Cosmological Echoes: A Comparison of Mystical Alphabets in al-Andalus

This study explores the intersections between Kabbalistic and Sufi mystical thought, focusing on the role of letter mysticism in both traditions. Building on Ronald Kiener’s suggestion of Ibn al-Arabi’s potential engagement with Andalusian Kabbalists, this research examines how language functions as a cosmological principle in The Meccan Revelations, the Sefer Yetzirah, and the Zohar. Both Kabbalah and Sufism view letters as vessels of divine emanation, structuring reality and reflecting the human microcosm. Ibn al-Arabi’s concept of the Perfect Man parallels the Zohar’s Adam Kadmon, suggesting shared frameworks of their mystical systems. By contextualizing these ideas within the intellectual and religious exchanges of al-Andalus, this study sheds light on the possible transmission of mystical concepts across Jewish and Islamic traditions, emphasizing both commonalities and distinct theological developments.