Ibn al-Arabi’s Interpretation Method And Its Application in The Chapter on Muhammed in ‎Fusûs: Every Being is a Divine Sign

Interpreting the Quranic verses and hadiths, Ibn al-Arabi introduced a new method peculiar to ‎him. Although he assumed the meanings attributed to “indication (ishârat)” by the Sufis before ‎him, he imputed new and different meanings to this concept. The main problem for Ibn al-Arabi is ‎to introduce a new interpretation method that encompasses all beings rather than to put forward ‎a method for interpreting the verses and hadiths. Due to this his interpretation is restricted by ‎the general frame of the notion of unity of beings (wahdat al-wujûd), which mainly depends on ‎the opinion that all beings are words of Divine Person.‎
In this context, the principle that says “every being is a divine sign” made possible for him to see ‎divine words almost identical. A hadith interpretation of him in the chapter on Muhammad in ‎Fusûs is a kind of prototype for this interpretation method.‎

Keywords

Ibn al-Arabi, being, indication, interpretation method