2.2.21.1 - Earthly Mother and Spiritual Mother

His mother’s name was Nur, she gave birth to him and raised him in Murcia and Seville. But Ibn al-Arabi always focuses on spiritual sonship! Just as we are all the sons of our father Adam, peace be upon him, in the flesh, Ibn al-Arabi affirms in Chapter 11 of the Meccan Revelations, which he titled as: “In the knowledge of our upper fathers and lower mothers”, that “every influential thing is a father and every influenced is a mother” [Futuhat: I.138]. He has also developed a comprehensive theory in this spiritual or moral marriage to explain the structure of the world and its origins [Futuhat: III.430].

Ibn al-Arabi stated that his mother Nur came with him to visit his spiritual mother, Fatima al-Qurtubiya Bint al-Muthanna, whom we will mention in section [ref:fatima shortly below, and who was telling her, “O Nur this is my son, and he is your father, thus you should be righteousness to him and never disobey him” [Futuhat: II.348]. So Ibn al-Arabi was in fact an example for his mother to follow, just as Fatima al-Qurtubiya, who was ninety-five years old at the time, was an example of him to follow. This is the meaning of spiritual parenting and sonship.

Also we will see in Chapter III that when he was ascended to heaven spiritually, and as he wanted to enter any house after knocking on the door and the keeper asks to identify him, then the angel accompanying him says: he is Muhammad Ibn Nur, thus he defines him in the name of his mother as those dealing with spirits usually do [Futuhat: II.620].