Theory of Emanation in Islamic Thought: A Comparative Study of Ibn Arabi and Al-Farabi

Philosophical Sufism is an intellectual form of Muslim mysticism that primarily employs reason. Al-Farabi and Ibn ‘Arabi are regarded among the popular personalities in this realm of knowledge. Al-Farabi, an early Islamic philosopher, did not specifically declare himself a Sufi, but he led an ascetic life. His works are often associated with philosophical Sufism, simply because his philosophical teachings share similarities with Sufi ideologies. Also, Ibn ‘Arabī is referred to as the Greatest Master, Shaykh al-Akbar, by his beloved disciples. He is regarded as the first to have introduced a unique and new dimension of mysticism and esotericism in Islam. This innovation later influenced Islamic thoughts and traditions for the past seven hundred years. Both Ibn ‘Arabi and al-Farabi contributed greatly to the field of Islamic philosophy, specifically in the discourse of Islamic cosmology. Hence, this paper aims to compare and contrast the two scholars’ philosophical teachings on the theory of emanation. Specifically, this paper aims to explore the impact of the Greek method of enquiry on the two scholars’ Sufi teachings. It aims to trace how they formed their theory of emanation. It aims to trace the claim of the cosmic emanation from the light of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) from their teachings. The research method of this paper is qualitative, and its approach is comparative and analytic. This study argues that the emanative theory of al-Farabi views that the universe is eternal, while that of Ibn ‘Arabi is that the universe is not eternal. This study in this paper offers a unique comparative analysis of the theory of emanation in the works of al-Farabi and Ibn ‘Arabi, and showcases the interplay between the Muslim philosophy and Sufism. It revisits the concept of emanation within an Islamic framework, tracing how rational and mystical philosophies shape cosmological thought.