RESEARCH ON THE HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND PHILOSOPHY OF SUFISM IN GERMAN ORIENTALSM (IN THE EXAMPLE OF IBN AL-ARABI'S MYSTICAL HERITAGE AND PHILOSOPHY)
Abstract
This article examines the evolution of Sheykh al-Akbar Muhy al-Din Ibn al‑ʿArabī (1165–1240) studies within German Orientalist scholarship, focusing on the intellectual contributions of Hellmut Ritter, Fritz Meier, and Bernd Radtke. Through rigorous philological, historical‑hermeneutic, and conceptual analyses, these scholars established a methodological framework that facilitated a critical understanding of Ibn al‑ʿArabī’s complex metaphysical and mystical thought. Drawing on primary German and Western publications, this study highlights how the Ritter – Meier –Radtke school integrates textual accuracy, historical contextualization, and thematic conceptualization, thereby shaping contemporary scholarship in Islamic mysticism. The article also examines Ibn al‑ʿArabī’s key works (“Futūḥāt al‑Makkīyah” and “Fusūs al‑Ḥikam”) through this methodological lens.
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