Inscriptions of Wisdom

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 Fusus al-hikam. The first, Naqsh al-Fusus (the Inscription of the Fusus), is Ibn al-?Arabi's own distillation of Fusus al-hikam, presenting a concise yet profound articulation of its core teachings. The second, Naqd al-nusus fi sharh Naqsh al-Fusus (texts commenting on Naqsh al-Fusus), by ?Abd al-Rahman Jami, is an anthology of carefully selected passages from the earliest and most authoritative interpreters of Fusus al-hikam, 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 Fusus al-hikam represents the culmination of Ibn al-?Arabi's thought, then Naqsh al-Fusus distills its very essence and inner mystery. Mukhtar H. Ali's meticulous presentation of the Fusus al-hikam commentarial tradition-featuring the first complete English translation of Jami's Naqd al-nusus, 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.