Ibn Al Arabi (CWS): The Bezels of Wisdom (Classics of Western Spirituality Series)

Great

The nature of Ibn Arabi's work is best understood with a very deep knowledge of Sufism and it's core principles as well as the Quran and Hadith. A familiarity with paradoxes and paradoxical solutions is also advisable. In my opinion, Austin does a really good job in attempting to explain the core ideas preceding each chapter and Ibn Arabi just blows your mind after that. Personally, this book isn't for mass consumption, the ideas presented by Ibn Arabi shatters average conceptions about how we view the nature of God and delves into how we SHOULD be underestanding God in terms of analogous arguments and sensory experience. Enlightening, frustrating and even drawing a giggle or two, this is a must-have book for those who want to break away from illusion and swim in the ocean of Reality.

masterpieces from a master, anyone following a spiritual path on reality way will find great openings in this knowledge to support and understand their own experiences inshallah.

Could not make heads or tails at one point the translator stated that he doesn't know what ibn Al Arabi wanted to say. This kind of book cannot be translated merely on language skills but one has to have in depth spiritual vision.

Shaykh Ibn al-Arabi is a saint of exceeding calibre. Reading his work invites blessings if it is read with a soft, open heart.

Muhyiddin (reviver of the Faith) Ibn 'Arabi, known as "The Greatest Sheikh" in the Islamic world and called "Doctor Maximus" in the West, was a brilliant mystic, a great theologian, and a prolific author. This is the shorter and more accessible of his two greatest works. It was revealed to him, he says, in a single vision. It describes many of the prophets in the Qur'an, such as Adam, Seth, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, as settings for various aspects of the divine wisdom. There have been a few translations of this book into English, but at this time, this seems to be the only reasonably-priced version that is available. It is more complete and more direct than Bulent Rauf's partial translation of Burkhart's French translation, which was my favorite for many years (and which is now out of print). Reading this book is a challenge in spots, especially at the very beginning, because the thoughts are very dense, and because a lot of knowledge is taken for granted that non-Muslims might not know, and because Arabic writing tends to be elliptical. But the patient reader will find many gems of insight that will enrich their understanding, whether they are Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. I strongly recommend this book.

loved it

It takes a lot of brains to understand Arabi. Best choice ever!

Purchased this to add to my Classics of Western Spirituality collection. When I get around to reading it, probably years from now, I'll probably review it then.

I am not g on the content here but the quality of the book. The book is very old and pages have become yellow.Returned the book but the replacement is again similiar so finally accepted thd book.