Mukhtar H. Ali
Two important texts in the Sufi tradition made available together in English for the first time. Inscriptions of Wisdom brings together, for the first time in English, two pivotal Sufi texts that illuminate Ibn al-?Arabi’s (d. 1240) celebrated work Fu?u? al-?ikam. The first, Naqsh al-Fu?u? (the Inscription of the Fu?u?), is Ibn al-?Arabi’s own distillation of Fu?u? al-?ikam, presenting a concise yet profound articulation of its core teachings. The second, Naqd al-nu?u? fi shar? Naqsh al-Fu?u? (texts commenting on Naqsh al-Fu?u?), by ?Abd al-Ra?man Jami, is an anthology of carefully selected passages from the earliest and most authoritative interpreters of Fu?u? al-?ikam, enriched with Jami’s own insights. Together, these works explore the quintessential knowledge and divine principles embodied by each of the twenty-seven major prophetic figures of the Islamic tradition, from Adam to Muhammad. If Fu?u? al-?ikam represents the culmination of Ibn al-?Arabi’s thought, then Naqsh al-Fu?u? distills its very essence and inner mystery. Mukhtar H. Ali’s meticulous presentation of the Fu?u? al-?ikam commentarial tradition—featuring the first complete English translation of Jami’s Naqd al-nu?u?, chapter-by-chapter analysis, and extensive notes on key Sufi terms and concepts—establishes this volume as a landmark study in Islamic metaphysics and Sufi thought.
