This is the first English translation of Ibn ʿArabi’s Hilyat al-abdal, a short work which he wrote in the space of an hour during his Meccan period as something that would be ‘of assistance for those on the Path to true happiness’. Beginning with an anecdote concerning one of his Andalusian companions, Ibn ʿArabi proceeds to explain the exterior qualities of the spiritually transformed (abdāl). He particularly focuses on the four essential prerequisites of spiritual discipline: silence, seclusion, hunger and vigilance, describing how these appear among both aspirants and the spiritually realised.
One of the most popular of his short works, the Hilyat al-abdal was much copied, and this book includes the first critical edition of the text based on the best manuscripts, including one written in Malatya during the author’s lifetime. In addition, it provides a substantial introduction on the abdal saints, and a translation of Chapter 53 from the Futuhat al-Makkiyya, which deals with the same subject-matter.