Ibn ‘Arabī is sometimes regarded as unorthodox, refusing the outward aspects of religion. In fact, Ibn ‘Arabī
writes hundreds of pages on the topics of fiqh and is a serious proponent of Sharī’ah as the only way to gain
the divine Truth or spiritual realization. He proposes to read the text literally (spiritual literalism). This paper
discusses fiqh and an approach of reading Qur’anic commands from a spiritual perspective through his lens.
Ibn ‘Arabī believes that each ḥukm has both its outer and inner or spiritual dimensions, which is uncovered
through a literal reading. He criticizes the use of ra’y and qiyas as a method of legal reasoning. His spiritual
approach results in a democratization of ijtihād and authority. While this paper discusses its application of this
approach to verses on ‘ibādāt, as mainly conducted by Ibn ‘Arabī himself in the Futūḥāt, it also touches on how
this approach be applied and useful in the modern context.