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עמוד:14
Perspectives, Relationships and Relativity in Ibn al - ‘Arabī’s Thought 14 he understands by allāhu al - ṣamad ( verse 2 ) God to whom people turn when asking Him to fulfil their needs . However, verse 4 in this chapter states that he has no equal ( lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥadun ) , which is a phrase of transcendence that contradicts verse Probably this contradiction leads Ibn al - ‘Arabī to conclude that . 2 this chapter is a secret, that is, one has to deny both transcendence and immanence, just like the secret of predestination and free will qadar ) . Thus, even the statement that God is both transcendent ( and immanent is rejected, and one is left with a mystery of God’s nature . But at the end of this page, 6 our author asserts that God is both known and unknown, which means that the first possibility of establishing His transcendence from one perspective and His immanence from another still exists like the existence of the secret mentioned above . Does Ibn al - ‘Arabī leave his readers with the freedom to choose one of these two possibilities ? The discussion does not end here ; God’s Essence ( dhāt ) is divided into two aspects : a . The Essence itself, which cannot be known and hence nothing can be said about it, except that it exists ; 7 and b . The Essence from the point of view of God’s names and attributes . 8 Here, Ibn al - ‘Arabī does not explain the relationship between the Essence and the names, which describe Ibid . 6 Affifi, p . 103 . Abrahamov, The Bezels, p . 71 . Izutsu, pp . 23 f . In Affifi, p . 111 7 Abrahamov, The Bezels, p . 79 ) , divinity is called the existence itself, or the ( essence of existence ( ‘ayn al - wujūd ) . According to our author, the only real existent is God . Hence He is named the Real ( al - ḥaqq ) . Affifi, p . 48 . Abrahamov, The Bezels, p . 16, n . 29 . The human being cannot 8 meet God from the perspective of His Essence ; he can only encounter God as He is depicted by His names, that is, he can know His names through reason . Ibn al - ‘Arabī, Futūḥāt , I, p . 69 . Likewise, God from the aspect of His Essence has no connection to bringing things into existence . Creation is performed through the name Creator . Ibid . , IV, p . 356 . Consequently, the rational understanding of God as Essence is different from the same understanding of Him as God ( ilāh ) . Ibid . , VI, pp . 35 f .
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