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In the life of Ibn Arabi there were many spiritual teachers and companions. They affected his works and philosophy; he has written about his spiritual masters. Thus, his relation with women in his life shows the socially different gender roles and their acceptance in the medieval era. Ibn Arabi used feminine symbols and word throughout his work. There were many female masters with whom he engaged himself as a disciple in the spiritual path.
Fatima bint alMuthamma (Cordaba)
She was the most influential of the women in Ibn Arabi’s life. The Sufi Ibn Arabi mentions his meeting with Fatima bint al-Muthanna in chapter 178 of the Illuminations of Mecca, entitled “Treatise on Love”. Ibn Arabi relates that he put himself at his service for two years. Together, they regularly recited the first surah of the Qur’an (Al-Fatiha), and Ibn Arabi was in awe of al-Muthanna’s level of spiritual elevation.
Shams, the Mother of the Poor (Marchena)
Yasmina Umm al-Fuqara (Shams) was an eighty year old woman who lived in Marchena. she was regarded one of the Lamenting Saints. Ibn Arabi says that God has taken this kind of awliyaa for the lamenting due to the sorrow they find in their hearts in response to their lack of perfection and connection [Futuhat: II.35].
Women in Arabi’s Life
In the life of Ibn Arabi there were many spiritual teachers and companions. They affected his works and philosophy; he has written about his spiritual masters. Thus, his relation with women in his life shows the socially different gender roles and their acceptance in the medieval era. Ibn Arabi used feminine symbols and word throughout his work. There were many female masters with whom he engaged himself as a disciple in the spiritual path.
Fatima bint alMuthamma (Cordaba)
She was the most influential of the women in Ibn Arabi’s life. The Sufi Ibn Arabi mentions his meeting with Fatima bint al-Muthanna in chapter 178 of the Illuminations of Mecca, entitled “Treatise on Love”. Ibn Arabi relates that he put himself at his service for two years. Together, they regularly recited the first surah of the Qur’an (Al-Fatiha), and Ibn Arabi was in awe of al-Muthanna’s level of spiritual elevation.
Shams, the Mother of the Poor (Marchena)
Yasmina Umm al-Fuqara (Shams) was an eighty year old woman who lived in Marchena. she was regarded one of the Lamenting Saints. Ibn Arabi says that God has taken this kind of awliyaa for the lamenting due to the sorrow they find in their hearts in response to their lack of perfection and connection [Futuhat: II.35].
Nizam bint Makin al- Din
A Persian Sufi, Nizam bint Makin al- Din is one of the most interesting characters among the women mentioned in the writings of Ibn Arabi. Nizam appears to have had an unique ,transformative and metamorphic impact on him during his spiritual journey. She was unmarried, spoke in public, had friendships with unrelated males, didn’t wear hijab and dressed in a way in which her beauty was apparent, yet was modest, independent and self- assured. She proved to be the inspiration for Ibn Arabi’s most spiritual and elemental love poetry which is compiled in Tarjuman al ashwaq.
Moreover, Ibn Arabi’s appreciation of Sufi women was not specific to his teachers but at times he enthusiastically describes a number of his female cohorts. The text Ruh al- quds describes some remarkable personalities of his times. One of them is Qasim al Daula, an incognito slave girl whom he describes as the unique one of that time. According to the anecdote she was gifted with supernatural abilities. She was able to communicate with the trees and mountains, and had the ability to cover great distances in no time. She was arduous in self-discipline of spiritual practices, used to fast and chant verses for an unbelievable period. She earned the title of most spiritually chivalrous and pious lady of that time.
Ibn Arabi writes about a number of female students in the series of introductory short poems in his Diwan, Ibn Arabi quotes fourteen people by name to whom he had offered khirqa (Sufi cloak) as a mark of his spiritual successors. Interestingly there were thirteen women among the fourteen khirqa receivers. These personalities in his time influenced him a lot. He was engaged with women who did not observe traditional veil. They spoke in public about religious matters because it was not a taboo for a woman to be knowledgeable and outspoken. Moreover, they played the role of spiritual masters. Ibn Arabi’s engagement with such women and activities show his gender inclusive pattern. It provides us the margin to develop an alternative Islamic feminism.
