The Wisdom of Elevation and Exaltation
from the commentary on Ibn 'Arabi's Fusus al-hikam
from Abdullah Bosnevi's Sharḥ Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, his commentary on Ibn 'Arabi's masterwork
Overview
This book is a translation of one of the central chapters of Ibn ʿArabi's masterwork Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam (the Gemstones of Wisdom), the chapter of Jesus, as commented upon by the 17th-century Ottoman author Abdullah Bosnevi. It has been taken from the Arabic version of Bosnevi's commentary, described by a contemporary as 'a very good commentary, perhaps even the best of all'.
A spiritual masterpiece available for the first time in English, this is a rare opportunity to discover and explore one of the authentic gems of the Islamic mystical tradition. Bosnevi's profound discussion enriches our understanding of the inner meaning of Jesus, the role of Mary and Gabriel in his special birth, the universality of his nature as Divine Word and the perfected human self, his life-giving capacity as well as his Second Coming.
The translation has been made from the oldest manuscript copies including the author's original, as the original Arabic text is currently unpublished.
Available to Anqa subscribers now in hardback at a special 25% discount until the end of 2026.
Endorsements
The publication of Stephen Hirtenstein’s outstanding translation of the seminal Chapter
of Jesus from Abdullah Bosnevi’s Arabic Commentary on Ibn ‘Arabi’s Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam is a
groundbreaking event of profound consequence in Akbarian studies, and its value to those
seeking to understand the message of the Shaykh al-Akbar cannot be overstated. Taking its
place alongside Bosnevi’s original Ottoman Turkish text, which was rendered into English
several decades ago by Bulent Rauf and published by the Muhyiddin Ibn ʿArabī Society, it is the
first of the Commentary’s chapters to be translated in full from the Arabic, with extensive and
indispensable notes by its translator. Although the lengthy chapter covers a wide range of
themes, to this reader it is most notable for its delineation of the unique nature of Jesus in a
series of three extraordinarily beautiful and intricate poems, its dramatic final dialogue of
unequalled sensitivity and complexity, and its pointing to the heraldic message that Jesus’ birth
and anticipated return has for our own time.
Hirtenstein’s translation is eminently readable, as one might expect from this seasoned translator. His uncanny ability to convey the subtlety of the Shaykh al-Akbar’s thought in tandem with the brilliant exegesis of perhaps his most perceptive commentator is a marvel of translation. The effect on the reader of this text can be transformative. As Jelaluddin Rumi in his Fihi ma Fihi wrote: “We are like that story of Mary in
the Koran. Every one of us has a Jesus within,” and as Hirtenstein elaborates, quoting a friend:
“become Mary, receive Gabriel, so that the Jesus of your being may be born.” May this
extraordinary translation serve as a worthy midwife to this endeavor.