About the Book

This book is a humble attempt that follows in the footsteps of a long list of blessed works in the mawlid genre and praise poetry of the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be God's peace and blessings, such as Mawlid al-Daybaʿi, the Burdah by Imam al-Busairi, Mawlid al-Ḍiyāʾ al-Lāmiʿ (The Shimmering Light) by Habib ʿUmar b. Hafiz and countless others.

Whereas other works in the mawlid genre usually discuss the physical birth of the Prophet (s), this book focuses instead on the blessed birth of his reality (s), known among Sufi saints as al-ḥaqīqa al-muḥammadiyya (the Muhammadan Reality) or al-nūr al-muḥammadī (the Muhammadan Light), which he (s) describes in a ḥadīth as God's first creation.

About the Author

Shaykh Muḥyīddīn Ibn al-ʿArabī was born in present day Murcia, Spain in 1165/560. At a young age, he experienced many visions that set him on the path of walāya (sainthood). After accompanying the prominent scholars and sages of Southern Iberia and North Africa, he migrated eastward where he visited the celebrated centers of Islam at the time, including Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Baghdad, Hebron and Anatolia. He finally settled in Damascus where he transitioned in 1240/638. He is considered one of the most prolific Muslim thinkers, with about 250 books, most auspiciously al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya (Meccan Openings) and Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam (Bezels of Wisdom).

About the Translator

Dr. Ali Hussain has a doctoral degree in Sufism from the University of Michigan, Department of Middle Eastern Studies. He is also a published poet, photographer, and musician. In 2018, he founded The Adhwaq Center for Spirituality, Culture, and the Arts; an endeavor focused on spirituality and creativity in contemporary culture.

"God has blessed the Pen of Dr. Ali Hussain with a rare perhaps singular gift. In our time, I know of none who drinks more deeply from the wellspring of ash-Shaykh al-Akbar and can think of none better to translate and present this sacred gift to us."

Prof. Rudolph Bilal Ware