00000na 22 1 450809354Layla Shamash (1943-2002) was born and grew up in a Jewish family, of ancient Babylonian lineage, in Baghdad. She was a native Arabic speaker; her father taught her the Qu’ran and she went to a Roman Catholic school for girls - so her education was truly ''Abrahamic''. She left Iraq in order to pursue architectural studies in England. With growing political tensions at home, she secured the safe escape of her family from Iraq. After studying at the Architectural Association School in London, she worked for the GLC (Greater London Council) designing Social Housing, and at the same time she set out on the spiritual journey which would transform her life. She married, and with her husband Khalil Norland and their two children, moved to Oxford in 1981 to take up a teaching post in the Department of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University. She also practiced architecture in Oxford and beyond. She inspired generations of architectural students and was much beloved by all who studied under her until her early death. Layla was also inspirational in helping with translations of Ibn Arabi''s work, being the only native Arabic speaker in the burgeoning Society Research group in Oxford - though she often said she understood Ibn Arabi better in English than in Arabic!
Stephen Hirtenstein has been editor of the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society since its inception in 1982, and is a co-founder of Anqa Publishing [/].
He read History at King’s College, Cambridge, and then studied at the Beshara School of Intensive Esoteric Education in Gloucestershire and Scotland. After a teaching career, he began writing and giving talks on Ibn Arabi’s thought at conferences across the world.
In addition to lecturing and writing, he organises and leads tours "in the footsteps of Ibn Arabi".
He currently works as a Senior Editor for the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, and lives near Oxford.کتاب الفناء فی المشهادة ابن عربی [مقاله انگلیسی]Kitâb al-fâna’ fi-l mushâhadah by Ibn ‘ArabiLayla Shamash، Stephen HirtensteinarticleEnglish