Critical Study of the Authority of Mystical Revelations with Emphasis on Ibn Arabi's View

Prominent mystics have always claimed the existence of an independent epistemological way of receiving facts, which some have considered its authority to be inherent and unconditional. As the founder of mystical and codified theoretical mysticism, Ibn Arabi has unique views on mystical epistemology, in particular the authority of revelation. His remarks on the infallibility of mystical revelations have given rise to the theory of the inherent authority of revelation among scholars. Researchers have been at odds over the quality of the inherent authority of revelation. Using the documentary-library method as a data collection, and descriptive-analytical method as an analysis with a developmental approach, this study seeks to reflect on the views of mystics, especially Ibn Arabi, in order to draw a consistent picture of inherent authority of mystical revelations. This article criticizes Ibn Arabi's words on the absolute authority of mystical revelations and, after stating the general rules about the possibility of proving inherent authority, will finally evaluate the most important claimed examples of the inherent authority.