Classical Sufi manuals describe spiritual stages achieved through disciplined practice. This article argues that the 13th-century mystic Ibn ‘Arabī reimagined these spiritual stations as ontological realities rather than behavioral achievements. Through a systematic reading of the twenty-second chapter of his Meccan Revelations, it shows that Ibn ‘Arabī recast sequential progress into metaphysical loci of divine self-disclosure. The analysis identifies a triadic architecture of cosmic, spiritual, and ontological stations, where the stations function as a holographically interlinked field rather than a linear ladder.
The paper argues that the Islamic concept of ‘Ālam al-Mithāl (the Imaginal World) provides a rigorous philosophical framework for understanding religious experiences as objectively real, rather than merely subjective or psychological. It analyzes Mullā Ṣadrā’s principles of the fundamentality of existence and the union of intellect and intelligible to substantiate the objective reality of experiences within this intermediate realm. The study also examines the role of esoteric interpretation in unveiling symbolic encounters. This framework challenges reductionist modern paradigms and highlights the imaginal realm’s significance for self-realization and acquiring divine knowledge.
The negative image of Syed Abū al-A‘lā al-Mawdūdī as an opponent of Sufism persists partly because scholars engage only superficially with his doctrinal positions and read his statements in isolation. This paper argues that a more complete reading reveals Mawdūdī entered into a dialogue with Sufism, acknowledged his debt to it, and should be seen as a contributor to debates on Sufism rather than a simplistic denier. Evidence includes his moral mysticism, respect for Sufi masters, celebration of his Sufi ancestry, early Sufi-influenced poetry, engagement with Mulla Sadra's al-Asfār al-Arba‘a, and reworking of Sufi themes and organizational structures in the Jamaat-e-Islami.