Videos about Ibn Sab’in

Videos about Ibn Sab’in

Videos In this video, Let’s Talk Religion talks about the controversial Andalusian Philosopher/Sufi Ibn Sab’in (d. 1270) and his teachings. Talk given at the MIAS Latina symposium held in Murcia, Spain titled ‘Ibn ‘Arabi & the Secrets of Journeying’ organised by MIAS Latina and Anqa Books. This talk will focus on possibly the last work…

The hermetic wisdom of Shustari in his mystical poem “Is that a lamp?”

The hermetic wisdom of Shustari in his mystical poem “Is that a lamp?”

One of the most famous students of the great hermetic master Ibn Sab’in was the poet Ali al-Shushtari (d.1269). When he became a devotee of Ibn Sab’in, the master was four years younger than him and was widely respected at that time. They first met in Algeria when in their thirties and later went together…

The Hermetic mystic and the four lesser paths to knowledge

The Hermetic mystic and the four lesser paths to knowledge

For lbn Sab’in Hermeticism was the highest path to knowledge. In his masterwork Budd al-Arif he outlines four lesser paths to knowledge: The lesser path of the legist The legist bases his knowledge on the contents of the Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunna. Among the hadiths that make up the Sunna, a favourite of both Sufis and philosophers is: ‘The first thing that…

The 7 planets and the 7 Representatives

The 7 planets and the 7 Representatives

In the time of Ibn Arabi it was generally believed that the science of alchemy had been founded by Hermes Trismegistos, the ‘thrice-greatest Hermes’. This epithet originated from an old Egyptian title of Thoth, found in Greek as ‘the greatest and greatest great god’ (megistos kai megistos theos megas), and thereby distinguished him from being…

Alchemy and the Arabic Hermetic Tradition

Alchemy and the Arabic Hermetic Tradition

The English word ‘alchemy’ derives from the Arabic al-kīmiyāʾ, itself a loan-word from Syriac kīmīyā which in turn was taken from the Greek χημεια, meaning ‘the art of casting metals’. The earliest surviving alchemical texts in the West, which are written in Greek, hardly ever use the word χημεια and refer to their practice as ‘The Work’, ‘the divine and sacred…

Son of Nous

Son of Nous

The Hermetic method of gnostic intellection cannot be practised in isolation. Proceeding correctly requires an inspired teacher – Ibn Sab’in calls him a ‘Speaker’ (mukhatib) – who can translate the discourse of the Intellect/Nous to the disciple. This disciple or ‘Pupil’ (muta’allim) will in turn become a Speaker for another generation of Hermetic devotees. In this…

Neoplatonism, Hermeticism and the Quran

Neoplatonism, Hermeticism and the Quran

Ibn Sab’in is often called a Neoplatonic philosopher. Although he himself would have denied that. Hermeticism is also often called a Neoplatonic philosophy. But although Hermeticism borrows a lot of terminology from Neoplatonism its view of God, the Cosmos and reality is more in line with the Qurʾān than with Neoplatonism. (Allah,) The Originator of the heavens…