Abstract: (58 Views)
Light in the Holy Qur'an is a key concept associated with various meanings such as guidance, mercy, knowledge, and divine manifestation. The most prominent verse that explicitly refers to this concept is verse 35 of Surah An-Nur, which has long been a subject of interpretive and mystical contemplation. Mystical commentators, through an esoteric perspective, have offered various and sometimes paradoxical interpretations of light. One such interpretation is the concept of “Black Light”—an expression that may initially seem self-contradictory, yet in its technical mystical sense, it refers to the intensity of divine light and the annihilation (fanā) of the seeker before the overwhelming radiance of the Divine Essence. In mystical interpretations, this concept goes beyond the literal meaning and takes on symbolic and intuitive dimensions.
This lesser-known yet foundational idea is evident in the works of mystics such as Ibn Arabi, Najm al-Din Kubra, Ruzbihan Baqli, and others. It refers to a level of spiritual journey in which the seeker encounters divine lights so intensely that reason and ego are obliterated. Despite its name, this light is not a sign of the darkness of ignorance, but rather a darkness born of mystical awareness—a crossing beyond the limits of rational understanding. This article, through an analytical-descriptive approach, seeks to examine the epistemological status of the Black Light in mystical interpretations of the Qur'an, and to demonstrate how mystics, by transcending conventional meanings and entering into symbolic and intuitive layers, have created novel concepts such as Black Light to articulate deeper spiritual experiences.
Keywords: : Light, Presence, Black Light, Mystical Interpretations, Holy Qur'an, Annihilation, Fanā.
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