The Spirit of the Farangi Mahall

Every Islamic tradition possesses a unique essence, a distinct quality or spirit that defines its identity. Within the Farangi Mahall intellectual tradition, this essence finds its embodiment in the figure of "The Greatest Shaykh, Muhyi al-Din Ibn 'Arabi, may Allah sanctify his secret. Central to the Farangi Mahall tradition stands 'Abd al-'Ali, renowned as Bahr al-'Ulum. 

He, the son of Mulla Nizam al-Din, often regarded as the progenitor of this tradition alongside his martyred father and brothers, emerged from the vibrant intellectual, legal, and spiritual landscape of the Subcontinent. Bahr al-'Ulum emerges as a pivotal exponent of this tradition, his renown solidified by his seminal commentary on al-Bihari's Sullam in Arabic logic.

In his discourse on various issues, Bahr al-Ulüm consistently elevates the position of Ibn 'Arabi to the pinnacle, deeming it the ultimate and correct stance, often referred to as the position of the 'People of Truth'. This practice reverberates through his students, such as Mulla Hasan, who mirror this reverence in their own commentaries. Notably, the esteemed polymath scholar and rationalist theologian, Fadl al-Haq al-Kahayrabadi, within his epistle on the Oneness of Being, Rawd al-majud fi masalat al-wujud, echoes this sentiment. Throughout, the discourse culminates in what they term the perspective of the 'Pure Sufis' and 'People of Verification (tahqìq)', led by their unveilings (kashf), and the unveilings of the 'Greatest Shaykh’.