Providing commentary on three oft-recited chapters of the Holy Qur'an, this excerpt of the monumental discourse by 18th-century mystic and scholar Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba presents both an example of Islamic erudition based on traditional sources as well as insight into his own personal journey of discovery. Each verse is expounded upon with an exoteric explanation as well as related with an esoteric commentary to the mystic path of Islam, Sufism. As one of the few scholarly translations of traditional Qur'anic exegesis, this volume affords the previously unacquainted access not only to how educated Muslims have understood the dominant themes of these three chapters since the earliest days of Islam but also to how traditional Sufic sources have viewed the same themes in respect to the microcosm of the soul and the journey towards God.

Ibn 'Ajiba (1747-1809) was a Moroccan Sufi of the Darqawi school who studied in Fez and lived all his life in and around Tetuan. Although still relatively unknown in the English-speaking world, his writings are important for an understanding of Maghribi Sufism. In this bi-lingual edition, with a Preface by Claude Addas and a Foreword by Hamza Yusuf, Jean-Louis Michon presents two short metaphysical treatises by Ibn 'Ajiba which shed new light on the history of Sufism and show its vitality as a living tradition in eighteenth-century Morocco. The key idea underlying both treatises, the Oneness of Existence, reveals the enduring influence of the Ibn Arabi, more than five centuries after his death. Students of Islam in North Africa, those interested in the Sufi tradition and spiritual seekers will welcome the publication of these treatises and the useful presentation of both Arabic text and English translation on facing pages.