Educational Engineering of Theoretical Mysticism: Analysis of the Three-Layer Structure of Qaysari's Commentary on Ibn Arabi's Fussus-ul-Hakam

In the present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and a comparative study of the texts, the fundamental educational innovations of Davud Qaysari in his commentary on Ibn Arabi’s Fusūs al-Hakam are analyzed and its three-layered systematic structure is explored. By creating this coherent educational structure, Qaysari revolutionized the systematic transmission of theoretical mysticism.
1. The Twelve Preliminaries Layer: With a novel and unprecedented design, he established twelve comprehensive introductory chapters that explain the foundations of ontology, epistemology, and mystical anthropology in a structured manner. This integrated educational framework was a new approach in the previous exegesis tradition and provided a conceptual map for entering the complex topics of Fusūs.
2. Step-by-step explanation layer: This section is identified by four distinct features:
- A non-mixed style with a precise separation of the main text and the explanation
- Precise definition of philosophical-mystical terms instead of pure allegorical expression
- Intelligent management of brevity and conciseness based on rhetorical principles
- A gradual educational approach with a level of difficulty adjustment to prevent despair or arrogance in learners.
This layer designs an educational path for the gradual understanding of the wisdom of each chapter.
3. Feedback loop layer: By creating a dynamic network of hypertextual and intratextual references, Qaysari activates two key educational mechanisms:
- Conceptual differentiation to remove ambiguities from similar concepts
- Gradual evolution to deepen levels of understanding through rereading with increased awareness.
This network transforms the Fusūs from a cryptic text into a “dynamic university of concepts” that places learning in an evolutionary loop. The combination of these three layers provides a model for the systematic teaching of theoretical mysticism that has remained the dominant educational text to this day.