Ibn Arabi - Time and Cosmology

Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 2
Title Page......Page 5
Copyright Page......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Table of Contents......Page 8
List of figures......Page 10
List of tables......Page 13
Foreword......Page 15
Preface......Page 20
Acknowledgements......Page 27
Abbreviations......Page 29
1.1 A brief overview of early cosmological models......Page 35
1.2 Modern cosmology......Page 39
1.3 Summary of modern theories of cosmology......Page 42
1.4 Preliminary outline of Ibn ‘Arabî’s cosmology......Page 46
1.5 Time in philosophy and science, introduction......Page 62
1.6 Time in Greek philosophy......Page 65
1.7 Time in earlier Islamic philosophy......Page 67
1.8 Time in Western philosophy......Page 71
1.9 Time in modern science......Page 74
1.9.1 Curved time and the Big Bang......Page 76
1.9.2 The arrow of time......Page 77
1.9.3 Time travel......Page 78
1.9.4 Quantum time......Page 80
1.10 Introducing Ibn ‘Arabî’s view of time......Page 81
2. General aspects of Ibn ‘Arabî’s concept of time and days......Page 85
2.1 What is time?......Page 86
2.2 Physical time and spiritual time......Page 92
2.3 The origin of the world......Page 93
2.4 The origin of time?......Page 105
2.5 Space-time and the speed of light......Page 107
2.6 Motion......Page 112
2.7 Relative and curved time......Page 118
2.8 The discrete nature of time......Page 125
2.9 The ‘chest’ of time......Page 130
2.10 Circular time and cyclical time......Page 132
2.11 The two cycles of life......Page 136
2.12 ‘Days’......Page 137
2.13 Days of other orbs and divine names......Page 147
2.14 The daytime and night-time......Page 152
2.15 The ‘single day’......Page 157
2.16 Moments......Page 160
2.17 The future, the present and the past......Page 164
2.18 Eternity......Page 165
2.19 The age......Page 168
2.20 Other expressions of time......Page 172
3. The significance of the divine week and its seven days......Page 175
3.1 The significance of the week in theology and astronomy......Page 177
3.2 The four main time cycles......Page 182
3.2.1 The day......Page 185
3.2.3 The month......Page 186
3.2.4 The year......Page 187
3.3 The week as the primary time cycle......Page 189
3.4 The divine origin of the seven days of the week......Page 191
3.5 The significance of each day of the divine week......Page 198
3.5.1 ‘The first day’ of creation (al-ahad, Sunday)......Page 200
3.5.2 ‘The second day’ of creation (al-ithnayn, Monday)......Page 204
3.5.3 ‘The third day’ of creation (al-thulâthâ’, Tuesday)......Page 205
3.5.5 ‘The fifth day’ of creation (al-khamîs, Thursday)......Page 206
3.5.6 The sixth ‘day of gathering’ (al-jum‘a, Friday) and its special hour......Page 207
3.5.7 The seventh ‘day of rest’ (al-sabt, Saturday) as the ‘day of eternity’......Page 213
3.6 Space-time and creation in six days......Page 219
4. The actual flow of time......Page 228
4.1 The original days of event......Page 229
4.2 The ‘circulated’ days (ayyâm al-takwîr)......Page 231
4.3 The ‘taken-out’ days......Page 232
4.4 The ‘intertwined’ days......Page 240
4.4.1 Demonstrating the intertwined days......Page 244
4.4.2 The significance of the intertwined days......Page 245
4.5 The motion of the seven days in the zodiac......Page 246
4.6 The kinds of events......Page 250
4.7 Hours, minutes and seconds......Page 252
5. Unicity and multiplicity......Page 258
5.1 The contrasting approaches of Sufism and philosophy......Page 259
5.2 Unicity versus multiplicity......Page 264
5.3 The unicity of God and His names......Page 273
5.4 The metaphysical triplicity (‘trinity’) of the cosmos......Page 279
5.5 The oneness of being......Page 284
5.6 The principle of ever-renewed creation......Page 295
6. The Single Monad model of the cosmos......Page 304
6.1.1 The Single Monad......Page 305
6.1.3 The actual flow of time......Page 306
6.2 The Single Monad......Page 307
6.3 The different names of the Single Monad......Page 309
6.4 The structure of the monad......Page 314
6.5 The greatest element......Page 322
6.6 Analogies in the macrocosms......Page 325
6.6.1 The Black Stone and the Kaaba......Page 326
6.6.2 The spiritual hierarchy......Page 330
6.6.3 The world of letters......Page 331
6.6.4 The hierarchy of divine names......Page 334
6.7 Spreading the shadows......Page 335
6.8 Creation scenario: the world as a movie......Page 341
7. The Single Monad model and its implications for modern physics......Page 352
7.1 Testing possibilities......Page 353
7.2 Timeless motion......Page 358
7.3 Simultaneity......Page 361
7.4 Zeno’s paradoxes......Page 363
7.5 Discreteness and continuousness......Page 367
7.6 The EPR paradox......Page 369
7.7 Causality and induction......Page 374
7.8 Superstrings and the science of letters......Page 382
7.9 The properties of matter......Page 389
7.10 Dimensions of the unseen world......Page 390
7.10.1 The real......Page 393
7.10.2 Angels......Page 396
7.10.3 The jinn......Page 401
7.10.4 Humans......Page 402
7.10.5 The hereafter......Page 403
Notes......Page 408
Bibliography......Page 440
Index......Page 475