Book of Healing - Spiritual Healing - Perfect Man

Perfect Man

1. An example of the definition of the Perfect Man which Nasafi has made is: "When you came to know about the Perfect Man, then know! that he has many names, which are given to him with respect to relations and aspects, and they are all correct. O darwish! the Perfect Man is called Shaykh (chief), Pishwa (leader), Hadi (guide), Mahdi (guided), Dana (wise), Baligh (mature), Kamil (perfect), Mukammal (complete), Imam, Khalifah (vicegerent), Qutb (pole), Sahib-i zaman (lord of the time), Jam-i jahan-numa (the cup showing the universe), Ayinah-yi giti-numa (the mirror showing the universe), Tiryaq-i buzurg (supreme theriaca), Iksir-i a`zam (supreme elixir). He is called `Isa, because he brings the dead (ignorant) to life; he is called Khizr, because he has drunk the water of life; he is called Sulayman, because he has knowledge of the language of the birds. And this Perfect Man is always in this world and is not more than one, because all existents are like one person and the Perfect Man is the heart of that person .... Thus the Perfect Man in this world is not more than one .... When that unique one of the world passes away from it, another one succeeds to his rank and occupies his place so that the world may not remain without the heart." (al-Insan al-Kamil, pp. 4-5)

2. The Perfect Men are the Prophets and the awliya', who are the chosen and special friends of God, the Blessed, the Exalted, as the Qur'an says: "Indeed, the friends of God have neither fear, nor do they grieve" (10:62). Remember! the friends of God have neither the fear of abad nor do they grieve for azal. They are aware of the secrets of both. Therefore, they are absolutely satisfied and happy. They are given a knowledge of secrets, due to which fear and grief cannot last very long. This given knowledge is a bright proof of their walayat (friendship).

3. As mentioned in the beginning of this article, one of the names of the Perfect Man is khalifah (Vicegerent). If we look with the eye of reality, we will come to know that the Divine Vicegerency has always been in this world and will be forever. Thus, alluding to this religious law, it is said: "God has promised those who (truly) believe and do good works that He will surely make them vicegerents in the earth, as He made vicegerents those before them." (24:55). Until the time of the holy Prophet, the cycle of the vicegerency of the Prophets continued and after him the cycle of the vicegerency of the awliya' started. As for the vicegerency of many mu'mins, what will happen if they fulfil its condition? The answer is that all of them, by being annihilated in the Perfect Man, will be annihilated in the Prophet and in God and each one of them will be granted vicegerency in his personal world. It is this personal world which is the earth of God (29:56), whose vastness is spacious (39:10).

4. By God's perfect power and profound wisdom, the Perfect Man is not only a Vicegerent personally, but is also the "Higher I" of every imperfect man. Thus, all those mu'mins who become annihilated in him, become vicegerents in their personal world. This is related to spirituality and the Hereafter, as God says: "And He it is Who has made you vicegerents in the earth and raised some of you above others in grades."(6:165). You can see that in this wisdom-filled teaching there is an allusion to climbing the ladder of grades in order to attain the supreme rank of vicegerency.

5. In the spirituality of the Perfect Man the renewal of similitudes of all the spiritual secrets of Hazrat Adam takes place, therefore he is like Adam (a.s.) and the Single Soul. Thus the spiritual creation and Resurrection (i.e ibda` and inbi`ath) of the people of the age is hidden in the Perfect Man (31:28), as indicated in the article on the minor Resurrection that the individual Resurrection takes place in the form of the collective Resurrection. You can see this great secret in verse (31:28), mentioned above.

6. Q: On the basis of the order of the first four verses of Suratu'r-Rahman, the question arises: Whom did the Beneficent teach the Qur'an, while He, the Omnipotent, created man afterwards and taught him to speak? As the Qur'an says: "The Beneficent, taught the Qur'an, He created man (then) taught him speech." (55:1-4).
A: The chosen servant of God whom He teaches the Qur'an is the Perfect Man in whose personal world the extremely great secrets and symbols of the appearance of Resurrection, higher spirituality, the world of command, azal and abad are revealed. The Divine and given teaching of the wise Qur'an is like this. Now from the combination of these spiritual and intellectual elements, God creates the Perfect Man in the perfect creation and teaches him the wisdom-filled speech with bright proofs and firm demonstrations, so that he may be the fountainhead of knowledge and wisdom for the people.

7. Q: How can an example of the ma`rifat-filled exegesis and wisdom of verse (76:1) be presented?
A: The verse runs as follows: "Has there come upon man any period of dahr (immovable time) in which he was not a mentionable thing?" In this verse light is shed on the spiritual states of the Perfect Man, in that, in the world of command, he has passed through such a time of dahr, in which he had become annihilated in God. Such is the case even now and in the future. This point, however, should be remembered that such a wisdom-filled annihilation is related to the soul and the intellect, which brings the colours of humanity to an end and becomes transformed into the colour of God (2:138).

8. There is a noble Hadith: "Beware of the perspicacity of the mu'min who sees with the light of God, may He be the mighty, the majestic." (Ahadith-i Mathnawi, p. 14). It is evident that the command of having fear is given to all mu'mins and the chosen one whom one should fear is the wali (Perfect Man). Here the real meaning of being aware of the perspicacity of the mu'min is to give extremely great importance to the knowledge and wisdom of the True Guide, for it is he who possesses the illumination and brilliance of the light of God and eternal life.

9. This sacred Hadith is mentioned in Bukhari (VIII, 336): "Indeed, God has said: He who has shown enmity towards a friend of Mine, indeed, I declare war against him." The Hadith-i Taqarrub (Hadith of proximity) is also mentioned in the same place which, due to its treasures of wisdom, is so important and necessary that even if it is praised from thousands of aspects, it would not suffice. The Hadith runs as follows:
"My servant always seeks My closeness through additional prayers until I love him. When I love him, I become his ear with which he hears, and I become his eye, with which he sees and I become his hand with which he grasps and I become his foot by which he walks." (Bukhari, VIII, 336-37).
This sacred Hadith is about the Perfect wali and also about every such mu'min who becomes annihilated in him.

10. In verse (9:119) God, may He be blessed and exalted, commands all mu'mins that they should fear God and be with the sadiqin (the truthful ones)." Sadiqin and Siddiqin have the same meaning. These are the awliya' of God, namely, the Perfect Men. Thus, "to be with them" means to be annihilated in them by acting upon their guidance and teachings, so that thereby the supreme rank of annihilation in the Prophet and annihilation in God may be attained. Certainly all the treasures of the truths and realities are centred and gathered in this annihilation.

11. It is the Perfect Man who is the vicegerent of the Prophet and the spiritual physician. It is therefore necessary to mention him in connection with the subjects related to spiritual healing, even though we are not able to duly praise and glorify this mirror of Divine beauty and majesty. Nonetheless, God willing, we are sincere in our intention. As for his praise, those countless absolutely perfect and wisdom-filled praises of God Himself and His True Prophet are sufficient. Praise be to Allah for His favours!

Monday, 14 Jumada II, 1409
23rd January, 1989.

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