection. As a well-known Sufi saying puts it, 'the spiritual journey is called "voyage" (safar) because it "unveils" (isfār) the characters of the Men of God'. This book explores the theme of journeying and spiritual unveiling as it plays out in the cosmos, in scripture and within the soul of the mystic. Beginning with a series of cosmological contemplations, Ibn 'Arabī then turns to his own selective readings of Prophetic lore, in which he gives profound Muhammad, Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Jacob and Joseph, and Moses. Angela Jaffray's translation of Kitāb al-Isfār 'an natā'ij al-asfār brings this major treatise to an English-speaking audience for the first time. It is accompanied by a new edition of the Arabic text based in a manuscript in Ibn 'Arabi's own hand, an introduction and extensive notes. It also includes a rich in-depth commentary that will guide the reader through Ibn 'Arabī's subtle and allusive writing.

Now, for the very first time, we have at hand the entire curriculum of a Sufi saint. For more than a quarter of a century, Henry Bayman has been in close contact with the Sufi Masters of Central Anatolia. Most of that time was spent in the presence of the peerless Sufi teacher Mr Ahmet Kayhan. Out of that association has emerged our closest glimpse yet of the famous (and hitherto mysterious) Oral Tradition of Sufism. The author, combining the rigor of an anthropologist with the devotion of a disciple, has brought us a book that faithfully lays bare the entire range of teachings of the man who may come to be recognised as the Sufi Saint of the Age. It may well serve as the gold standard in Islamic and Sufi studies for years to come.

This is a fascinating and ground-breaking analysis of the extent to which various major Sufi figures contributed to the mystical philosophy of Ibn al-'Arabi. While recent scholarship has tended to concentrate on his teachings and life, little attention has so far been paid to the influences on his thought. Each chapter is dedicated to one of Ibn al-'Arabi's predecessors, from both the early and later periods, such as al-Bistami, al-Hallaj and al-Jilani, showing how he is discussed in the works of the 'Greatest Master' and Ibn al-'Arabi's attitude towards him. As Abrahamov makes clear, Ibn al-'Arabi was greatly influenced by the early Sufis as regards his philosophy and by the later Sufis in matters of practice. This naturally raises the question: How original was Ibn al-'Arabi's teachings?

The quest for happiness and fulfilment lies at the very heart of human life, but for Ibn 'Arabi there is a realm beyond our ordinary understanding of happiness, where the human stands truly fulfilled, in vision of Reality. This is a goal within the potential of every person.In this first English translation of a core chapter from the famous Meccan Illuminations (al-Futuḥat al-Makkiyya), Ibn 'Arabi comprehensively summarises all his major teachings on human perfectibility and true happiness. Using the imagery of alchemy and ascension, he gives the reader an extraordinary insight into the spiritual journey by contrasting two ways of acquiring knowledge: the rational and the mystical. With an introduction to Islamic alchemy, the Hermetic tradition and the mysterious elixir, this is an important text for anyone interested in Sufism, Islamic spirituality or alchemy.

PRAYERS FOR THE WEEK is a very special collection of daily prayers by Ibn Arabi and is regarded as one of the most magnificent and beautiful in the Sufi tradition. There are fourteen prayers, one for each night and day of the week, with an extra introductory prayer. They include an unparalleled depth of knowledge of Union (tawhid), and for the one who recites them, they are as much educational as devotional. This book is an expanded and fully revised version of The Seven Days of the Heart, which was first published in 2000. Over the intervening years we have consulted a very large number of manuscript copies of the Awrād in libraries throughout the world, and compare different readings and lines of transmission. The result is that for the first time we are able to provide an Arabic edition, based on the oldest and best manuscripts available, as well as a full transliteration of the prayers for non-Arabic speakers, and an updated translation and notes, with an accompanying recitation recording. We also decided to reflect the generally accepted title of these prayers by changing the main title to Prayers for the Week. The durable binding, larger type and ribbon marker used in the cloth edition make it especially suitable for long-term recitation. This completely revised edition includes: an updated English translation and notes; a fully vowelled Arabic text (based on a large number of manuscripts and different lines of transmission); a full transliteration (for those who do not read Arabic); a comprehensive introduction and several appendices; an accompanying recording of the Arabic, which can be purchased separately. This is only available via the Anqa website.

Patterns of Contemplation is a uniquely innovative and comprehensive introduction to the sacred principles and symbolism of geometry, letters and numbers, discussed through the first in-depth analysis and English translation of a major Sufi devotional masterpiece, The Blessing-Prayer of Effusion (al-?alat al-fay?iyya). It examines the kaleidoscopic structure of this prayer on the Prophet Muhammad, who authored it, and how it reveals profound teachings on human perfection.

A brilliant new introduction to Sufi philosophy, a tradition traced back to the works of Sufism’s most renowned master, Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 1240). To help bridge the gap between specialized studies of Ibn ‘Arabi and a more general readership, Dissolving into Being highlights several of his insights, on subjects ranging from the origin of the world and the reality of love, to the nature of life after death, destiny, peace and conflict, and religious diversity, all through an exploration of his masterwork Gemstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam). Will appeal to anyone interested in Sufism and how it impacts on contemporary issues, as well as those with a more specific interest in the writings of Ibn ‘Arabi.

A brilliant new introduction to Sufi philosophy, a tradition traced back to the works of Sufism’s most renowned master, Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 1240). To help bridge the gap between specialized studies of Ibn ‘Arabi and a more general readership, Dissolving into Being highlights several of his insights, on subjects ranging from the origin of the world and the reality of love, to the nature of life after death, destiny, peace and conflict, and religious diversity, all through an exploration of his masterwork Gemstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam). Will appeal to anyone interested in Sufism and how it impacts on contemporary issues, as well as those with a more specific interest in the writings of Ibn ‘Arabi.