Outpourers and Receptacles: The Emergence of the Cosmos in the Sufi Thought of Muḥyīy Al-Dīn Ibn ϲArabī and ϲAbd Al-Razzāq Al-Qāshānī

Abstract

Abstract:The cosmos emerges from a series of divine outpourings in the metaphysical outlook of Ibn ϲArabī. This article addresses the process by which this occurs and the effect it has on the creation. It employs the term outpourer (mufīḍ}), and its correlated terms outpouring (fayḍ}) and receptacle (qābil) to understand the relationship between God – the Outpourer, and His creation – the receptacle of this divine outpouring. This study also scrutinises how much and how far ϲAbd al-Razzāq al-Qāshānī, a notable disseminator of Ibn ϲArabī’s teachings, veers from the intentions of his master, and what overall effect this has on our comprehension of the God/creation interaction.