Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi
- Died
- 1143 AH
- Born in
- Damascus
Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (1050–1143 AH / 1641–1731 CE) was a Syrian Hanafi jurist, theologian, poet, and Sufi master based in Damascus . He is known for his extensive mystical writings and his dream-interpretation manual, Ta'tir al-anam fi ta'bir al-manam (Perfuming Humanity in the Interpretation of Dreams) .
Early life and education
His full name was Abd al-Ghani ibn Isma'il ibn Abd al-Ghani ibn Isma'il ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Dimashqi al-Salihi al-Hanafi al-Naqshbandi al-Qadiri . He was born in Damascus on 5 Dhu al-Hijjah 1050 AH (1641 CE) . Following the death of his father in 1062 AH (1651 CE), he was raised as an orphan and dedicated himself to Islamic sciences .
Al-Nabulsi studied Hanafi jurisprudence and legal theory under Ahmad al-Qal'i, Arabic grammar, morphology, and rhetoric under Mahmud al-Kurdi, Hadith and its terminology under Abd al-Baqi al-Hanbali, and Qur'anic exegesis under Muhammad al-Mahasini . He also attended the circles of Najm al-Din al-Ghazzi and studied under several other Damascene scholars, including Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ustuwwani, al-Fattal, and al-Saffuri . In Sufism, he was initiated into the Qadiriyya order by Abd al-Razzaq al-Hamawi al-Kaylani and the Naqshbandiyya order by Sa'id al-Balkhi .
Teaching, travels, and mystical pursuits
Al-Nabulsi assumed teaching, preaching, and spiritual mentorship at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus . He engaged extensively with mystical treatises, immersing himself in the writings of Ibn Arabi, Ibn Sab'in, and al-Tilimsani . In doctrinal Sufism, he authored Jawahir al-nusus (Gems of the Texts), a two-volume commentary on Ibn Arabi's Fusus al-hikam .
He traveled widely across the region, visiting Istanbul, Baghdad, Tripoli, Mount Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, Palestine, Egypt, and the Hijaz . He recorded his journeys in travelogues, notably al-Haqiqa wa-l-majaz fi rihlat Bilad al-Sham wa-Misr wa-l-Hijaz (The Truth and the Metaphor in the Journey through Greater Syria, Egypt, and the Hijaz) . Among his notable students were the Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Saffarini and the poet and philologist Abd al-Rahman al-Khalawi .
Reception and criticism
Al-Nabulsi attained wide renown during his lifetime, drawing followers across Syria, Egypt, the Hijaz, and Iraq . Biographer Muhammad Khalil al-Muradi described him as a master whose writings gained fame in both the East and the West . His maternal great-grandson, Kamal al-Din Muhammad al-Ghazzi, wrote a dedicated biography on him entitled al-Wird al-unsi (also cited as al-Wird al-qudsi) .
Conversely, his mystical views and practices drew sharp criticism from opponents of monistic Sufi doctrines, who condemned his defense of saint veneration, grave visitation, and calling upon the deceased as deviations from orthodoxy .
Death
Al-Nabulsi died in Damascus on 24 Sha'ban 1143 AH (1731 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
Ta‘tir al-Anam fi Ta‘bir al-Manam (Perfuming Humanity in the Interpretation of Dreams) is an alphabetical dictionary and reference manual dedicated to Islamic oneiromancy and dream interpretation (ta‘bir al-ru’ya). Designed as a comprehensive and accessible guide, it systematically arranges dream symbols, objects, beings, and actions in alphabetical order according to the Arabic alphabet.