Ibn al-'Arabi and the Postmodern Philosophers: The Return to God After the Death of God

Ibn al-'Arabi and the Postmodern Philosophers: The Return to God After the Death of God

Author: Selected speakers October 8, 2017 Duration: 37:54
Dr Husam al-Mallak is a Senior Teaching Fellow at SOAS where he lectures on 'Modern Trends in Islam'. He completed his PhD thesis in January 2016, under Dr Cosimo Zene, Dr J.P. Hartung and Dr Nasr Abu Zayd (d. 2010), on how the mystical thought of Ibn al-'Arabi can be considered as an Islamic overcoming of Nietzschean nihilism. His MA dissertation at Birkbeck was 'Beyond Postmodernism and the Crisis of Truth: Re-Reading Ibn Al-'Arabi's Qur'anic Hermeneutics' and he has given public lectures on this subject at The Islamic College, the Royal Asiatic Society and the Oriental Institute in Oxford. He has published book reviews in the Journal for Shi'a Islamic Studies and has forthcoming articles in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies.

The Ibn 'Arabi Society podcast offers a deep and nuanced exploration into the life, work, and enduring legacy of the 13th-century Andalusian mystic and philosopher, Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi. This series presents a curated selection of talks from the Society's annual symposia, featuring a diverse range of Selected speakers including scholars, translators, and practitioners. Each episode delves into specific themes from Ibn 'Arabi's vast corpus-such as the Oneness of Being, the imagination as a creative cosmic force, and the perfect human-placing his thought in dialogue with contemporary questions in spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like attending a rigorous yet accessible academic gathering, where complex ideas about the nature of reality, love, and divine knowledge are unpacked with care and passion. You'll hear detailed analyses of primary texts, cross-cultural comparisons, and reflections on how these profound teachings apply to modern life and interfaith understanding. It is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to move beyond superficial summaries and engage seriously with one of history's most influential spiritual intellects. The discussions are richly layered, rewarding both newcomers and those already familiar with Sufi metaphysics, and together they build a comprehensive portrait of a thinker whose work continues to resonate across centuries and disciplines.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ibn 'Arabi Society
Podcast Episodes
Gregory Vandamme: The Body of the Caliph [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:42
The Body of the Caliph: Corporeal Governance of the Human Kingdom in Ibn 'Arabi's al-Tadbirat al-ilahiyya and its Commentaries In his Book of the Divine Governances for the Restoration of the Human Kingdom (K. al-Tadbira…
Human and Divine Breaths: Mirrors of Creation, Language and Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:00
Ibn 'Arabi states in Futuhat that 'the breath of the creatures comes from the divine breath' or that 'the human breath has the same form as that of the Merciful.' Parting from this idea, a whole set of implications relat…
The Ultimate Vision of Life: Ibn 'Arabi and the Anthropocosmic Self [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:04
Muhammad writes: This lecture explores the concept of the anthropocosmic self in Ibn 'Arabi's thought, presenting his vision of life as a dynamic interplay between the human being, the cosmos, and the divine. Ibn ʿArabi,…
The Secret of God's Most Beautiful Names [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:01
This is an online book launch in December 2024 in conjunction with Anqa Books (Stephen Hirtenstein) and the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society (Kris Ramlan). Professor Michael Sells gives an appraisal, followed by a Q&A. This b…
Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:25
To help bring Ibn 'Arabi's timeless teachings to life for people today, Dickson, in his new book, explores key themes from the Fusus al-Hikam (The Gemstones of Wisdom), a work that conveys the essential wisdom of the pro…
The Perfect Human and the Greatest Name [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:18
The title for this talk is drawn from the final mysterious book-title mentioned by Ibn 'Arabi in his listing of his own writings in the Fihrist ('Catalogue'). It would be impossible to appreciate Ibn 'Arabi's writings wi…
Dispatch from the Red Planet: Prophet Aaron’s Paradoxical Persona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:27
Angela writes: Overshadowed by his younger brother Moses, known primarily for his negative role in the Golden Calf saga, the Prophet Aaron’s importance may seem to some negligible, his status auxiliary, his effect doubtf…