Theory

ʿIlm and the Ghayb (Islamic epistemology)

Islamic epistemology integrating ʿilm (knowledge, divided into acquired ʿilm al-ḥuṣūlī and presential ʿilm al-ḥuḍūrī) and the ghayb (the unseen), with sacred geometry treated as a discovered rather than invented order. Knowledge of the ghayb is by definition not propositionally available.

Knowledge Cosmos Sign

Details

Introduced: classical Islamic thought

Referenced by

Seyyed Hossein Nasr proposed
An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines: Conceptions of Nature and Methods Used for Its Study by the Ikhwan al-Safa, al-Biruni, and Ibn Sina articulates
Cosmology and Architecture in Premodern Islam articulates

Sources

Nasr, S. H. Islamic Cosmological Doctrines. Thames & Hudson, 1978.
Akkach, S. Cosmology and Architecture in Premodern Islam. SUNY Press, 2005.

Cite this entry

First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026

CLAD. "ʿIlm and the Ghayb (Islamic epistemology)." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/theory/ilm-ghayb/. Accessed July 17, 2026.