The Mystical Languages of Unsaying

Record summary

Michael A. Sells’s 1998 book examines apophatic and paradoxical language in Islamic mystical thought, with substantial attention to Ibn al-‘Arabi and related traditions. It is a useful lead for comparing claims about hidden knowledge, visionary language, divine names, and transformation of the self while preserving their theological and literary contexts. The work does not document paranormal events. Ibn al-‘Arabi’s reception differs across Sufi, philosophical, devotional, and modern esoteric settings, so researchers should distinguish medieval texts from twentieth-century interpretations and from claims made by contemporary occult movements.