The Seven Days of the Heart

A Review

This book has brought enormous pleasure. More than that, it has been a revelation. Beneito and Hirtenstein's intelligent renderings and commentaries have opened up new dimensions to what had hitherto been seen primarily as a devotional practice. For as Hirtenstein says in his introduction, "these prayers are as much educational as devotional." The possibility that the educational aspect can be realised through recitation, even when there is no distinctive understanding, should not be dismissed.

There is no doubt that this book, which gives a clear English translation, plus well-researched footnotes and introduction/appendices which connect the text to the whole corpus of Ibn 'Arabi's work – and beyond, to its Quranic source – provides new opportunities to imbibe full benefit from these extraordinary invocations.

The translation makes it clear that this is a unique work. These are prayers unlike anything found in the Christian tradition, which tends to see prayer as a devotional and emotional activity, and even in Islamic culture, where there was a long tradition of long, metaphysical prayers, they stand out. This is not only because of their form, which combines beauty of expression with heart-felt sentiment and a high degree of intellectual insight, but because of their perspective, which is certainly Akbarian. This is wahdat al-wujud in practice.

Jane Clark, from a review in the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society, Vol. XXX, 2001.

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