From Practice to Metaphysics: The Evolution of Spiritual Stations in Ibn ‘Arabī’s Thought
Muhammad Ahmad Ibrahim Aljahsh
Teosofi December 1, 2025 DOI: 10.15642/teosofi.2025.15.2.289-312 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Metaphysics Cognitive reframing Reading process Field mathematics Spiritual practice Epistemology Transcendence philosophy Sufism Function biology Philosophy of religion Islamic philosophy |
| Key points | Argues that Ibn ‘Arabī recast Sufi spiritual stations as ontological realities of divine self-disclosure rather than sequential behavioral achievements, forming a triadic, holographically interlinked field. |
Abstract
Classical Sufi manuals present the spiritual stages achieved through disciplined Sufi practice. This article argues that the seventh/thirteenth-century mystic Muh}yī al-Dīn Ibn ‘Arabī reimagined the spiritual stations as ontological realities rather than behavioral achievements. Through a systematic reading of the twenty-second chapter of his Meccan Revelations in dialogue with his fellow Sufi gnostics, it shows that Ibn ʿArabī recast sequential progress into metaphysical loci of divine self-disclosure. The analysis identifies a triadic architecture of cosmic, spiritual, and ontological stations, where the stations function as a holographically interlinked field rather than a linear ladder. This reframing marks the transition from a “first mystical tradition” centered on ethical discipline to a “second mystical tradition” oriented by ontological insight. The conclusion sketches implications for Islamic metaphysics, including the Sadrian synthesis, and suggests how the Akbarian model offers transferable tools for comparative work on mystical experience across traditions.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |