DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/61/176-181
Embodying Sufi Principles in Action: Ibn Arabi's Spiritual Legacy and Emir Abdelkader as a Practical Model of Peace
Amaria Senoussaoui 
Abstract. Sheikh Muhyiddin ibn Arabi of Andalusia and Prince Abdelkader of Algeria are two figures who embodied the principles of Islam in religious tolerance and built the edifice of peaceful coexistence. Although separated by time, they are united by spiritual experience. Scholars agree that Prince Abdelkader is the legitimate heir of Ibn Arabi in the sciences of spiritual taste (“dhawq”), as he learned from his master's books and followed his example in pursuing the paths of truth, revealing the veils, and rising in the ranks of spiritual realization. This study examines the intellectual and spiritual relationship between Ibn Arabi and Emir Abdelkader, exploring how Sufi principles of love, tolerance, and ethical responsibility were translated into practical action. Through an analytical-descriptive methodology, the research demonstrates that Ibn Arabi provided the philosophical and metaphysical framework for peaceful coexistence through his doctrines of “wahdat al-wujūd” (Unity of Being) and “al-insān al-kāmil” (the Perfect Human), while Emir Abdelkader embodied these principles as a statesman, military leader, humanitarian, and spiritual exemplar. His protection of civilians, humane treatment of prisoners, and intervention to prevent massacres during the Damascus crisis of 1860 exemplify how metaphysical principles can guide practical ethical action. The study concludes that the union of these two figures reveals the inseparability of theory and practice in the Sufi conception of peace, offering an enduring model for interfaith harmony and ethical leadership in pluralistic societies.
Keywords: Ibn Arabi al-Andalusian, prince Abdelkader, sufism; peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance / spiritual tolerance