Ibn 'Arabi's Religious Pluralism

"Developed to answer an inquiry on the exact scope of the religious pluralism of 13th century Muslim Polymath and Sufi, Ibn ?Arabi, this valuable study unravels the strata of complexity in the trends of pluralism one finds in Ibn ?Arabi's writings on religions. Acknowledging the taken-for-granted belief in his pluralism, the author invites us to reconsider the nature and extent of this pluralism from the perspective of the theology of religions' tripod of 'exclusivism-inclusivism-pluralism', and he argues that this religious plurality can be better interpreted from the perspective of the notion of inclusivism: Ibn ?Arabi was, rather, inclusivist in his approach to other religions, as he believed that the Muhammadan Law includes all of them under its jurisdiction. Eventually, we are offered a fresh, inviting and far from simplistically reductionist examination of Ibn ?Arabi's legacy into 'pluralist-or-not-pluralist' conundrum. The book will be quite useful to scholars and students, and will ably invite deeper explorations and greater intertextuality of the heritage of this very important Muslim scholar."

Najib George Awad, International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI), Bonn University, Germany

"This book makes a significant contribution to the ongoing interpretative debate surrounding Ibn 'Arabi's stance on religious pluralism, a key issue in the emerging field of Islamic Theology of Religions. It skillfully avoids simplistic, partial, or ideological interpretations, offering instead a more complex and nuanced perspective."

Adnane Mokrani, Pontificia Universita Gregoriana, Italy

"A thought-provoking contribution to Akbarian studies that will generate much debate and discussion."

Mohammed Rustom, author of Inrushes of the Heart: The Sufi Philosophy of ?Ayn al-Qu?at, Carleton University, Canada