On the Mysteries of Purification & Formal Prayer,
[A4-] Paperback - 729 pages,
by Muhy al-Din ibn al-Arabi,
Futuhat Al-Makkiyya :
Meccan Revelations, ''Great Books of the Islamic World''
Translated by Aisha Bewley,
Edited by Laleh Bakhtyar.
Back in Stock July 2019
Description :
Translated from Chapters 68 and 69 of the Futuhat al Makkiyya by Aisha Bewley. 'Shaykh al Akbar' - Ibn al Arabi, may Allah be pleased with him, delves into the mysteries of the Islamic practices of Purification and the Formal Prayer. In exhaustive detail (over 700 pages) the shaykh explains possible issues that may arise from the point of view of the divine law as well.
'' Ibn al-'Arabi's magnum opus, al-Futūhāt al-Makkiyya, 'The Meccan Openings', is known at least by name to all students of Sufism. In spite of its importance for Islamic thought in general, and Ibn al-'Arabi in particular, few scholars have taken advantage of its enormous riches because of the numerous difficulties connected with reading and understanding the text'' --- Professor William Chittick.
The Translator: Aisha Bewley: Aisha Abdurrahman at Tarjumana Bewley is one today’s most prolific translators of classical Arabic work into English. Aisha Bewley not only understands Arabic but she is also aware of the basic meanings and nature of teachings and history of Islam. Her knowledge is born of experience and direct transmission, not merely academic theory and learning by rote. For more than twenty-five years she has been concerned with making the contents of many classical works in Arabic more Accessible to English-speaking readers for the first time, including Ash-Shifa of Qadi Iyad.
A small Selection of the Contents :
---Foreword,
---Editors Preface,
Part One : On the Mysteries of Purification, [Tahaarat]
---[1] Introduction,
---1.1, Purification,
---1.2, Categories of Water & Categories of Knowledge,
---1.3, True Happiness is Happiness and in Between the Outer & the Inner,
---1.4, The Obligation of Purification and for Whom & when it is Obligatory,
---[2] The Acts of Purification,
---2.1, Intention is a Pre-Condition for the Validity of Purification,
---2.2, Washing the hands before putting them in the Ablution vessel,
---2.3, What is Obligatory and What is Recommended,
---2.4, Rinsing the Mouth and Sniffing water up the Nostrils.
---[3] On Ablution, [Wudhu]
---3.1, Definition of Washing the Face,
---3.2, Washing the Hands & Arms upto the Elbows,
---3.3, Wiping the Head,
---3.4, Wiping the Turban,
---3.5, The Times the Head is Wiped,
---3.6, Wiping the Ears and renewing water for them,
---3.7, Washing the Feet,
---3.8, The Sequence of the Acts of Ablution,
---3.9, Wiping Leather Socks,
---3.10, The Permissibility of Transferring Ablution,
---3.11, Conclusion on Wiping over Shoes,
---3.12, Permission originates from the Form,
---3.13, Major Impurity (janaba),
---3.14, Preconditions for Wiping over Leather Socks,
---3.15, The Inner Significance,
---3.16, Outer and Inner Rulings about Water in General,
---3.17, Water mixed with Impurity when none of its attributes have been changed,
---3.18, The Inner Significance of the Rule,
---3.26, Purification by left over water,
---3.32, Things which invalidate Ablution,
---3.34, The Rule of Sleep Invalidating Ablution,
---3.36, The Ruling on Touching Women,
---3.37, Ruling on Touching Sexual Organs,
---3.39, Intercourse is the Cause for the Manifestation of Offspring,
---3.47, Invalidating Ablution by Losing Conciousness,
---3.53, Ablution for Circambulation,
---3.55, Ablution for Reciting the Qur'an.
---[4] On the Full Bath, [Ghusl],
---4.1, Rules concerning the Purification of the Full Bath,
---4.2, Full Bath after Washing the Deceased,
---4.3, The Full Bath for Standing at Arafah,
---4.4, Gnosis of God by Means of Logical Reflection,
---4.5, Full Bath for Entering Makkah,
---4.6, Full Bath for Pilgrim Sanctity,
---4.7, Full Bath when someone becomes Muslim,
---4.8, Full Bath for the Friday Prayer [Jum'ah] is Obligatory,
---4.9, Full Bath for Friday is Purifcation of the Heart,
---4.10, Full Bath after Menstruation,
---4.13, Full Bath on account of bodily fluid discharge from sexual organs,
---4.16, The 150 States which oblige the Full Bath,
---4.19, The Intention in the Full Bath,
---4.20, Rinsing the Mouth and Sniffing Water in the Full Bath.
---4.21, What breaks the Purification of the Full Bath,
---4.22, The Obligation of Purification after Intercourse,
---4.24, Someone in the State Impurity Entering the Mosque,
---4.27, It is Good Manners to be Impressed by Another's Character,
---4.28, Someone in the State of Impurity Touching the Qur'an,
---4.29, The Rule on Bleeding; There are Types of Bleeding for Women,
---4.30.24, Teaching does not Prevent the One who Learns from Him from Lying.
---[5] On Dry Ablution, [Tayyammum],
---5.1, The Linguistic and Legal Meanings of Dry Ablution,
---5.2, The Purification of the Servant is Fulfilling,
---5.3, When Water is Present, Dry Ablution is Invalid,
---5.4, On Dry Ablution taking the Place of Ablution,
---5.5, The Inner Interpretation,
---5.6, Imitation in Belief,
---5.7, Analogy in the Rules of the Divine Law,
---5.8, Understanding (Fiqh) The Creed (Din),
---5.9, The Creed (Din) is Complete,
---5.10, The One who is Permitted to Use this Purification (Dry Ablution),
---5.11, Who is a Traveller, and Who is a Sick Person ?
---5.15, Imitation in Creeds and Imitation in Rules,
---5.21, The One who Fears the Cold in Using Water,
---5.23, The Intention in Purifcation by Dry Ablution,
---5.24, Belief and Intention,
---5.25, The One who does Not find Water,
---5.30, The Human Being in Respect of His Essem=nce and Inclination,
---5.31, The Number of Times one strikes the Earth when performing Dry Ablution,
---5.36, That with which Purification is Done,
---5.39, As for Each Self-Disclosure,
---5.40, Finding Water after one has performed Dry Ablution.
---[6] On Impurities,
---6.1 Purification from Impurity,
---6.2, The Incidence of Creation & the Effect of the Real Purification from Impurity,
---6.3, The Various Types of Impurities,
---6.7, The Attribute of the Flesh of Pork,
---6.10, The Human Beings Impurity when he is Often Heedless,
---6.13, Life generated from Blood,
---6.15, Sudden Death which Removes Life,
---6.20, The Blood of Aquatic Animals,
---6.24, The Ruling on the Urine of Animals,
---6.28, The Human Being is Alive by Three Types of Life,
---6.30, The Rule on a small amount of Impurity,
---6.33, The Rule about Sperm,
---6.38, Inner Garements are Attributes,
---6.40, Concerning What Removes these Impurities,
---6.41, The Knowledge which Piety Produces,
---6.44, Stones which Gush Water,
---6.51, Liquids and Solids which Remove Impurities,
---6.54, Interpretation about Removing what is Removed,
---6.59, On the Rule of Politeness when Cleaning Oneself & Entering the Lavatory,
---6.67, General Statement on Purification.
Part Two : On the Mysteries of the Formal Prayer [Salaah],
---[1] On the Mysteries of the Five Daily Prayers,
---1.1, The Ascription of the Formal Prayer to God,
---1.2, Supererogatory Prayers
---1.3, The Formal Prayers,
---1.4, The Prayer for the Messenger of God,
---1.5, The Rank of the Formal Prayer.
---[2] The Times of the Formal Prayer,
---2.1, Definition of Time,
---2.1.3 Time is an Imaginery Matter,
---2.2 The Times of the Formal Prayer,
---2.2.1, Specified and Unspecified Times,
---2.2.3, The Gnostic is the Master of the Moment.
---[3] The Time of the Noon Formal Prayer, [Zuhr],
---3.1, The Formal Prayer is Prescribed at a Specific Time,
---3.4, The End of the Widest Time of the Noon Prayer,
---3.5, The Four Temporal Quarters of the Day,
---[4] The Time of the Afternoon Formal Prayer, [Asr],
---4.1, The Disagreement of Legal Scholars,
---4.2, The Disagreement of the Scholars is a Mercy to the Worshippers,
---4.3, The End of the Time for Afternoon Prayer,
---4.6, The Yellowing of the Sun by Way of Secrets,
---4.8, God is a Comprehensive Name, do not make Likeness of Him.
---[5] The Time of the Evening Prayer, [Maghrib],
---5.1, The Disagreement of Legal Scholars on the Time of Evening Prayers,
---5.2, The Evening Formal Prayer is Odd-Numbered,
---5.3, The Odd number of the Day and Night Formal Prayers,
---5.4, The Evening Formal Prayer has Two Times like the Other Formal Prayers.
---[6] On the Time of the Night Formal Prayer, [Isha],
---6.1, The Disagreement of the Legal Scholars on the Time of the Night Prayer,
---[7] Correspondence between the Three Ranks of the World and the Three Ranks of the Formal Prayer,
---7.1, The Interpretation of the Beginning and the End of the Time of the Prayer,
---7.2, The Quality of the Interspace of the Evening [Isha] & Morning Prayers [Fajr] and the Difference between Them,
---7.3, The Intelligible, Imaginery and Sensory Forms,
---7.4, The Three Parts of the Night and the Three Parts Worlds of the Human Being,
---[8] The Time of the Morning Formal Prayer [Fajr],
---8.1, The Disagreement of Legal Scholars on the Time of Morning Prayers,
---8.2, The Vision of God: Is it by The Eye or by Knowledge.
---[9] Rules about the Times of the Formal Prayer,
---9.1, The Times when the Formal Prayer is Imperitive & the excuse [for not praying],
---9.2, The Times when the Formal Prayer is Imperative according to those who affirm it,
---9.3, The Times in which it is Forbidden to Offer the Formal Prayer,
---9.3.1, The Five Times in which it is Forbidden to Offer the Formal Prayer,
---9.4, The Formal Prayers which are not Permitted.
---[10] On the Call to Formal Prayer & the Declaration to Perform it, [Adhaan],
---10.1, Introduction,
---10.2, The Description of the Call to the Prayer,
---10.3, The Ruling of the Call to the Prayer,
---10.4, The Time of the Call to the Prayer,
---10.5, On the Pre-conditions of this Act of Worship,
---10.6, The One Repeats exactly what is said when he hears the Call to Prayer,
---10.7, The Declaration to Perform the Prayer,
---10.7.1, The Ruling regarding the Declaration,
---10.7.3, The Description of the Declaration to Perform the Prayer,
---10.7.4, The Interpretation of the Description of the Declaration to Perform the Prayer.
---[11] The Direction of the Formal Prayer, [Qibla],
---11.1, Introduction,
---11.1.1, The Ruling of Turning Towards the Qibla,
---11.1.2, The Interpretation of Defining the Direction of Prayer,
---11.1.4, Facing the Kaba with the Eye and Facing it's Direction.
---[12] Covering the Private Parts, [Awra]
---12.1, Introduction,
---12.1.1, Covering the Private Parts in General,
---12.2, Covering the Private Parts in Prayer,
---12.3, The Definition of Private Parts,
---12.4, The Definition of a Womans Private Parts.
---[13] Clothing in the Formal Prayer,
---13.1, Introduction,
---13.2, The Agreement of the Scholars about Clothing in Prayer,
---13.3, Cothing which a Woman can Wear in Formal Prayer,
---13.4, Wearing Unlawful Clothes when Performing Prayer.
---[14] Being Free of Impurity when Performing Prayer,
---14.1, The Position of the Scholars on this issue,
---14.2, The Interpretation of the Principle of being Free from Impurity.
---[15] The Places in which one Performs the Formal Prayer, [Mosque],
---15.1, Introduction,
---15.1.1, The Positions of the Scholars on the Permissibility of the Places of Prayer,
---15.2, Synagogues and Churches,
---15.3, Performing Prayers on Carpets/Materials used for Sitting on.
---[16] On the Words and Actions of the Prayer,
---16.1, Action incompatible with the Performing of Prayer,
---16.2, Interpretation of Actions incompatible with the Prayer,
---16.3, Words which are incompatible with the Performing of Prayer,
---16.4, The Interpretation of Words in the Formal Prayer.
---[17] The Intention to Perform the Formal Prayer,
---17.1 Introduction,
---17.1.1, The Intention is a Pre-condition for the Validity of the Prayer,
---17.2, The Intention of the Leader [Imam] of the Prayer.
---[18] The Ruling of the States of the Formal Prayer,
---[19] The Recitation of ''God is Greater'' in the Formal Prayer,
---[20] On Directing Oneself in the Formal Prayer,
---[21] The Interpretation of the Recitation of the Opening Chapter, [Surah al-Fateha],
---[22] Actions of the Formal Prayer,
---[23] Concerning Different Aspects of the Formal Prayer,
---[24] The One Most Entitled to Act as Prayer Leader, [Imam],
---[25] On the Mysteries of the Friday Congregational Prayer, [Jum'ah],
---[26] Those for Whom the Friday Congregational Prayer is Obligatory,
---[27] The Pre-conditions for the Friday Congregational Prayer,
---[28] The Call to Prayer for the Friday Congregational Prayer, [Adhaan],
---[29] The Conditions Particular to the Day of the Friday Congregational Prayer,
---[30] Two Friday Formal Congregational Prayers in the Same City,
---[31] The Friday Sermon, [Khutbah],
---[32] Taking a Full Bath [Ghusl] on Friday,
---[33] The Obligation of Attending the Friday Congregational Prayer for those living outside of the City,
---[34] The Times reported in which it is Excellent to set out for Friday Prayer, [Jum'ah],
---[35] Selling at the Time of the Call to Prayer on Friday,
---[36] On the Good Manners on Friday for the Friday Congregational Prayer,
---[37] On the Mysteries of Formal Prayer whilst Travelling,
---[38] On the Mysteries of Combining the Formal Prayer,
---[39] The Sick Person at Home joining the Formal Prayer,
---[40] On the Mysteries of Formal Prayer because of Fear,
---[41] On the Mysteries of Miscellaneous Issues of the Formal Prayer
---[42] Things which Invalidate the Formal Prayer ,
---[43] On Making up Missed Formal Prayers,
---[44] The One Who leaves the Formal Prayer Deliberately or the One who Faints,
---[45] The Description of Making up Missed Formal Prayers,
---[46] On the Mysteries of the Prostration of Forgetfulness,
---[47] On the Mysteries of Individual Obligations with the Formal Prayers,
---[48] On the Mysteries of the Odd-Cycle Prayer,
---[49] On the Mysteries of the Dawn Formal Prayer,
---[50] On the Mysteries of the Supererogatory Prayer,
---[51] On the Mysteries of the Night Prayers in the Month of Ramadan, [Tarawih],
---[52] On the Mysteries of the Eclipse Formal Prayer,
---[53] On the Mysteries of the Prayer asking for Rain,
---[54] On the Mysteries of the Two Bows [Rakats],
---[55] On the Mysteries of the Prostration of Recitation,
---[56] On the Mysteries of the Festival Formal Prayer, [Eid],
---[57] On the Mysteries of the Funeral Prayer, [Janazah Salah],
---[58] On the Mysteries of the Prayer asking for Blessings, [Istikharah],
---[59] Conclusion : Regarding what is connected to the Formal Prayer,
---59.1, Introduction,
---59.1.1, The Ascription of the Formal Prayer to God,
---59.1.2, The Ascription of Formal Prayer to Angels and Others,
---59.2, The Formal Prayer of God and The Angels,
---59.3, The Prayer of the People and Jinn,
---59.5, Some of the Secrets of Gnosis of God &other Ranks,
---59.6, Some of the Secrets of Declaration to Perform the Prayer, [Iqama],
---59.7, Good Actions are Charity for the Soul,
---59.8, The Effect of the Formal Prayer on the State,
---59.8.4, The Remembrance which comes in the Qur'an,
---59.8.5, Seeking Help in the Remembrance of God (dhikr) and Thankfulness by the Formal Prayer and Steadfastness,
---59.9, The Different Types of Formal Prayer and the Prayer for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
---59.9.4, The Family of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, : Constant Prophethood & Severed Prophethood,
---59.9.5, Those who are not Prophets but Whom the Prophets Envy.
---Appendix A: Al-Ghazali ''On the Mysteries of Purity and the Formal Prayer'' from the Alchemy of Happiness, translated by Jay R. Crook,
---General Index,
---Index to Qur'anic Verses Cited,
---Books in English by or About Ibn al-Arabi.
