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Ibn Arabis

Studies in France

Prepared by :

A lover of Ibn Arabi from France

Ibn Arabi Foundation Pakistan

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For the great majority for those who study tasawwuf in France, Ibn Arab is an

indisputable authority even the supreme authority- among the spiritual masters

of Islam. There are french translations of short treaties attributed to him, of

Fuss al-Hikam, and of some chapters of the Futht al-Makkiyya. Besides,

some detailed studies have collected texts about important subjects dissipated in

his huge work. Ibn Arab is then more and more accessible to French speaking

readers.

The root of the real interest in Sheikh al-Akbar, when in a voluntary

initiation perspective, is due unquestionably to the work of Ren Gunon, who

died in 1951 in Cairo, under the name of Sheikh Abd al-Whid Yahy. He

reformed the occidental traditional thought and has given conclusive criteria toWestern people to distinguish the authentic spirituality from all its imitations

overwhelming our modern time.

But the one who introduced akbarian studies in France is in fact Michel

Vlsan with, among others, translations of texts by Ibn Arab and some of his

disciples in the review entitled Etudes Traditionnelles (Traditional Studies).

His works are a reference nowadays thanks to a great technical accuracy and

clear annotations which highlight the subtleties of the original text. These

qualities are the fruit of a direct comprehension by the author who was an

eminent Sheikh in tasawwuf.

Michel Vlsan:

Michel Vlsan translated the following writings of Ibn Arabi into french:

1. - Al-Futht al-Makkiyya : extracts from the foreword (al-khutba),chapter 20, 45, 78, 79, 176, 181, 192, 193, 262, and 263 ;

2. -Al-Awrd al-usb (Monday and Thursday),3. -Kitb al-Fan f al-Mushhada,4. -Kitb al-Jalla,5. -Hilyat al-Abdl,6. -Kitb al-Wasy,7. -Sul Ibn Sawdakin,8. -Bb marifat asrr Takbrat al-Salt,

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9. -Risla il al-Imm al-Rz,10.-Kitb al-Ilm f m buniya alayhi al-Islm,11.-Kitb al-ilm bi al-ishrt ahl al-Ilhm,12.-Wasiyya,13.-Wasiyya li al-murd (= chapter 22 of Al-Tadbirt al-ilhiyya f

islh al-Mamlakat al-insniyya),

14.-Manzil qalb al-dhkir wa m yukhtassu bihi min al-asrr(=extractfromMawqi al-Nujm),

15.-Risla f awjuh al-qalb,16.-Al-Salt al al-Nab,17.-Al-Salt al-Akbariyya,18.-Translations of Al-Qashn (extracts from Tawlt al-Qurn) and

of Al-Qunw (Risla f al-Tawajjuh al-Atamm).

19.-Other translations are unpublished.After his death, some of his disciples carried on with the enterprise of

translating akbarian texts and of producing complementary studies about them

(in alphabetic order):

Michel Chodkiewicz :

1. -The Meccan Illuminations, chosen texts from the Futht al-Makkiya (with contributions of W. Chittick, C. Chodkiewicz, D.

Gril and J. Morris), Paris, Sindbad, 1988 ;

2. -Seal of the Saint: prophethood and sainthood in the doctrine of Ibn'Arabi ;

3. -An Ocean without shore : Ibn 'Arabi, the Book and the Law ;4. -Emir Abd el-kader,Ecrits spirituels (some mawqiffrom Kitab al

Mawqif);

5. -Awhad al-Dn Balyn,Eptre sur l'Unicit absolue (oftenattributed to ibn Arab)

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Charles-Andr Gilis :

1. -Fuss al-Hikam (complete translation) ;2.La prire du jour du vendredi (on salt al-Juma, extract from

chapter 69of the Futht);

3. -La prire sur le dfunt(Al-salt al-janza, from chapter 69of theFutht) ;

4. -Les trente-six attestations coraniques de l'unit(on tahll, extractfrom chapter 198 of the Futht)

5. -LaDoctrine initiatiquedu Plerinage(on hajj, based on chapter72of the Futht) ;

6. -Textes sur le Jene (on sawm, extract from chapter 71 of theFutht).

Maurice Gloton :

1.La Production des Cercles (K. Insh al-dawir) ;2.LArbre du Monde (Shajarat al-kawn) ;3.Linterprte des dsirs (Tarjumn al-ashwq and Ibn Arabs owncommentary, K. al-Dhakhir wa-l-alq);4. -Trait de lAmour(chapter 178 of the Futht) ;5. -Jsusle fils de Marie dans le Coran et selon lenseignement dIbn

Arab(on Sayidn Issa in the Qurn and according to Ibn

Arab);

6. -De la Mort la Rsurrection (with translation of chapters 61 to 65of the Futht).

Denis Gril :

1.Le dvoilement de l'effet du voyage (Kitb al-Isfr an natij al-asfar) ;

2. -Le Livre de lArbre et des Quatre Oiseaux (Kitb al Ittihad al-Kawn) ;

3. The Kitb al-inbh of 'Abdallah Badr al-Habashi;4. -numerous articles concerning Ibn Arab, in different reviews.

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There are other translations of ibn Arabs works, this is not an

exhaustive list. We can also say that there are several current works, like an

important translation of the Futht by Abdallah Penot.

Michel Chodkiewiczs daughter, Claude Addas, author of articles aboutakbarian school masters, published a referential work : Ibn Arabs life, or the

Quest for red sulphur.