Sufism and the Perfect Human

<p>Studying the history of the notion of the ‘Perfect Human’ (al-insān al-kāmil), this book investigates a key idea in the history of Sufism. First discussed by Ibn ‘Arabī and later treated in greater depth by al-Jīlī, the idea left its mark on later Islamic mystical, metaphysical, and political thought, from North Africa to Southeast Asia, up until modern times.</p><p>The research tells the story of the development of that idea from Ibn ‘Arabī to al-Jīlī and beyond. It does so through a thematic study, based on close reading of primary sources in Arabic and Persian, of the key elements of the idea, including the idea that the Perfect Human is a locus of divine manifestation (maẓhar), the concept of the ‘Pole’ (quṭb) and the ‘Muhammadan Reality’ (al-ḥaqīqah al-Muhammadiyyah), and the identity of the Perfect Human. By setting the work of al-Jīlī against the background of earlier Ibn ‘Arabian treatments of the idea, it demonstrates that al-Jīlī took the idea of the Perfect Human in several new directions, with major consequences for how the Prophet Muhammad – the archetypal Perfect Human – was viewed in later Islamic thought. </p><p>Introducing readers to the key Sufi idea of the Perfect Human (al-insān al-kāmil), this volume will be of interest to scholars and students interested in Sufism, Islam, religion and philosophy.</p> <p>Introduction <strong>Part One: Al-Jīlī’s Life & Thought </strong>1. Al-Jīlī’s Life & Work 2. Al-Jīlī’s Sufi Metaphysics <strong>Part Two: The Perfect Human </strong>3. A ‘Synthetic Being’: The Perfect Human as Locus of Divine Manifestation and Microcosm 4. The Pole 5. The Muhammadan Reality 6. The Identity of the Perfect Human Conclusion: Influences and Impact</p>