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{{Short description|Concept of "Perfect Human" in Islam}}
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{{Sufism|Ideas}}
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In ], '''''al-Insān al-Kāmil''''' ({{langx|ar|الإنسان الكامل}}), also rendered as ''Insān-i Kāmil'' (]/]: {{lang|fa|{{nq|انسان کامل}}}}) and ''{{lang|tr|İnsan-ı Kâmil}}'' (]), is an honorific title to describe ], the ]. The phrase means "the person who has reached perfection",<ref>{{cite book | last=Leaman | first=Oliver | title=The Qur'an: An encyclopedia | publisher=Routledge | year=2006 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=isDgI0-0Ip4C&pg=PA302 | isbn=0-415-32639-7 | page=302}}</ref> literally "the complete person". It is an important concept in Islamic culture of the ] human being, pure ], one's true identity, to be contrasted with the material human who is bound by their senses and materialism. The term was originally used by ] ] and is still used by them, but it is also used by ] and ].<ref name="NE">{{cite book | last=Glassé | first=Cyril |author2= Huston Smith | title=The New Encyclopedia of Islam | publisher=Rowman Altamira | year=2003 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=focLrox-frUC&pg=PA216 | isbn=0-7591-0190-6 | page=216}}</ref> This idea is based upon a hadith,<ref name="NE"/> which was used by ], that states about Muhammad: "I was a prophet when Adam was between water and clay."<ref>.</ref>
In ], Muhammad is known as '''uswa hasana, al-insan al-kamil''', ''par excellence''.<ref></ref> It is an ] phrase loosely translated, meaning, the 'Perfect Man' and is attributed to ], in Islamic thought.{{fact}} Prominent ] Islamic scholar ], has also published a ] on Muhammad as the al-insan al-kamil. The ] also regard Muhammad as the Perfect Saint, or Universal Man.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Muhammad and Sufism |url=http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-251803 |format=HTML |work= |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |id= |pages= |page= |date= |accessdate= |language=English |quote=The Mi'raj, or Nocturnal Ascent, of the Prophet is the prototype of all spiritual wayfaring in Islam, and no group in Islamic society has been as conscientious as the Sufis in emulating the Prophet as the perfect saint and what later Sufis were to call the Perfect or Universal Man (al-insan al-kamil). }}</ref> ] was also the author of Al-Insan al-Kamil. Muhammad is also identified with the ] (as in biblical Judaism, the word of God<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Logos |url=http://www.tfd.com/logos |format=HTML |work= |publisher= |id= |pages= |page= |date= |accessdate= |language=English |quote=2. Judaism

a. In biblical Judaism, the word of God, which itself has creative power and is God's medium of communication with the human race.
The Sunni ] ] as al-Insān al-Kāmil. ] was the author of an Arabic text entitled ''Al-Insān al-Kāmil''. ] believe that each ] is a perfect man.<ref>{{cite book | last=Corbin | first=Henry | author-link=Henry Corbin |author2=translated by Liadain Sherrard|author3= Philip Sherrard|author3-link= Philip Sherrard| title=History of Islamic Philosophy | publisher=London; Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies | year=1993 | url=http://www.amiscorbin.com/textes/anglais/Hist_Iran_Phil_Corbin_part_I.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509183618/http://www.amiscorbin.com/textes/anglais/Hist_Iran_Phil_Corbin_part_I.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-date=2008-05-09 | isbn=0-7103-0416-1 | pages=97–98}}</ref>
b. In Hellenistic Judaism, a hypostasis associated with divine wisdom. }}</ref>) and the Divine Intellect. <ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors=Seyyed Hossein Nasr |title=The Last Prophet |url=http://www.islamia.com/the_last_prophet.htm |format=HTML |work= |publisher=ISLAMIA |id= |pages= |page= |date= |accessdate= |language=English |quote= The Prophet also possesses this human nature outwardly. But inwardly he has become alchemically transmuted into a precious stone which, although still a stone, is transparent before the light and has lost its opacity. The Prophet is outwardly only a human being , but inwardly he is the full realization of manhood in its most universal sense. He is the Universal Man , the prototype of all of creation, the norm of all perfection, the first of all beings, the mirror in which God contemplates universal existence. He is inwardly identified with the Logos and the Divine Intellect. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Itzchak |last=Weismann |authorlink= |author= |coauthors=Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza |title=God and the Perfect Man in the Experience of &rsquo;Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza&lsquo; iri |url=http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/articlespdf/Weismann.pdf |format=PDF |work= |publisher= |id= |pages= |page=14 |date= |accessdate= |language=English |quote=Abd al-Karim al-Jili had sought to reinforce their immanent link by apotheosizing the figure of al-insan al-kamil, the hallmark of his entire mystical thought. He asserted that Muhammad's status in the divine scheme was analogous to that of the Qu'ran and, most significantly, that the pole of each generation (qutb) acquired a similar status by taking on the Prophet's Image (al-sura al-Muhammadiyya). }}</ref>

==The origin of ''al-insān al-kāmil''==
] and ] expressed the idea within their works.<ref name="Bewley2">{{citation |author=Mansur Al-Hallaj, Translated by Aisha Bewley |title=The Tawasin |pages=1–3 |year=1974 |publisher=Diwan Press}}.</ref><ref>{{citation |author=Mario Kozah |title=The Birth of Indology as an Islamic Science |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v_7dCgAAQBAJ |page=13 |year=2015 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-30554-0}}.</ref> The concept is evident in the works of ] (1093–1166) whose influence spread ] across Central Asia.<ref>Telebayev, Gaziz, and Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. "Turkic elements in the Sufi philosophical tradition: Khoja Ahmed Yasawi." Cross Cultural Studies: Education and Science 2 (2019): 100-107.</ref> The concept was also applied by ], a well-respected and influential Islamic thinker. The origin of this concept is derived from the ] and '']'', as mentioned in Ibn Arabi's ''Fusus Al-Hikam'':

<blockquote>Muhammad's wisdom is uniqueness (''fardiya'') because he is the most perfect existent creature of this human species. For this reason, the command began with him and was sealed with him. He was a Prophet while Adam was between water and clay, and his elemental structure is the Seal of the Prophets.<ref>{{citation |title=THE SEALS OF WISDOM |url=https://bewley.virtualave.net/fusus27.html |others=Aisha Bewley |access-date=15 May 2015 |archive-date=28 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228113511/http://bewley.virtualave.net/fusus27.html |url-status=dead }}.</ref></blockquote>

In the Quran, man's hierarchical status above all beings is seen, as it states that God created humans in the fairest stature.<ref name="Encyclopedia_Iranica">Bowering, Gerhard. "Ensan-e-Kamel." Encyclopedia Iranica (1998): Web. 3 April 2011. http://iranica.com/articles/ensan-e-kamel {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719015246/http://iranica.com/articles/ensan-e-kamel|date=19 July 2011}}.</ref> Due to this occurrence the human is favored by God and is said to be given God's light which leads through them to complete perfection. The previous saying illuminates the idea that behind the true objective behind creation is God's desire to be known which is fulfilled through the perfect human being.<ref name=Encyclopedia_Iranica/>

==''Al-Insān al-kāmil'' and Ibn al-Arabi==
{{Ibn Arabi}}
''Al-Insan al-kamil'', or the perfect being, was first deeply discussed in written form by ] in one of his most prolific works entitled Fusus al-Hikam.<ref>Chittick, William C. "Ebn al-'Arabi Mohyi-al- Din Abu 'Abd-Allah Mohammad Ta’I Hatemi." Encyclopedia Iranica (1996): Web. 3 April 2011. http://iranica.com/articles/ebn-al-arabi {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719015334/http://iranica.com/articles/ebn-al-arabi|date=19 July 2011}}.</ref> Taking an idea already common within Sufi culture, Ibn al-Arabi applied deep analysis and reflection on the issue of the Perfect Human and one's pursuit in fulfilling this goal. In developing his explanation of the perfect being al-Arabi first discusses the issue of oneness through the metaphor of the mirror. In this metaphor al-Arabi compares an object being reflected in countless mirrors to the relationship between God and his creatures. God's essence is seen in the existent human being, as God is the object and humans being the mirrors. Meaning two things, that since humans are mere reflections of God there can be no distinction or separation between the two and without God the creatures would be non-existent. When an individual understands that there is no separation between human and God they begin on the path of ultimate oneness. The one who decides to walk in this oneness pursues the true reality and responds to God's longing to be known.<ref name="Little, John T. 1987">Little, John T. "Al-Insan al-Kamil: the perfect man according to Ibn al-'Arabi." Muslim World 77.1 (1987): 43–54.</ref>

The Perfect Human through this developed self-consciousness and self-realization prompts divine self-manifestation. This causes the Perfect Human to be of both divine and earthly origin, al-Arabi calls him the Isthmus. Being the Isthmus between heaven and Earth the perfect human fulfills God's desire to be known and God's presence can be realized through him by others. Additionally through self manifestation one acquires divine knowledge, which is the primordial spirit of Muhammad and all its perfection. Al-Arabi details that the perfect human is of the cosmos to the divine and conveys the divine spirit to the cosmos.<ref name="Little, John T. 1987"/>

==The contribution of al-Jili==
] was born in 1365 and was a Sunni Sufi who spent much of his life in Yemen being taught by the Shaiyk Sharaf al-Din al-Jabarti.<ref>Ritter, H. "ʿAbdal-Karīm, Ḳuṭb al-Dīn b. Ibrāhīm al-ḎJ̲īlī." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana.</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
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Latest revision as of 04:21, 22 October 2024

Concept of "Perfect Human" in Islam

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In Islamic theology, al-Insān al-Kāmil (Arabic: الإنسان الكامل), also rendered as Insān-i Kāmil (Persian/Urdu: انسان کامل) and İnsan-ı Kâmil (Turkish), is an honorific title to describe Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The phrase means "the person who has reached perfection", literally "the complete person". It is an important concept in Islamic culture of the prototype human being, pure consciousness, one's true identity, to be contrasted with the material human who is bound by their senses and materialism. The term was originally used by Sunni Sufis and is still used by them, but it is also used by Alawites and Alevis. This idea is based upon a hadith, which was used by Ibn Arabi, that states about Muhammad: "I was a prophet when Adam was between water and clay."

The Sunni Islamic scholar Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki has published a Sīrah as al-Insān al-Kāmil. Abd al-Karīm al-Jīlī was the author of an Arabic text entitled Al-Insān al-Kāmil. Ismailis believe that each Imam is a perfect man.

The origin of al-insān al-kāmil

Mansur al-Hallaj and Al-Biruni expressed the idea within their works. The concept is evident in the works of Ahmad Yasawi (1093–1166) whose influence spread Sufism across Central Asia. The concept was also applied by ibn Arabi, a well-respected and influential Islamic thinker. The origin of this concept is derived from the Quran and hadith, as mentioned in Ibn Arabi's Fusus Al-Hikam:

Muhammad's wisdom is uniqueness (fardiya) because he is the most perfect existent creature of this human species. For this reason, the command began with him and was sealed with him. He was a Prophet while Adam was between water and clay, and his elemental structure is the Seal of the Prophets.

In the Quran, man's hierarchical status above all beings is seen, as it states that God created humans in the fairest stature. Due to this occurrence the human is favored by God and is said to be given God's light which leads through them to complete perfection. The previous saying illuminates the idea that behind the true objective behind creation is God's desire to be known which is fulfilled through the perfect human being.

Al-Insān al-kāmil and Ibn al-Arabi

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Al-Insan al-kamil, or the perfect being, was first deeply discussed in written form by Ibn Arabi in one of his most prolific works entitled Fusus al-Hikam. Taking an idea already common within Sufi culture, Ibn al-Arabi applied deep analysis and reflection on the issue of the Perfect Human and one's pursuit in fulfilling this goal. In developing his explanation of the perfect being al-Arabi first discusses the issue of oneness through the metaphor of the mirror. In this metaphor al-Arabi compares an object being reflected in countless mirrors to the relationship between God and his creatures. God's essence is seen in the existent human being, as God is the object and humans being the mirrors. Meaning two things, that since humans are mere reflections of God there can be no distinction or separation between the two and without God the creatures would be non-existent. When an individual understands that there is no separation between human and God they begin on the path of ultimate oneness. The one who decides to walk in this oneness pursues the true reality and responds to God's longing to be known.

The Perfect Human through this developed self-consciousness and self-realization prompts divine self-manifestation. This causes the Perfect Human to be of both divine and earthly origin, al-Arabi calls him the Isthmus. Being the Isthmus between heaven and Earth the perfect human fulfills God's desire to be known and God's presence can be realized through him by others. Additionally through self manifestation one acquires divine knowledge, which is the primordial spirit of Muhammad and all its perfection. Al-Arabi details that the perfect human is of the cosmos to the divine and conveys the divine spirit to the cosmos.

The contribution of al-Jili

Abd al-Karim b. Ibrahim al-Jili was born in 1365 and was a Sunni Sufi who spent much of his life in Yemen being taught by the Shaiyk Sharaf al-Din al-Jabarti.

See also

References

  1. Leaman, Oliver (2006). The Qur'an: An encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 302. ISBN 0-415-32639-7.
  2. ^ Glassé, Cyril; Huston Smith (2003). The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Rowman Altamira. p. 216. ISBN 0-7591-0190-6.
  3. Ibn al-'Arabi, Muhyi al-Din (1164–1240), The 'perfect human' and the Muhammadan reality.
  4. Corbin, Henry; translated by Liadain Sherrard; Philip Sherrard (1993). History of Islamic Philosophy (PDF). London; Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. pp. 97–98. ISBN 0-7103-0416-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2008.
  5. Mansur Al-Hallaj, Translated by Aisha Bewley (1974), The Tawasin, Diwan Press, pp. 1–3.
  6. Mario Kozah (2015), The Birth of Indology as an Islamic Science, BRILL, p. 13, ISBN 978-90-04-30554-0.
  7. Telebayev, Gaziz, and Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. "Turkic elements in the Sufi philosophical tradition: Khoja Ahmed Yasawi." Cross Cultural Studies: Education and Science 2 (2019): 100-107.
  8. THE SEALS OF WISDOM, Aisha Bewley, archived from the original on 28 February 2015, retrieved 15 May 2015{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link).
  9. ^ Bowering, Gerhard. "Ensan-e-Kamel." Encyclopedia Iranica (1998): Web. 3 April 2011. http://iranica.com/articles/ensan-e-kamel Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. Chittick, William C. "Ebn al-'Arabi Mohyi-al- Din Abu 'Abd-Allah Mohammad Ta’I Hatemi." Encyclopedia Iranica (1996): Web. 3 April 2011. http://iranica.com/articles/ebn-al-arabi Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Little, John T. "Al-Insan al-Kamil: the perfect man according to Ibn al-'Arabi." Muslim World 77.1 (1987): 43–54.
  12. Ritter, H. "ʿAbdal-Karīm, Ḳuṭb al-Dīn b. Ibrāhīm al-ḎJ̲īlī." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana.

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