Necessary Existence and Necessary Mercy: Ibn Arabi's Reformulation of Ibn Sina's Ontological Proof

Abu 'Ali ibn Sina (d. 428/1027) is regarded as the most influential philosopher in Islamic intellectual history. Of his numerous contributions, none has garnered more attention than his ontological proof for the existence of God, known as 'the Demonstration of the Truthful' (Burh an al- s. iddiq). In this proof, Ibn Sin a argues that only one being can be 'necessarily existent' (wajib al-wuj ud). He goes on to say that all the attributes of God mentioned in the Qur'an are derived from this primary attribute of necessity. The influential mystic, Muh.yi al-Din ibn 'Arabi (d. 638/1240), is clearly influenced by this proof, but he reformulates it to suggest that the primary attribute of God is mercy rather than existence. However, this is not the type of mercy that entails forgiveness or the bestowal of favors; rather, it is a necessary mercy that brings everything into existence. All of God's other attributes flow from this primary one of necessary mercy in the same way as all of God's attributes flow from His necessary existence for Ibn Sina.