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עמוד:8
Perspectives, Relationships and Relativity in Ibn al - ‘Arabī’s Thought 8 of seeing and consideration ( bi - naw‘ mushāhada wa - i‘tibār ) and may be one through another kind of seeing and consideration . ” 5 The Mu‘tazilite theologian ‘Abd al - Jabbār ( d . 1025 ) was very fond of using perspectives in his exegesis of parts of the Qur’ān . According to Qur’ān 9 : 46 God prevented certain people from going out to battle . This, of course, runs contrary to the Mu‘tazilite dogma of free will . ‘Abd al - Jabbār responds to this difficulty by noting that God did not say which point of view ( wajh ) leads Him to prevent the people from going out . For instance, God could forestall them because of His knowledge that they would harm the Muslims . 6 Ibn al - ‘Arabī’s foremost disciple, Ṣadr al - Dīn al - Qūnawī d . 1274 ) also employs the system of examination utilizing ( perspectives, stating that the creation can be perceived from the perspective of the intellect and spirit of the macrocosm or from the perspectives of the intellect and spirit of the microcosm, that is, the Prophet . 7 However, it was al - Qūnawī’s Greatest Master, Ibn al - ‘Arabī who employed this system in many principal issues he discussed such that it almost became his basic philosophy . Accordingly, he regards God as transcendent from one point of view, and as immanent from another . Also human being can be examined through different aspects and the Sufi path through the same device . Furthermore, when one considers any subject matter by using aspects, he sometimes refers to the relative status of it . For example, repentance ( tawba ) is a very important device of the sinner who wishes to be a true believer ; however, from the perspective of the highest aim of the believer, that is coming close Iḥyā’, IV, p . 246 . 5 ‘Abd al - Jabbār, Mutashābih , I, 332 f . on ibid . , p . 281, he uses the word jiha to 6 denote perspective or aspect . Todd, The Sufi Doctrine, p . 68 . See also ibid . , pp . 86 - 88 . 7
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