Life & Philosophy
Fusus Al Hikam
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Ibn Arabi’s Inclusive Approach
Ibn Arabi’s Philosophy
Ibn Arabi’s Teachings
Ibn Arabi’s Wisdom
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Ibn Arabi’s Quotes
Fusus al Hikam
Stories of Prophets
Amazing Encounters
Ibn Arabi and Jalal al-Din Rumi: Two Masters United by the Language of Love
Few names shine as brightly in the history of Islamic spirituality as Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn Arabi and Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī. While historical records debate whether Ibn ‘Arabi (1165–1240) and Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–1273) spent extensive time together, traditional Sufi biography—most famously recorded by the hagiographer Ahmad Aflaki in Manāqib al-‘Ārifīn—narrates a legendary, deeply symbolic encounter between the two spiritual giants when Rumi was still a young boy.
The Encounter: "An Ocean Following a Sea"
During the early 1220s, Rumi’s father, Bahauddin Walad—a renowned Islamic scholar and spiritual master known as the “Sultan of Scholars”—was fleeing the impending Mongol invasion of Khorasan with his family. As they migrated westward across the Middle East, they passed through Damascus, Syria.
At the time, Ibn ‘Arabi was living in Damascus, surrounded by students and seekers of divine truth.
As the story goes, Ibn ‘Arabi was standing on a street in Damascus when he noticed Bahauddin Walad walking by, with the young Jalal al-Din (Rumi) walking quietly a few paces behind his father.
Observing the young boy’s spiritual aura, Ibn ‘Arabi smiled, gestured toward them, and uttered his famous realization:
"Glory be to God! A vast ocean is following a sea."
The Meaning of the Insight
- The “Sea”: Ibn ‘Arabi recognized Bahauddin Walad as a great, deep scholar and saint in his own right.
- The “Ocean”: He perceived that the young boy walking behind him was destined to become an even limitless, unmeasurable force of divine love, poetry, and realization.
The remark is understood as a profound spiritual insight. Whether understood as history or sacred tradition, the story beautifully expresses the respect that later generations saw between these two towering figures of Islamic mysticism.
2. The Indirect Bridge: Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi
While Ibn ‘Arabi and Rumi represented two distinct modes of Sufism—Ibn ‘Arabi the master of metaphysical precision (Wahdat al-Wujud) and Rumi the intoxicated poet of divine longing—their legacies merged through a shared friend and disciple: Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (1207–1274).
- Qunawi was Ibn ‘Arabi’s stepson, primary student, and the chief systematizer of his philosophy.
- After Ibn ‘Arabi’s passing, Qunawi settled in Konya (modern-day Turkey), where Rumi lived.
- Rumi and Qunawi became close companions and held deep mutual reverence. In fact, when Rumi died in 1273, it was Qunawi whom Rumi requested to lead his funeral prayers.
Through Qunawi, the philosophical rigor of Ibn ‘Arabi’s school found harmony with the ecstatic spiritual music and poetry of Rumi’s circle.
3. The Shams of Tabriz Connection
Another fascinating thread connecting them was Shams of Tabriz, the enigmatic wandering dervish whose arrival in Konya transformed Rumi into a passionate mystic poet.
Before Shams arrived in Konya to seek out Rumi, he had spent time in Damascus sitting in the circles of Ibn ‘Arabi. Though Shams ultimately sought a different kind of spiritual companionship, he praised Ibn ‘Arabi’s immense spiritual rank while noting that Rumi possessed the capacity to absorb the direct fire of divine love.
It is one of the most fascinating “behind the scenes” spiritual connections in Islamic intellectual history. Shams of Tabriz’s time in Damascus with Ibn ‘Arabi’s circle highlights how closely connected these figures were across the 13th-century Islamic world.
The Contrast: "State" vs. "Words"
In his own recorded discourses (Maqālāt-i Shams-i Tabrīzī), Shams directly mentions Ibn ‘Arabi (whom he referred to as Sheikh Muhammad). Shams acknowledged Ibn ‘Arabi’s unmatched mastery of spiritual knowledge and legal/metaphysical sciences, but he noted a crucial distinction:
Shams felt that while Ibn ‘Arabi was a supreme master of explaining spiritual truth in formal language, he himself was seeking a raw, unmediated, and direct personal flame—a spiritual “fire” that he ultimately found in Rumi.
To explore the transformative impact of spiritual encounters and how two spiritual worlds converge, watch Baraka Blue’s talk on the Meeting of the Two Oceans.
Konya as the Convergence Point
Through Damascus (where Ibn ‘Arabi taught and Shams visited) and Konya (where Qunawi taught and Rumi lived), 13th-century Sufism created a seamless bridge:
- The Mind/Structure: Preserved in Konya by Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (Ibn ‘Arabi’s chief student).
- The Heart/Fire: Expressed in Konya by Rumi and ignited by Shams of Tabriz.
It shows that Akbarian metaphysics and Mevlevi poetry weren’t opposing schools of thought—they were two sides of the very same spiritual coin!
