The Tree of Being (Shajarat al-Kawn) is a treatise written by Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), one of the greatest figures in both Islamic and universal mysticism. He wrote close to five hundred books and manuscripts. Many of them are short, but some, like Fusus al Hikam and Futuhat al Makkiyah, are books of many volumes. Ibn Arabi knew and influenced the great men of his time, Ibn Rushd(Averroes), Jalaluddin Rumi, Suhrawardi, and others. His influence spread beyond the Islamic world and entered medieval Europe. Asin Palacios and Salverda di Grave have pointed out that Dante in the Divina Comedia derived from Ibn Arabi the great design of Hell and Paradise and also the image of the beautified young woman as guide to the Divine.The Tree of Being is an inspired description of the cosmos and the perfect man as microcosm, expressed in beautiful metaphysical and poetic imagery. Ibn Arabi's devotion to the Prophet Muhammad as the perfect man provides instruction in Islam for the ones who are interested in learning the essence of this religion.

The book has five sections. First is the translator's introduction including a biography of Ibn Arabi and a discussion of his approach to Sufism. Second is an interpretation of Ibn Arabi's Tree of Being, a commentary on the mystical elements of the Qur'an and Islam. Third is Ibn 'Arabi's description of the character and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. The fourth section is his listing of the two hundred names and attributes of the Prophet.

Sheikh Tosun Bayrak, born in Istanbul, Turkey, studied Biological Sciences, BSC, Robert College, Istanbul; Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley; and History of Art, Courtauld Institute of Art, London. He received a Masters in Fine Arts from Rutgers University. Sheikh Bayrak served as a government official in Ankara, Honorary Consul of Turkey in Morocco, and was also an international businessman. He has exhibited widely in the USA as an artist and art educator. He is a retired professor of art and art history, from Fairleigh Dickenson University, New Jersey.
He has devoted the last forty years of his life to Sufism and is the Sheikh of the Jerrahi-Halveti Order in the USA.

In addition to two books of poetry in Turkish and many articles about art and religion in both the USA and Turkey, Sheikh Bayrak has published the following books:

The Way of the Sufi Chivalry, Inner Traditions International
The Most Beautiful Names, Threshold Books
Inspiration on the Path of Blame, Threshold Books

Also available:
Secret of Secrets, Islamic Text Society, London, UK
Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom, Fons Vitae
The Name and the Named, Fons Vitae
The Shape of Light, Fons Vitae

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