Waḥdat al-Wujūd and the Path of the Wayfarer in the Works of Ibn ʿAjība by Professor Joseph Lumbard

The Moroccan Sufi master Aḥmad Ibn ʿAjība (d. 1244/1809) penned two small treatises that focus upon the oneness of being (waḥdat al-wujūd), Taqyīdān fī Waḥdat al-Wujūd. His other writings do not use the term frequently but are nonetheless infused with an understanding of waḥdat al-wujūd similar to that espoused in the writings of Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240). Several passages within his major Quran commentary, al-Baḥr al-Madīd fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-Majīd, such as the commentary on Q 2:115, convey his understanding of the oneness of creation as a tapestry woven of divine attributes with all existents reflecting the unity of the Divine. For Ibn ʿAjiba perceiving this unity is essential to wayfaring upon the spiritual path, as it prevents the multiplicity of forms from distracting the spiritual aspirant. Progressing to the point where one witnesses all of existence as a single essence (dhāt wāḥid) reflecting the Divine and in complete servitude (ʿubudiyya) to It is thus essential for attaining connection with God. This paper goes beyond Ibn ʿAjība’s short treatises on waḥdat al-wujūd to examine his discussions within ¬al-Baḥr al-madīd and his little studied commentary upon the Ḥikam of Ibn ‘Aṭā’illāh al-Sakandarī (d.709/1309), Īqāẓ al-Himam fī Sharḥ al-Ḥikam. The central point of analysis is how Ibn ʿAjība perceives the understanding and witnessing of the oneness of being as a central component on the path of spiritual wayfaring, as elaborated in his exegesis of Q 6:103 and similar verses. Particular attention is given the process Ibn ʿAjība envisions for shifting one’s focus from the ephemeral existence of created beings to the divine reality within them such that one is able to witness the manifestation of the Divine in all the forms of creation.