REŠID HAFIZOVIĆ IBN ‘ARABI’S COGNITIVE THEORY* Ibn ‘Arabi’s cognitive theory does not represent a separate tractate of his work that would not be essentially related to everything calm in his work. Every segment of Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought is, in fact, organically coalesced with the compiete content and every idea that runs in the semantic depths of his text. From the other side, it is not about the cognitive theory in the abstract sense of the word, with no essential influence to the life reality. On the con- trary, Ibn’Arabi’s epistemology denotes the very centre of the whole spiritual existence and physical perseverance that goes on ali levels of the Essence, It does not mark the theoretical conquest of spiritual stages, but, simultaneously, the most literal realisation of every form of the reached cognition. Ibn ‘Arabi’s epistemology leads every spiritual traveller (Salik) into the very essence of Divine \visdom ( al-Ma‘rifa or al-Hikma al-îlâhiyyd). The wisdom does not only sanctify our špirit, but also effectuates our whole being, and by the strength of the eternal Divine Life (the imitatio Prophetae way) brings it into the co- existence with God. Because, the spiritual traveller in his spiritual ascent tovvards the life-giving wisdom is not open to that wisdom with his intimacy, his soul, heart and mind, but also with his other physical senses, vvith the very depth and width of his being. Finally, the wisdom onto which Ibn ‘Arabi’s cognitive theoıy is focused seeks the whole human involvement, the compiete uncovering of the human person, because it is the matter of the wisdom that engrosses and imbues ali human psychophysical dimensions. In order to reach the well of eternal Divine vvisdom, the spiritual traveller needs to remove the dark veil that covers the transparent clarity of the špirit, the veil that Ibn ‘Arabi usually refers to as the little or voluntary dying (al-Mawt al-Ihtiyâriyy) or sanctifıed dying.’ It is reflected in an unbroken transfer from one spiritual stage of vvisdom into another, because the advancement in the Divine vvisdom includes implicitiy a persistent spiritual grovvth of Salık. That grovvth, accord- ing to Ibn ‘Arabi, cannot be stopped in any moment, but it has to constantly follovv the rhythm of indefinite self-declaration and self-realisation of the Divine essence in the vvorld. Therefore, the sanctifıed dying includes implic- itly a constant liberation from the lovver spiritual cognition stage and an as- cent to a higher spiritual stage, vvhich can be clearly told from the etymology See: “Ibn ‘Arabijeva spoznajna teorija”. In: POF 42-43/1992-93, Sarajevo, 1995, pp. 103-118. Ibn ‘Arabi, Al-Futühât al-Makiyya, II, Al-Qâhira, 1293 HL, p. 187. ı