“It is He who is revealed in every face, sought in every sign, gazed upon by every eye, worshipped in every object of worship, and pursued in the unseen and the visible. Not a single one of His creatures can fail to find Him in its primordial and original nature.”

Ibn ‘Arabi: al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, Ch. 372

Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi

Mystic, philosopher, poet, sage, Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (1165–1240) was one of the world’s great spiritual teachers.

Ibn Arabi was born in Murcia in Arab al-Andalus, and his writings had an immense impact throughout the Islamic world and beyond. The universal ideas underlying his thought are of immediate relevance today.

The Society

The Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society (MIAS) was founded in 1977 to promote a greater understanding of the work of Ibn Arabi and his followers.

It is an international association with its headquarters in Oxford England and a branch in Berkeley California. The Society is funded by the annual subscriptions of its members. It collaborates with affiliated societies in Spain and Australia.

Activities

» Publications: The Society has published a Journal since 1982, which is now peer-reviewed and appears twice a year. It has published books, particularly a translation into English of the Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam. Its website provides over 200 articles, mainly from the Journal.

» Events: The Society has organised conferences in the UK and the USA since 1984. Podcasts and videos of more than 100 talks from Society events are available on this website.

» Historic manuscript project: Since 2002 the Society has been engaged in collecting copies of historic manuscripts of the works of Ibn Arabi. A version of the catalogue is available on this website.

Society Membership

If you are interested in Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, his work and his teachings, you are welcome to join the Society. Among other benefits, Members receive the Society Journal, have discounted entry to Society events, and free admission to live online talks.

Supporting the Society

For information about some of the Society’s planned developments over the next three years, and how it makes use of regular donations, one-off gifts and bequests, please see the page on supporting the Society.

Recently Added Quotation

Futūḥāt Translation Project

22 May 2023

It is impossible that anything be unseen to Him.

Book 10, Chapter 72

23 May 2023

He is, and we are not.

Book 10, Chapter 72

25 May 2023

The Divine Presence is One.

Book 10, Chapter 72

Go to the Quotations page

Featured Article

Souad Hakim

The Paths to God: A Journey through the Spiritual Experience of Ibn Arabi and His Writings

“The paths to God” is a phrase which carries within it a paradox because, firstly, it gives the reader the impression that God (praise be to Him) is far away, absent, or even the expectation that the seeker (salik) travels the path to arrive at the Holy Threshold. However, according to the scriptures, God (praise be to Him) is close to His servants – He is with them wherever they are. In truth, He is the Seeker in the one who reaches out to Him (praise be to Him), and He hastens towards the one who walks towards Him. This begs the question as to why the Sufi seeks a way to reach God (praise be to Him), all the while being certain that God is with him and close to him.

List of all articles

Featured Podcast

Éric Geoffroy

Spiritual Realization (al-tahqiq) through Daily Awakening

This is a meditation on the meaning of al-tahqiq (verification or realisation) which is central to the writing of Ibn ‘Arabi, and drawing on the writings of Sufis before Ibn ‘Arabi, such as Junayd (d. 911 AD, the “Leader of the Sufis”, sayyid al-ta’ifa), and others after him, such as Shaykh al-‘Alawi. Junayd said, “I have achieved al-tahqiq by staying in the presence of God for thirty years under these stairs”, by which he meant the stairs of his house. The paper later published in the Journal of the Society can be found here.

List of all podcasts

Latest News

24 June 2023

Spiritual Education and the “Imaginary Master”

Gregory Vandamme will conduct an online seminar of behalf of the Muhyddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society on 24 June 2023 at 4 pm UK time, on the subject of “Spiritual Education and the “Imaginary Master” in Ibn ʿArabī’’s K. al-Ajwiba al-ʿarabiyya“.

More information

The word Sama’ in Arabic calligraphy

1st July 2023

Simposio a Torino: Samā‘ – L’ascolto Spirituale

The 4th Symposium of MIAS-Latina will be held in Turin, Italy, on 1st July, 2023, under the title, Samā‘ : L’ascolto Spirituale in Ibn ‘Arabi e Nella Letteratura Sufi.

More information

20 May, 2023 | Lecture in Arabic

Ibn ‘Arabi and the theory of knowledge

Dr. Tawfiq bin Amer will deliver a lecture at twelve noon Moroccan time.

More information

October 20-21, 2023

New York Symposium

MIAS USA will hold its 2023 Symposium at Columbia University in New York under the title, “Translated Desires: Translation, Ibn Al-‘Arabi and the Multilingual Islamic Past”. The keynote speaker is William Chittick.

More information

Some MIAS online events

Looking forward in 2023

Hany Ibrahim – Interdisciplinary Research Hub Forum, 5 August, 2023
MIAS UK Annual Members’ Meeting: 7 October, 2023 (TBC)
MIAS USA Symposium Columbia University, New York, October 2023
Matthew Melvin-Koushki – MIAS Online Seminar 3: 2 December, 2023

More information

December 2022

Society Journal, Volume 72

Volume 72 of the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society is now available. It includes articles by Michel Chodkiewicz, Alison Roberts, Noah H. Taj, Dunja Rašić, and an interview by Hany Ibrahim and Mohammed Rustom.

See the list of contents

December 2023

Futūḥāt Translation Project

Dr Eric Winkel is engaged in a translation into English of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s Futūḥāt al-Makkīyah, from beginning to end. It is being published progressively by the Pir Press, and Volume 4 was published in 2022 and further volumes are expected in 2023.

1 October 2022

Creative encounters with Ibn ‘Arabi

A website is launched by MIAS Education featuring expressive individual responses to Ibn ‘Arabi’s writing.