viewpoints of ‘abd al-wahhāb sha‘rānī about muḥyī al-dīn ibn ‘arabī’s opinions

‘abd al-wahhāb b. aḥmad sha‘rānī (898-973/1492-1565) is to be considered as one of the most important advocates of muḥyī al-dīn ibn ‘arabī (560-638/1164-1240). he has written significant books in defense of and under the inspiration of ibn ‘arabī, the most important of which that can be mentioned are al-yawāqīt wa al-jawāhir, al-kibrīt al-aḥmar, and al-qawā‘id al-kashfiyya. it is worth mentioning that, with respect to his sharī‘a-oriented sufi background, sha‘rānī has turned to ibn ‘arabī’s views in the above works and regarded what has seemed to him to be contrary to sharī‘ (religious law), as intrigues by ibn ‘arabī’s enemies and exonerated him of them. in some cases, he has rightly exonerated ibn ‘arabī of such ideas as incarnation, the unity and monotheism of satan, and superiority of wilāya over prophethood; but he has not been able to sufficiently exonerate him from unity of existence, belief in the eternity (khulūd) of the faithless, and pharaoh’s faith. however, by defending him, he has prevented from his calumny and excommunication by his hostile opponents.