Ibn al-Farid

Ibn al-Farid was a famous Arab poet.

He lived a long time ago in Cairo. His father was a smart scholar too. Ibn al-Farid traveled to a place called Mecca. This trip helped him find deep peace. He stayed in Mecca for many years. When he came back to Cairo, people saw him as a saint. He taught many things to others. He was a teacher of law and poetry. He even turned down lots of money from a king. He wanted to live a simple life instead. People still visit his tomb to hear his poems today.

Ibn al-Farid was a famous Arab poet.

He lived in Cairo a long time ago. His father was a smart scholar. This helped Ibn al-Farid learn a lot about books. He was a Sufi. Sufis are people who seek a deep connection with God.

One day, a man told him to go to Mecca. Ibn al-Farid went there. He stayed for fifteen years. He said he found great peace there. When he returned to Cairo, people treated him like a saint. He taught many things. He taught law and poetry. He even taught the hadith. These are stories about the life of Muhammad.

He lived a very simple life. A king once offered him much money. He said no. He wanted to focus on his poems. Some of his poems were written during special moments. He called these moments ecstasies. During these times, he felt a deep joy. His face would look very bright. He would sometimes dance or fast. People still visit his tomb today. They gather to hear his poems. This is a special event with prayers and dancing.

Ibn al-Farid was a very famous Arab poet and a Sufi saint.

He was born in Cairo on March 22, 1181. His father came from a town called Hama in Syria. His father was a respected scholar who worked with inheritance laws. Because of this, Ibn al-Farid's name means "son of the obligator." This name refers to the legal work his father did. His father gave him a strong start in learning literature. Ibn al-Farid eventually became known as the greatest mystic poet of the Arabs.

His spiritual journey changed because of a simple greengrocer. While studying law at a madrasa, Ibn al-Farid saw the man performing religious washing. The man told him he would only find enlightenment in Mecca. The greengrocer even gave him a vision of the city. Ibn al-Farid traveled to Mecca immediately to find this peace. He stayed in Mecca for fifteen years. He said that enlightenment came to him in waves once he arrived.

When he returned to Cairo, people treated him like a holy man. He taught many subjects like law and poetry. He also taught the hadith, which are traditions about the life of Muhammad. He lived a very humble life as a teacher. Many poets at that time took money from rich leaders. Ibn al-Farid refused to do this because he did not want to write for propaganda. Even when the Ayyubid sultan, al-Malik al-Kamil, offered him huge amounts of money, he said no. He preferred to trust God to provide for his family.

In his later years, he experienced special spiritual moments called ecstasies. These moments are known in Arabic as jadhabat. During these times, his face would become very bright and beautiful. He would sometimes fast for forty days without eating or sleeping. He also experienced moments of intense joy that involved dancing. His son, Kamal al-Din Muhammad, said these states could last ten days. During these trances, he would not eat, drink, or speak. When he finally came to, he would dictate the verses God had given him.

Ibn al-Farid died in the Al-Azhar Mosque and was buried in the Qarafah cemetery. People still remember him today by visiting his tomb. Every Friday, people in Cairo gather there to hear his poems read aloud. There is even a special celebration called a moulid held in his honor. This event includes a long procession through the "City of the Dead." It ends with two days of prayer, meditation, and dancing. Because his poems are so beautiful, people call him the "sultan of lovers."

Ibn al-Farid was a celebrated Arab poet and a Sufi waliullah, which means a saint.

He was born in Cairo on March 22, 1181. His parents came from Hama in modern-day Syria. His father was a respected scholar in the legal field. Some sources say he was a farid, an advocate for women. Other sources say he worked with furūḍ, which is the allocation of inheritance shares. Because of this, Ibn al-Farid's name means "son of the obligator." His father provided him with a strong foundation in belles lettres, or fine literature. This early education helped him become a master of language.

His spiritual path began with a significant encounter in Cairo. As a young man, he went on spiritual retreats to oases. He specifically visited the Oasis of the Wretches, known as Wadi al-Mustad'afin. He eventually left these wanderings to study law at a madrasa. While there, he saw a greengrocer performing Muslim ablutions, which are ritual washings. The man was performing the steps out of the prescribed order. When Ibn al-Farid tried to correct him, the man made a startling claim. He told Ibn al-Farid that enlightenment would only come in the Hijaz, in Mecca. The man then gave him a vision of the city. This experience convinced Ibn al-Farid to travel to Mecca immediately.

Ibn al-Farid stayed in Mecca for fifteen years. He described his experience of enlightenment as coming in waves. Eventually, he returned to Cairo after hearing the same greengrocer call him back. The man was on his deathbed when Ibn al-Farid arrived. Upon his return to Egypt, he was treated as a saint. He held teaching sessions for various leaders, including judges and viziers. People would crowd around him to seek barakah, or spiritual blessings. He was a scholar of Muslim law and the hadith. The hadith are the traditions regarding the life of Muhammad. He also taught poetry to many students.

He was unique among the great poets of his era. Many poets, such as Ibn Sana al-Mulk, accepted patronage from the government. This patronage often required poets to write propaganda for wealthy figures. Ibn al-Farid refused such offers to keep his poetry pure. He preferred the humble life of a teacher. Even the Ayyubid sultan, al-Malik al-Kamil, could not change his mind. The sultan offered him an exorbitant amount of money and a shrine. Ibn al-Farid declined both, choosing to trust in God for his needs. He worked at the Al-Azhar Mosque to support his three children.

In his later years, he experienced spiritual raptures called jadhabat. These states are a common occurrence within Sufism. During these moments, his son, Kamal al-Din Muhammad, noted changes in his appearance. His face would become more bright and beautiful. He would sometimes engage in intense physical movements like jumping and dancing. This could result in heavy sweating that collected on the ground. He also practiced forty-day fasts without eating, drinking, or sleeping. During one ecstasy, he danced in a market bazaar. This caused a large commotion among the people nearby.

His spiritual experiences often involved visions and trances. He claimed to see a lion ask him to ride it. He also described a man floating down a mountain without feet. He wrote of a great green bird at a funeral. His son noted that these trances could last ten consecutive days. During these times, he would not eat, drink, or speak. He would move between standing, sitting, and lying on his side. When the trance ended, he would dictate the verses God had given him. These poems were entirely Sufic in their themes and focus.

Ibn al-Farid's legacy continues through his beautiful verse. He is often called "sultan al-ashiqin," meaning the sultan of lovers. His poetry was admired across Arabic and Persian speaking regions. The Persian poet Jami even wrote a commentary on his work. Sa'id al-Din Farghani also authored a Persian commentary. Today, people still gather at his tomb every Friday. They listen to the reading of his poems in Cairo. A special celebration called a moulid is also held in his honor. This event includes a procession through the "City of the Dead." It ends with two days of meditation, prayer, and dancing.