The congress online will be available soon.

We want to thank all the institutions, sponsors and persons of good will who made this congress be possible. In special we would like to thank all the scholars who generously participated with their work and believe.

INTRODUCTION

Geographically, as well as culturally and spiritually, Egypt is an Isthmus (barzakh) which separates, unites and communicates the two wings of the Arab-Islamic world – as it were, its two horizons. Meeting point of East and West, Egypt is the necessary transit point for Western Muslims carrying out their pilgrimage to Mecca. Egypt is also the place where pilgrims paused for rest while on route, and exchanged and contrasted their knowledge with that of other pilgrims.

In the history of Sufism in particular, and of Islamic thought in general, given the magnitude of his influence on later modes of thinking and spirituality, one can speak of the Great Master Muhyiddîn Ibn al-‘Arabî of Murcia 1165-1240AD (560-638 H) as crucial in marking the border between the past and the future. To date, and across the world, he is one of Islam’s most studied and translated thinkers.

Up until now there has been no congress held with the aim of studying the significance of the Ibn ‘Arabî’s relationship to Egypt, its history and its peoples. The importance of the influence of Egypt’s culture and spirituality on Ibn ‘Arabî requires the celebration of this congress; meanwhile this would also serve to commemorate the passing of Ibn ‘Arabî through Egypt and the persistent of his spiritual and intellectual presence amongst the peoples of the Nile. Among the most salient aspects of Ibn ‘Arabî’s relationship with Egypt are perhaps his relation with Dhû n-Nûn – to whose memory the Andalusi master dedicated his work al-Kawâkib al-dhurriyya; the impact of the poetry of Ibn al-Fârid among the disciples of Ibn ‘Arabî, who interpreted it according to the Akbari teachings; the reception of Ibn ‘Arabî’s thinking by later Egyptian authors such as ‘Abd al-Wahhâb al-Sha‘rânî; and the significant presence of Ibn ‘Arabî’s thought in contemporary Egyptian thought.

This international congress gathers more than 25 recognised specialists from different countries who will undertake the study of different aspects of the relationship between the prolific Sufi from Murcia with Egypt, from the various complementary perspectives of history, thought, hermeneutics, literature and spirituality.


Pablo Beneito
University of Sevilla
Spain