Abstract
The mirror metaphor is ubiquitous in sufi texts. It operates uniquely in Ibn ʿArabī’s thought and writings as a representation of his conception of the cosmos. Being, knowledge, and perfection are among the seminal themes of al-Shaykh al-Akbar’s thought, and the mirror metaphor is employed in revealing their reality in his writings. As opposed to Unity of Being, a term that Ibn ʿArabī does not employ, the mirror embodies the pillars of Ibn ʿArabī’s conception of Being through representing the quintessential huwa lā huwa, the configuration of oneness and manyness, and most importantly, the definition of the relation between God and the world.
The mirror operates as the connective thread underlying Ibn ʿArabī’s thought. Through his concepts of the image and the ‘law of correspondence’, the role of the mirror as the configuration possibilizing knowledge, love, and perfection becomes manifest. The rather ordinary metaphor reveals the foundations of al-Shaykh al-Akbar’s thought, from rendering existence possible to accomplishing the ultimately epistemic purpose of creation.
School
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Arab & Islamic Civilizations Department
Degree Name
MA in Arabic Studies
Graduation Date
Winter 1-31-2023
Submission Date
6-27-2022
First Advisor
Pascal Held
Second Advisor
Ahmad Khan
Committee Member 1
Steffen Stelzer
Committee Member 2
Ahmed Abdel Meguid
Extent
86 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Not necessary for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Eletreby, B.
(2023).A Universe of Mirrors: The Mirror Metaphor in Ibn ʿArabī’s Thought in Relation to Ontology, Knowledge, and Perfection [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1948
MLA Citation
Eletreby, Basma. A Universe of Mirrors: The Mirror Metaphor in Ibn ʿArabī’s Thought in Relation to Ontology, Knowledge, and Perfection. 2023. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1948