Abū ʿAbdullāh Muhyī-ad-dīn Muhammad Ibn ʿAlī Ibn Muhammad, known as Shaykh Akbar and famous as Ibn ʿArabī (simplified as Ibn Arabi), was born in the year 560 AH in the city of Murcia in southeastern Andalusia. His father was a Sufi and a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence and hadith. Ibn Arabi studied the Quran, hadith, jurisprudence, lexicography, and literature with the scholars of his time. In addition to the family's respect for Sufism, the gatherings of Sufi masters were also abundant in Andalusia, where he lived, and this provided him with the means to join the path of Sufism, and in a short time, his work gained a fame and reputation. He traveled extensively across the Islamic world from Andalusia to Baghdad and from Mecca to Damascus, and eventually passed away on 28 Rabiʿ al-Thani 638 AH (corresponding to November 16, 1240 CE) at the age of 78 and was buried at the foot of Mount Qasioun in Damascus.

Ibn Arabi is known for his theoretical Sufism in the Islamic world, which has had a significant impact on esoteric philosophers and Sufi initiates who came after him. In terms of breadth of knowledge and depth of insight, and the abundance of scholars and writings, few can match him, with his work being mentioned in more than 800 titles. His most important work include Futūḥāt al-Makkīyah, Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam, and Tarjumān al-Ashwāq. Some of his theories, especially on the subject of the unity of existence, led some prominent scholars to oppose him and declare him a disbeliever, but many scholars such as Fakhr ad-Dīn Rāzī, Ibn Saʿd Yāfiʿī, Saʿd ad-Din Ḥummawī, Sadr ad-Dīn Qūnawī, Abd ar-Razzāq Kāshānī, Fakhr ad-Din Irāqī, Shaykh Bahāʾī, and Mullā Sadrā were his believers and wrote many books explaining and interpreting his beliefs.

Some of his works (Arabic) are available as e-books here.