In this lecture, Dr Dunja Rašić and Dr Toby Mayer explore the Black Light in Akbarian and Persianate Sufism through the mystical teachings of Ibn ʿArabī. The “black light” represents divine presence so intense it appears veiled in darkness. Rašić discusses the Nightfolk (ahl al-layl) — spiritual seekers who embrace solitude, night-vigil, and inner revelation. Ibn ʿArabī describes them as “God’s friends” hidden from the world. Key symbols like lām-alif and metaphors of night guide his cosmology. The black light, far from absence, signals overwhelming divine intensity. This lecture uncovers the metaphysical, poetic, and symbolic layers of night and divine knowledge.
Behind the Veil of the Night: The Black Light in Akbarian and Persianate Sufism
Photo: The Prophet Muhammad, depicted as an inscribed and radiant disk, during his celestial ascension, Nizami, Makhzan al-Asrār (Treasury of Secrets).
Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series
Designed to invite scholars of various international academic institutions, specialising in intellectual, social and political aspects of medieval and early modern Islamic societies, to present and discuss their research.
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Views expressed in this lecture are those of the presenting scholars, not necessarily of IIS, the Ismaili community or leadership. Promotion of this lecture is not an explicit endorsement of the ideas presented.
