The Meccan Revelations

Manuscript volume 22 · Page 4

Konya manuscript

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English

The mind’s nightingale, upon a branch’s heights,

delights the drinkers whenever it sings.

We appeared through Him to ourselves, and He refused;

we changed away from ourselves, yet did not change.

(The Abode’s Distinction and Gathering Divinity’s Ranks)

Know, God support you, that in this Abode alone, unlike all other Abodes, no science appears from it within created existence, or is indicated within entity, name, or ruling, without God’s ruling through this name, which gathers divinity’s ranks, having regard toward that science from one, two, three, four, or more aspects. You find this in no other Abode.

I asked, “How many sciences does it contain?” The whole Abode was raised before me. I saw twenty-three standards erected within it and considered divinity within them all, finding its regard toward them from forty aspects. I was told, “Only the Messenger of God, God bless him and grant him peace, gathered them.” From this Abode comes his mastery over the entire world. Whoever of his community inherits it gains mastery according to his share of this comprehensiveness.

From this Abode wisdom is given to one sincere toward God for forty mornings. He witnesses God within all his states, as the Messenger of God, God bless him and grant him peace, remembered God at every moment. Among this Abode’s questions is

Notes

Translator’s note TN6536-1: The final poetic line is provisionally read as changing away from ourselves yet not changing; its wording and referents are compressed. In the vision, unvocalized ʿ-l-m may mean science or standard. The explicit following plural aʿlām supports standards erected within the Abode, while the preceding question concerns its sciences.

Manuscript imageManuscript volume 22 · Page 4

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Cairo source reference

Ibn al-Arabi, The Meccan Revelations — Manuscript volume 22 · Page 4 — https://www.futmak.com/english/konya/pages.php?id=6536&text=en