Urs of Ibn Arabi (Shaykh al-Akbar)
Honoring the greatest mystical philosopher of Islam, the Greatest Sheikh.
The urs of Ibn Arabi is observed on 22 Rabi al-Thani in the Islamic lunar calendar, the anniversary of his death in Damascus. It moves about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year, cycling through all seasons over about 33 years.
When Is Urs of Ibn Arabi (Shaykh al-Akbar)?
The urs of Ibn Arabi is observed on 22 Rabi al-Thani in the Islamic lunar calendar, the anniversary of his death in Damascus. It moves about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year, cycling through all seasons over about 33 years.
Because the Gregorian date changes from year to year, check a calendar published by the tradition or your local community for this year's date.
Why It Matters
Muhyi al-Din Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 CE) of Murcia, Spain, is considered the greatest mystical philosopher of Islam. His Fusus al-Hikam and Futuhat al-Makkiyya form the most sophisticated Sufi metaphysical system, later associated with the doctrine of Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being), a term applied to his thought by later writers rather than one he used himself.
How It Is Observed
Pilgrimage to his shrine in Damascus, recitation of his poetry and the Futuhat, Sufi gatherings to study his philosophy, dhikr ceremonies.
Sacred Text
“My heart has become capable of every form: it is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks, and a temple for idols and the pilgrim's Ka'ba and the tables of the Tora and the book of the Koran. I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love's camels take, that is my religion and my faith.”
, Tarjuman al-Ashwaq, Ibn Arabi (Poem XI, trans. R. A. Nicholson) ↗