Scripture and Love Entangled: Ibn ʿArabī’s Reinterpretation of the Qurʾān in Light of Love

ABSTRACT

Various works have studied the place of love in Ibn ʿArabī’s (560/1165–638/1240) mystical project. This article contributes to the existing literature by focusing on one particular aspect of this project: how Ibn ʿArabī reworks and reinterprets the Qurʾān in his exposition of the doctrine of love. Focusing mainly on the Qurʾānic verses, which, at face value, do not appear to be connected to the notion of love, the article explicates the processes through which these verses are reworked by Ibn ʿArabī in a manner that reveals their bearings on the doctrine of love. Through showcasing how Ibn ʿArabī redirects individual verses to extract their relevance to the idea of love, the article integrates Qurʾānic hermeneutics with Ibn ʿArabī’s philosophy of love.