Investigating the existential dignity of Animal in Ibn Arabi's opinions and thoughts

While attention to environmental issues and animals is usually considered a recent human concerns, the issue of "animal" and its existential dignity has long been a topic of discussion in Islamic wisdom and Sufism. In his interpretation of verses from Surah “Safat” regarding Prophet Ibrahim’s dream and the sacrifice of his son, Ibn Arabi raises the question: what high status does the sacrificial animal possess that it could replace the prophet’s son? Sheikh Akbar believes that investigating this question requires understanding the world of Khayal, as he posits that these events occurred in Khayal and that Ibrahim was unable to interpret the dream’s significance. It is Although the primary focus of Sheikh's discussion is within Ishaq's chapter, evidence of his unique approach to the animal question can also be found in his other works. Ibn Arabi gave particular consideration to the existential dignity of animals, and his distinctive view remains thought-provoking, not only in comparison to his contemporaries but also in relation to contemporary human life. This essay notes narratives in which Ibn Arabi expressed diverse thoughts on the status of animals, suggesting that, in certain instances, animals such as camels, cats and zebras hold a higher position than humans and even some Sufis. According to Ibn Arabi, animals have a special place with God. He believed that animals possess both outward and inward perception and that, unlike humans, their knowledge of God is innate.