The Wisdom of Inspiration
Reflections on Seth in Fusūs al-Ḥikam
Chapter 2 of Ibn ʿArabi’s Fusūs al-Ḥikam, titled "The Wisdom of Inspiration (al-Ḥikmah al-Ilhāmiyyah) in the Word of Seth (Shīth)," introduces us to a subtle, inward, and luminous form of divine communication: ilhām, or divine inspiration.
Seth, the son of Adam, is presented not as a law-bearing prophet, but as a figure of spiritual receptivity — one who receives divine truths not through outward revelation (waḥy), but through inward unveiling. His story symbolises how knowledge can descend into the heart of the spiritually prepared, unspoken yet profoundly known.
1. Seth as the Heir of Inner Knowledge
Ibn ʿArabi describes Seth as the inheritor of Adam’s esoteric knowledge — a wisdom passed not through speech or writing, but through presence, light, and inspiration. Seth becomes a prototype for saints and seekers whose hearts are open to the mysteries of the unseen.
2. Ilhām vs. Waḥy: Two Currents of Divine Communication
A central distinction in this chapter is between:
Waḥy (revelation): reserved for prophets; clear, authoritative communication meant for a community.
Ilhām (inspiration): given to saints (awliyāʾ) and gnostics (ʿārifūn); more intimate and intuitive.
Seth represents the soul who does not "hear words" from heaven but knows truth as if it had always been within him. Ibn ʿArabi affirms that such inner inspiration is a real and honoured path to divine knowledge — provided the heart is prepared.
3. The Universe as Reflection of Divine Names
Ibn ʿArabi teaches that the cosmos is a theatre of God’s Names and Attributes. Seth understands that creation is not arbitrary — it is a mirror through which the Divine contemplates Himself.
Each thing in the universe is a manifestation of a Name — The Merciful, The Subtle, The Just — and nothing exists outside this tapestry. Seth, through his inner sight, perceives how every aspect of creation reflects these hidden realities.
"To God belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them."
— Qur’an 7:180
4. Form and Meaning (Ẓāhir and Bāṭin)
Seth possesses the ability to distinguish between the outward form (ẓāhir) and the inward meaning (bāṭin) of things.
What appears mundane may conceal divine wisdom; what seems simple may carry a secret from God. This dual vision — the ability to see both the surface and the soul of reality — is the mark of an inspired heart.
5. Presence is Higher Than Knowledge
Ibn ʿArabi reminds us that intellectual knowledge is incomplete without divine presence (ḥuḍūr).
Seth is not merely “informed”; he is attuned. His awareness is not analytical but receptive and intimate, rooted in spiritual presence — the kind that allows the heart to become a vessel for divine meanings.
6. Spiritual Inheritance and the Chain of Light
Just as Seth inherited Adam’s inner light, the path of saints is one of inherited spiritual wisdom — passed from heart to heart in a chain of transmission (silsila).
This idea anchors many Sufi lineages: what is inherited is not just information, but transformation — the echo of divine breath passed through time.
7. Predestination (Qadar): A Hidden Harmony
Ibn ʿArabi does not ignore the question of fate. In this chapter, he quietly weaves in the theme of predestination — not as something rigid or cruel, but as a precise unfolding of divine wisdom.
Each person, he says, is shaped by their preparedness (istiʿdād) — the capacity to receive certain Divine Names. We are not random beings, but reflections of specific divine realities. What happens to us is not imposed — it emerges from who we are in God’s knowledge.
“The forms of beings in the visible world are the outward appearance of what is fixed in the unseen, in the divine knowledge.”
8. Freedom Within Destiny
There is, within this structure of divine foreknowledge, a mystical freedom: the more we become aware of our essence, the more we live in harmony with divine will — not resisting it, but flowing with its rhythm.
True freedom, for Ibn ʿArabi, is not about changing fate but understanding and aligning with it. Seth lives this out — embracing the script of life with insight, not resistance.
9. Divine Inspiration as a Gift
A final, essential point: ilhām is not earned — it is gifted.
It comes not by effort, but by the grace of receptivity. One cannot force inspiration. But a heart made quiet, sincere, and humble — like Seth’s — becomes capable of receiving.
In this way, divine inspiration is a gift of mercy, not a medal of achievement. It is the rain falling on the soil that is ready to receive.
“He inspires the soul with its wickedness and its righteousness.”
— Qur’an 91:8
In Closing
Seth teaches us not through words, but through silence, depth, and example. His chapter is a call to listen — not to noise, but to the inner whisper where truth is planted like a seed.
Ibn ʿArabi shows us that the universe is not mute — it speaks with divine names, meanings, and wisdoms. But only a certain kind of heart can hear it.
That heart is not perfect, but still.
Not proud, but open.
Not certain, but ready.