560 AH/1165 — Murcia
Ibn al-ʿArabī was born in Murcia, in al-Andalus. This geographical beginning explains his Andalusian identity, but his later experience extended across North Africa and the eastern Islamic world.
568 AH/1172 — Seville
His family moved to Seville. Qurʾanic learning and companionship with teachers shaped his formation; experiences from these years appear later in Rūḥ al-quds and the Futūḥāt.
The 1190s — Morocco and Tunis
Repeated journeys connected al-Andalus, Fez and Tunis, including his relationship with ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Mahdawī. The Shams chronology records detailed dates and sometimes disagreements, notably over when he met Ibn Rushd.
Around 598 AH/1202 — Mecca
His Meccan residence is associated with the beginning of the Futūḥāt and the setting described in his commentary on the Tarjumān. Further journeys connected the Hijaz, Iraq, Anatolia and Syria.
620 AH/1223–1224 — Damascus
Damascus became his principal home during a period of sustained teaching and writing. The preface to the Fuṣūṣ relates a vision in Damascus in 627 AH/1229.
629–636 AH — Two versions of the Futūḥāt
The first version was completed in 629 AH; he rewrote and revised the work between 632 and 636 AH. A Hijri year can overlap two Common Era years. When comparing evidence, the documented Hijri date takes priority.
638 AH/1240 — Death and transmission
He died in Damascus and was buried in Ṣāliḥiyya, at the foot of Mount Qāsiyūn. Reading, audition, copying and commentary carried his writings onward. Continue with the Akbarian tradition.
Sources and further reading
The source language appears beside each link. External books and sources may remain in their original languages.
- جدول الأحداث الرئيسية في حياة ابن العربي العربية
- بداية تأليف الفتوحات المكية العربية
- ابن العربي: السيرة التعريفية العربية