08/07/2025
In Arabic occultism, particularly within the spiritual sciences of Sufism, Sihr, and esoteric Islamic philosophy, there are several concepts that echo what the Yoruba tradition calls the Ori and what Indic systems refer to as the third eye. While these ideas are not always named in the same way, their function—centers of divine perception, guidance, and inner knowing—are very much present.
One of the closest equivalents to the Ori is al-Sirr, meaning “the Secret.” In Sufi metaphysics, al-Sirr is understood as the innermost part of the soul, a hidden dimension of the self where divine mysteries are received. It is the place where the individual soul connects directly with the divine, not through intellect or emotion, but through spiritual intuition. Al-Sirr, like the Ori, is said to carry the person’s deeper purpose and can access knowledge of destiny that is otherwise veiled from ordinary consciousness.
Another important center in Arabic occult thought is al-Qalb, the heart—not in its physical sense, but as a spiritual organ. The qalb is viewed as capable of perception, a vessel for divine light, and the seat of inner sight. A purified heart is believed to be able to “see” beyond the physical, receiving visions, understanding spiritual truths, and communing with beings like angels and djinn. This notion of the heart as a perceptive center strongly parallels the third eye concept, which represents awakened spiritual vision in other traditions.
Deeper still is al-Fu’ād, which is considered the “deep heart” or the core of consciousness. This is where the soul experiences divine love, intense spiritual longing, and flashes of direct insight. It is described in some esoteric texts as the “eye within the heart,” suggesting a hidden faculty that perceives the divine directly. This aligns not only with the third eye’s mystical vision but also with Ori’s deeper intuitive role in guiding one’s path in alignment with destiny.
Additionally, the faculty of basira, or inner vision, is central to Arabic esotericism. It refers to a kind of spiritual seeing, an ability to perceive the unseen realm. Those whose basira is awakened are said to perceive spiritual beings, signs from the divine, and the true essence of events. In Islamic traditions, basira is linked to divine names such as Al-Basīr, “The All-Seeing,” and reflects the idea that humans, too, can attain a limited form of divine perception when spiritually refined.
In more philosophical currents of Arabic occult thought, such as those found in Islamic Neoplatonism and among the Brethren of Purity, the concept of al-‘Aql al-Awwal, the First Intellect, arises. This is viewed as the original light of divine consciousness, the cosmic mind from which all intelligence flows. Within magical interpretations, it is sometimes seen as the divine blueprint that informs a person’s soul and purpose—a kind of cosmic Ori, connecting individual destiny to the mind of the Creator.
Altogether, Arabic occultism holds a rich ocean of ideas that mirror the essence of the Ori and the third eye. These inner faculties—whether they are called al-Sirr, al-Qalb, al-Fu’ād, basira, or al-‘Aql al-Awwal—are all pathways through which the human being can access higher knowledge, divine love, and spiritual clarity. Each represents a different layer of the self that, when activated, opens the way for powerful transformation, vision, and alignment with one’s true path. And this is Arabic occultism’s approach to opening the third eye.
-Brujo Chico