“Man and Woman in the Balance of Ontological Value from the Perspective of Ibn Arabi”

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Ahl al-Bayt Studies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Ahl al-Bayt Studies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

10.22108/mph.2026.149213.1738

Abstract

The relationship between gender and human value is one of the important issues in philosophical, theological, and mystical anthropology. One of the central questions in this field is whether gender differences play any role in determining the levels of human perfection and existential value. This issue acquires particular significance in the thought of Ibn ʿArabī due to the ontological and anthropological foundations of his mystical system. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and relying primarily on Ibn ʿArabī’s major works, especially Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam and al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyyah, investigates the place of gender in evaluating human value and the possibility of women attaining the highest levels of spiritual perfection.



The findings indicate that Ibn ʿArabī distinguishes between the essential reality of the human being and gender determinations. From his perspective, men and women share the same human essence, possess equal capacities for the manifestation of divine names and attributes, and are equally capable of attaining sainthood (walāyah) and proximity to God. Although he occasionally refers to differences in the levels of manifestation, social functions, and cosmological roles of the two sexes, these distinctions do not imply intrinsic superiority or inferiority.



The study concludes that, according to Ibn ʿArabī, human value is not determined by gender but by the degree to which divine attributes are realized within the individual. Consequently, existential worth depends upon spiritual perfection, manifestation of divine names, and nearness to God rather than biological or social distinctions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Metaphysics

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 12 September 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 July 2026
  • Revise Date: 08 September 2026
  • Accept Date: 12 September 2026

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