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About Ibn 'Arabi

A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation

and Protection

Ibn 'Arabi's al-Dawr al-a'la or Hizb al-wiqaya

Study, translation, transliteration and Arabic text by

Suha Taji-Farouki

This is the first study of a widely used and much-loved prayer by Ibn ‘Arabi, sometimes recited after the Awrad (The Seven Days of the Heart). The Dawr al-a’la (The Most Elevated Cycle), also known as the Hizb al-wiqaya (The Prayer of Protection), is a prayer of remarkable power and beauty. It consists of 33 verses, invoking protection through particular Divine Names and phrases from the Quran. It is said that whoever reads the prayer with sincerity of heart and utter conviction, while making a specific plea, will have their wish granted.

This precious book provides a definitive edition of the Arabic text based on a substantial number of the best manuscript copies, and a lucid translation. A transliteration is also provided for those unable to read Arabic. In addition, there is an illuminating analysis of the transmission, presentation and use of the prayer across the centuries. Of particular interest are the major figures in Islamic scholarship and mysticism who have been associated with it, and perceptions of its properties and uses.

Book details

150 pages, paperback, 210 x 148 mm

ISBN: 0 9534513 05

Published 2006, in association with the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society

About the translator

Suha Taji-Farouki is Senior Lecturer in Modern Islam at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, the University of Exeter, and Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. She has written extensively on modern Islamic thought, including, as editor, Islamic Thought in the Twentieth Century and Modern Muslim Intellectuals and the Qur'an.