Note to arabic readers : For the original arabic version of the books, check "other editions" in the book that interests you)
Universally known by the title of "Muhyi al-Din" (The Reviver of the Religion) and "al-Shaykh al-Akbar" (The Greatest Shaykh) Ibn 'Arab墨 (Arabic: 丕亘賳 毓乇亘賷鈥�) (July 28, 1165 - November 10, 1240) was an Arab Sufi Muslim mystic and philosopher. His full name was Ab奴 'Abdull膩h Mu岣mmad ibn 'Al墨 ibn Mu岣mmad ibn al-`Arab墨 al-H膩峁璱m墨 al-峁�'墨 (兀亘賵 毓亘丿 丕賱賱賴 賲丨賲丿 亘賳 毓賱賷 亘賳 賲丨賲丿 亘賳 丕賱毓乇亘賷 丕賱丨丕鬲賲賷 丕賱胤丕卅賷).
Muhammad ibn al-Arabi and his family moved to Seville when he was eight years old. In 1200 CE, at the age of thirty-five, he left Iberia for good, intending to make the hajj to Mecca. He lived in Mecca for some three years, where he began writing his Al-Fut奴岣ツ乼 al-Makkiyya (The Meccan Illuminations). In 1204, he left Mecca for Anatolia with Majd al-D墨n Is岣ツ乹, whose son 峁dr al-D墨n al-Qunaw墨 (1210-1274) would be his most influential disciple.
In 1223, he settled in Damascus, where he lived the last seventeen years of his life. He died at the age of 76 on 22 Rabi' II 638 AH/November 10, 1240CE, and his tomb in Damascus is still an important place of pilgrimage.
A vastly prolific writer, Ibn 'Arab墨 is generally known as the prime exponent of the idea later known as Wa岣at al-Wuj奴d (literally Unity of Being), though he did not use this term in his writings. His emphasis was on the true potential of the human being and the path to realising that potential and becoming the perfect or complete man (al-ins膩n al-k膩mil).
Some 800 works are attributed to Ibn 'Arab膩, although only some have been authenticated. Recent research suggests that over 100 of his works have survived in manuscript form, although most printed versions have not yet been critically edited and include many errors.