Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi - I believe in the religion

Ivan M. Granger April 28th, 2008

I believe in the religion
by Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi

English version by Maurice Gloton

I believe in the religion
Of Love
Whatever direction its caravans may take,
For love is my religion and my faith.

— from Perfect Harmony: (Calligrapher’s Notebooks) , by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi


/ Photo by bachmont /

This short verse says so much with its few words. Like the caravan it mentions, if we follow it we are led into wide open lands as yet undreamed of…

This selection is an excerpt from Ibn ‘Arabi’s long poem The Interpreter of Desires. The Interpreter of Desires is a multi-layered love poem that, like the Song of Songs in the Bible and many of the courtly love songs of the Troubadours, reveals itself to ultimately be an exploration of the soul’s yearning for God. It is a tale of a holy pilgrimage to Mecca, in which the hero meets a young Persian woman of pure beauty named Nizham (Harmony). This encounter with such a perfect embodiment of harmony inspires an ardent quest that becomes a quest for the True Beloved, for God.

Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi, Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi poetry, Muslim / Sufi poetry Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi

Spain (1165 - 1240) Timeline
Muslim / Sufi

Ibn ‘Arabi is considered by many to be the greatest Sufi philosopher. His was more of a structured approach to Sufi mysticism directed toward gnosis, in contrast to Rumi’s mysticism which was more directed toward ecstatic annihilation in Love. He was one of the most prolific of Sufi writers, having composed an immense volume of work in his lifetime in both prose and verse, influencing philosophical and mystical thought, not only in the Muslim world, but also in Christian Europe.

Born in Murcia, in Moorish Spain, Ibn ‘Arabi could trace his ancestry back to ancient Arabia. When he was a boy, his family moved to Sevilla (Seville) where he began his studies. During a childhood illness, he had a transformative vision that set him firmly on the mystical path.

Ibn ‘Arabi traveled throughout the Islamic world — Spain, North Africa, the Middle East. He spent the last ten years of his life in Damascus.

Among his many writings, perhaps his most influential philosophical works are Spiritual Victories (al Futuhat al Makkiya) and Facets of Wisdom (al Fusus al Hikam).

More poetry by Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi

3 Responses to “Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi - I believe in the religion”

  1. # maryann moonon 28 Apr 2008 at 11:08 am

    I LOVE THE CARAVAN OF LOVE SHOWN ABOVE WITH THE
    IMAGE OF PILGRIMS OF GOD TRAVELING ON THE BACKS OF CAMELS! JUST ABOVE YOUR COMMENTARY ON THIS
    POEM, THERE ARE THE WORDS OF JESHUA WHICH HE SPOKE ON THE NIGHT OF HIS CAPTURE BY THE ROMAN
    SOLDIERS - IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANI.
    HE ASKS OF HIS DISCIIPLES, ‘WILL YOU STAY AWAKE WITH ME?” AND HEART-BREAKINGLY
    THOUGH THEY LOVED HIM, THEY ALL FELL ASLEEP.
    WHICH JESHUA OF COURSE, FORGIVES AS ALWAYS
    REMEMBERING HIS DIVINE ORIGINS AND KNOWING
    THAT TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE.

    I HOPE YOU’RE BEGINNING TO FEEL THE HEALING EFFECTS
    OF ALL THE LOVE THAT ALL OF US FEEL FOR YOU! MARYANN

  2. # salamon 28 Apr 2008 at 3:13 pm

    colours, talk to me & words i see.
    beauty, i see & love grows in me.
    salam.

  3. # Johnon 29 Apr 2008 at 8:15 am

    Oh, how beautiful! the tender maid.
    A shining lamp for travellers in dark
    A pearl hidden in jet black hair
    A pearl one desires diving deep into ocean depths.
    Her shapely neck, her lovely gestures tell
    Perhaps she’s a sandy-hill gazelle.

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