Ibn Arabi's 'Doves of the Arak Tree' and its Arabian, Qur'anic and Plotinian Antecedents

Ibn Arabi's 'Doves of the Arak Tree' and its Arabian, Qur'anic and Plotinian Antecedents

Author: Selected speakers September 25, 2018 Duration: 46:24
Stefan Sperl is Professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, at SOAS University of London. He was born in Stuttgart and brought up in Luxembourg. He studied Arabic at Oxford and the American University in Cairo and did his postgraduate research at SOAS, London. In 1978 he joined UNHCR and held several assignments in the Middle East and Geneva. He returned to SOAS 1988. His publications include Mannerism in Arabic Poetry (1989), Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa (1996, with Christopher Shackle), as well as numerous articles on Arabic, Islamic and Refugee Studies. In 2005 he embarked on a research project with Ahmed Moustafa which resulted in their joint publication The Cosmic Script: Sacred Geometry and the Science of Arabic Penmanship (2014). It won the Iran World Award for the Book of the Year in 2016. He was co-organiser of the 2017 MIAS symposium 'Ibn Arabi and the Philosophers' at SOAS and in November 2017 organiser of the conference 'Faces of the Infinite, Neoplatonism and Poetics at the Confluence of Africa, Asia and Europe' at the British Academy and SOAS.

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…