A short extract from The Treatise on Being attributed to Ibn ‘Arabi.
No one sees Him, except Himself; no one reaches Him, except Himself; and no one knows Him except Himself. He knows Himself through Himself and He sees Himself by means of Himself. No one but He sees Him. His very Oneness is His veil since nothing veils Him other than He; His own Being veils Him. His Oneness is concealed by His Oneness without any condition.
No one other than He sees Him. No sent prophet, nor perfect saint nor angel brought close knows Him. His prophet is He; His Messenger is He; His message is He and His word is He. He sent Himself, through Himself, from Himself to Himself; there is no intermediary or means other than He. There is no difference between the Sender, that which is sent and the one to whom it is sent. The very existence of the letters of the prophetic message is His existence. There is no other who could cease to be, or have a name or be named.
Because of this, the Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) said, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord”. He also said, “I knew my Lord through my Lord”. What the Prophet meant by this, is that you are not you but you are He and there is no you; and it is not that He enters into you or comes out of you, or that you enter into Him or come out of Him. He did not mean that you have being and you are qualified by this or that attribute. What he meant was that you never were and that you never will be, whether through yourself, or through Him, or in Him or with Him. You have neither ceased to be nor are you existent. You are Him and He is you, without any of these imperfections. If you know your existence in this way, then you know God; and if not, then not!
Most of those who claim to be knowers (of God) make the knowledge of God dependent on the cessation of being and on the cessation of that cessation. That is an error and a clear oversight; the knowledge of God does not require either the cessation of being nor the cessation of that cessation, because things have no being and whatever has no being cannot cease to be, since cessation implies the prior existence of the thing that ceases to be. If you know yourself as not having being and (consequently) not ceasing to be, then you know God; and if not, then not!
By making the knowledge of God dependent on the cessation of being and the cessation of this cessation, there is an affirmation of polytheism. The Prophet said, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord”. He did not say, “He who ceases to be, knows his Lord”. The assertion of something other than God is incompatible with its cessation; or else this assertion is impossible, and it follows that its cessation is also impossible.
Your being is nothing and whatever is nothing cannot be placed in relationship to anything else, whether it is capable of cessation or not and whether it is existent or non-existent. The Prophet alluded to the fact that you are non-existent now as you were non-existent before creation, because now is Eternity-without-beginning and now is Eternity-without-end and now is Timelessness. God is the very being of Eternity-without-beginning, Eternity-without-end and Timelessness even though (in reality) there is no Eternity-without-beginning, Eternity-without-end nor Timelessness. If it were otherwise, He would not be alone, without anything being associated with Him, and it is necessary for Him to be alone without any associate. His associate would have being through its own essence, and not through the being of God. Then that associate would not need God and would therefore be a second Lord, which is impossible: God has no associate, nor equal, nor like.
For those engaged in The Work as presented on this site, click below for another translation of Ibn ‘Arabi’s text.
No one sees “X,” except “X;” no one reaches “X,” except “X;” and no one knows “X” except “X.” “X” knows “X” through “X” and “X” sees “X” by means of “X.” No one but “X” sees “X.” “X’s” very Oneness is “X” veil since nothing veils “X” other than “X;” “X’s” own Being veils “X.” “X’s” Oneness is concealed by “X’s” Oneness without any condition.
No one other than “X” sees “X.” No sent prophet, nor perfect saint nor angel brought close knows “X.” “X’s” prophet is “X;” “X’s” Messenger is “X;” “X’s” message is “X” and “X’s” word is “X.” “X” sent “X,” through “X,” from “X” to “X;” there is no intermediary or means other than “X.” There is no difference between the Sender, that which is sent and the one to whom it is sent. The very existence of the letters of the prophetic message is “X’s” existence. There is no other who could cease to be, or have a name or be named.
Because of this, the Prophet (may “X” bless him and give him peace) said, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord”. He also said, “I knew my Lord through my Lord”. What the Prophet meant by this, is that you are not you but you are “X” and there is no you; and it is not that “X” enters into you or comes out of you, or that you enter into “X” or come out of “X.” He did not mean that you have being and you are qualified by this or that attribute. What he meant was that you never were and that you never will be, whether through yourself, or through “X,” or in “X” or with “X.” You have neither ceased to be nor are you existent. You are “X” and “X” is you, without any of these imperfections. If you know your existence in this way, then you know “X;” and if not, then not!
Most of those who claim to be knowers (of “X”) make the knowledge of “X” dependent on the cessation of being and on the cessation of that cessation. That is an error and a clear oversight; the knowledge of “X” does not require either the cessation of being nor the cessation of that cessation, because things have no being and whatever has no being cannot cease to be, since cessation implies the prior existence of the thing that ceases to be. If you know yourself as not having being and (consequently) not ceasing to be, then you know “X;” and if not, then not!
By making the knowledge of “X” dependent on the cessation of being and the cessation of this cessation, there is an affirmation of polytheism. The Prophet said, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord”. He did not say, “He who ceases to be, knows his Lord”. The assertion of something other than “X” is incompatible with its cessation; or else this assertion is impossible, and it follows that its cessation is also impossible.
Your being is nothing and whatever is nothing cannot be placed in relationship to anything else, whether it is capable of cessation or not and whether it is existent or non-existent. The Prophet alluded to the fact that you are non-existent now as you were non-existent before creation, because now is Eternity-without-beginning and now is Eternity-without-end and now is Timelessness. “X” is the very being of Eternity-without-beginning, Eternity-without-end and Timelessness even though (in reality) there is no Eternity-without-beginning, Eternity-without-end nor Timelessness. If it were otherwise, “X” would not be alone, without anything being associated with “X,” and it is necessary for “X” to be alone without any associate. “X’s” associate would have being through its own essence, and not through the being of “X.” Then that associate would not need “X” and would therefore be a second Lord, which is impossible: “X” has no associate, nor equal, nor like.
