futtahat

Futtahat is a transliteration variant of a term from Arabic that is related to the word futaḥ, meaning opening or conquest. In Arabic and related languages, the plural futūḥāt (or futuhāt) can denote openings, breakthroughs, or military conquests, depending on the historical or contextual frame. The sense can be literal, referring to territorial expansions, or figurative, referring to spiritual or intellectual breakthroughs.

In Islamic historiography, futūḥāt is used to describe conquests of Muslim armies during early centuries of Islam, as well as notable openings or campaigns in regional histories. In Sufi and Islamic philosophical literature, the term takes on a more metaphorical meaning, signifying profound spiritual openings granted to a seeker or community.

The most widely known usage in this tradition is Futūḥāt al-Makkīyah, The Meccan Openings, a monumental encyclopedic work by Ibn Arabi. Completed in the late 12th or early 13th century, it surveys theology, metaphysics, cosmology, and mystical practice through a framework of successive openings disclosed to the writer. The work has influenced a broad range of Sufi thought and commentary across the Islamic world.

In modern usage, futūḥāt or futtahat appears in literary and academic titles, and in discussions of religious history or mysticism to denote collections of insights, revelations, or interpretive breakthroughs. Etymologically, the term derives from the Arabic root F-T-H, meaning to open or to conquer, with the plural indicating multiple openings or conquests. See also Fath, Fatah, Futūḥāt al-Makkīyah.