Mystical Sainthood and the Perfect Man (al-

Wilayah al-Irfaniyyah wa al-Insan al-Kamil)

By Haider Hobbollah

Transcribed and translated by Syed Ali Imran (Canada)

This is an English transcription of three talks given by Shaykh Haider Hobbollah at

Jami’at al-Zahra – one of the largest women’s seminary in the city of Qom.

Introduction

I was asked to speak about al-wilāyah al-ʿirfānīyyah (mystical

vicegerency) from the perspective of Imam Khumaynī. Though there
may be some areas where his opinions differ from other ʿurafā’
(mystics), but they more or less hold similar views. This will not be a
very exhaustive or technical presentation, because the topic is too vast
and requires its own specialization and as such it will be a brief
overview of the subject. Also, it should be reiterated that the language of
the mystics itself is such that at least for others it is difficult to grasp
what they are referring to. They themselves will confess that the things
they are referring to are supra-rational and hence it is difficult to convey
them with the limitations we have in language. Language itself is limited
and restricted. One of our efforts in understanding the mystics is to
understand their jargon.

We can say that the discussion on the concept of wilāyah takes place in
four different areas:

1) Theoretical Mysticism (ʿirfān naẓarī): A personal spiritual experience

that takes place in a different realm, which uncovers the realities of
existence. In our presentation we will be covering this perspective.

1
2) Philosophical: A philosopher attempts to uncover the realities of
existence but uses the intellect as their primary tool.

3) Textual (naṣṣ): One approaches the religious texts - the Qurān and
Sunnah – and they understand the reality around them through the text.
One defines the role of wilāyah through them and one does not rely on
the first two approaches.

4) Theological: This is where the famous discussion on Imāmah takes

place. After Ibn ʿArabī, this discussion was linked to the idea of al-insān
al-kāmil (the perfect man).

Mysticism is not something restricted to the Islamic schools of thought,

rather it is something shared by humans of other religious backgrounds
as well. Just as the use of the intellect and contemplative reasoning is
not restricted to Muslims or the religion of Islam. Likewise, religious
and spiritual experiences are not limited to Muslims. In fact, in some
other religions like Judaism and Christianity we find very expansive
mystical schools of thought like.

The heart and knowledge by presence are the criteria when it comes to
mysticism. Sayyidh Ḥyder al-ʿĀmilī calls this al-ʿIlm al-ʿIrfī al-Ilāhī which
is an inherited divine and real knowledge, as opposed to al-ʿIlm al-
Rasmī al-Iqtiṣādī – a type of acquired knowledge. A mystic does not just
experience reality, he believes that he comes to know of these realities
through presence. In later Christian mysticism they claim these
experiences are merely religious experiences which do not necessarily
describe reality. However, this is not what Islamic mysticism claims.

Some of the most important books on the subject of ʿIrfān are:

1) Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam of Ibn ʿArabī

2) Iṣṭilāḥāt al-Ṣūfīyyah by ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Kashānī
3) Miṣbāḥ al-Hidāyah of Imam Khomeini
4) Naqd al-Nuṣūṣ fī Sharh Naqsh al-Fuṣūṣ by ʿAbd al-Rahmān al-Jāmī
5) Tafsīr al-Qurān by Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī (Mullā Ṣadrā)
6) Al-Asfār by Mullā Ṣadrā
7) Asrār al-Āyāt by Mullā Ṣadrā
8) Risālah fī Sharḥ al-Asfār al-Arbaʿa by Muḥammad Reza

2
9) Kitāb al-Rasāil by Ibn ʿArabī
10) al-Futuḥāt al-Makkīyyah by Ibn ʿArabī
11) Sharḥ al-Fuṣūṣ by Muḥyī al-Dīn al-Jundī
12) Jāmiʿ al-Asrār by Sayyid Ḥyder al-ʿĀmilī
13) Miṣbāḥ al-Uns of Ibn Fanārī
14) Tamhīd al-Qawāid by Ibn Turka
15) al-Muḥīṭ al-Aʿẓam by Sayyid Ḥyder al-ʿĀmilī
16) Miftāḥ al-Jamʿ wa al-Ghayb by Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī
17) al-Insān al-Kāmil by Abdul Karim al-Jīlī
18) al-Inṣan al-Kāmil by ʿAzīz al-Dīn al-Nasafī
19) Risālah al-Wilāyah by ʿAllāmah Ṭabaṭabā’ī
20) al-Insān al-Kāmil by Shahīd Muṭahharī

In this brief overview, we will be discussing the meaning of wilāyah, the

paths of acquiring wilāyah, the categories of wilāyah, salient features of
wilāyah, difference between wilāyah and nubūwwah, discussion on the
four journeys, and those who wrote on the subject of al-insān al-kamil.

Meaning of Wilāyah

Muslim scholars have discussed the concept of wilāyah in three

different subjects. First of them is jurisprudence. For example, the
wilāyah of a father over his children, the wilāyah of the jurist, wilāyah of
a jurisconsult on endowments, wilāyah of a judge and so on.

The second of them is in theology. In Islamic theology the concept of

wilāyah is discussed in context of Imāmah and Khilāfah. They address
the discussion of who is to succeed the Prophet (p) – whether it is an
individual or a group of people, and whoever it happens to be then
whether we have explicit designation for them or not. Furthermore,
what is the need for an Imam, what are the qualities of an Imam, the
extent of their authority and so on. This is a famous discussion in
theology, where they generally resort to history and as well as the
Qur’ān and Ḥadīth, especially to identify the person in reality.

The third area where wilāyah is discussed is in mysticism. In Islamic

mysticism, the mystics offer a significantly different meaning of wilāyah
which has a very close relationship to the concept of al-insān al-kāmil as

3
will be seen. The latter concept has a very significant place in mysticism,
in fact it is the most important discussion after tawḥīd. When the ʿurafā
mention wilāyah, they are not talking about wilāyah as discussed in
jurisprudence, which is something conventional and a legal construct to
organize the lives of people. A mystic is not concerned with this
definition.

A mystic is also not concerned with the topic of wilāyah as a historical

event. What happened after the Prophet (p) with respects to leadership,
what did the companions do, whether there is explicit designation or
not are not relevant in this discussion. Yes, at times you may see some
resemblance, but what they are really concerned with is wilāyah as an
existential and ontological reality. The motive is to uncover and become
aware of this reality and understand its role vis-à-vis existence and the
purpose of existence.

The mystics say the linguistic meaning of walī is closeness (qurb). This
is the basis of their understanding. The question then is, what is a walī
(pl. awliyā’) close to? They will say a walī is someone who is close to
Allah (swt). Therefore, the stages of awliyā are different because of their
closeness to Allah (swt). One who is closer will have greater wilāyah
and those who are farther have lesser wilāyah. This closeness is real and
existential.

The highest stage and degree to which a person can reach in their
closeness is described as fanā’ fīllah (annihilation in Allah) – and it is
here when a person becomes al-insān al-kāmil. Although even this stage
has various degrees. The mystics will say fanā’ here does not mean
ʿadam (non-existence), rather it means someone who has become
heedless of his self - his basharīyyah (humanness) and the multiplicity
of this realm. They are not able to see anything except Allah (swt). They
exist and are seeing, but they see Allah (swt) in everything as Allah
(swt) manifests Himself in everything.

For them, the world is like a room with 50 mirrors. You will see 50
people, even though there is only one room and one person in the room.
There is only one reality, but it has manifested itself in different ways.
The mystic is able to see the oneness. This is one of the interpretations

4
of when the mystics use the term waḥdat al-wujūd (unity of existence).
Fanā’ hence is a new birth. It is not death.

Paths to Wilāyah

There are two paths to attaining Wilāyah:

1) Ṭarīq al-Majdhūb al-Sālik: This path has been mentioned by many

mystics such as Ibn ʿArabī and Qaysarī. There are a number of
qualities for this path:

a) It is a path through which a person reaches existential closeness

to Allah (swt).
b) There is no extensive effort required in this path. This is called al-
ʿamalīyyah al-tadallī – meaning Allah (swt) guides the individual
to the stage of fanā’, without them going through a lot of struggle.
c) Arriving at fanā’ or the first journey can happen in a relatively
short time. This is something even some non-Muslim mystics
accept and have mentioned anecdotes about.
d) This journey is called safar al-maḥbūbī or sayr al-ḥubbī, and the
wilāyah attained through this journey is called al-wilāyah al-
wahabīyyah – it is a gifted wilāyah.
e) This state is attained because the relationship between the slave
and wilāyah was azalīyyah (pre-existing), not tarāqumīyyah
(developed incrementally over time). To illustrate: consider two
students in a class, one of them is the son of the teacher. The son
of the teacher may have not put in any effort but would have
passed the exam and moved on to the next class. Unlike the other
student who would have also passed the exam but would have
had to put in a lot of hard work and effort. In the case of a person
who reaches fanā’, the mystics say Allah (swt) knows about what
happened in the past, but there was definitely some ontological
relationship between the individual and wilāyah that led him to
this station.
f) This path is restricted to the Prophets and other infallibles.
However, there is a difference of opinion even amongst mystics
whether it is limited to men or whether it is inclusive of women as
well. The likes of Ibn ʿArabī or Ayatullah Jawādī Āmulī who

5
 explicitly say that human nature is one and gender plays no role in
this discussion will say that this path is inclusive of women as
well.
g) This path is superior than the path that is mentioned next.

2) Tāriq al-Sālik al-Majdhūb

a) This is also a path by which one reaches existential closeness

(qurb) to Allah (swt).
b) This qurb is attained after a lot of effort and spiritual purification.
That is why it is also called taraqqī (a gradual ascent).
c) This takes a lot of time to attain.
d) This is called sayr al-muḥibbī, but the wilāyah attained through it
is al-wilāyah al-iktisābīyyah.
e) This wilāyah is tarāqumīyyah (incremental).
f) This is not for the infallibles.
g) This is less superior than the previous path, because it is only
similar to the previous in one instance, whereas it differs in all
other qualities. The first has greater Divine consideration.

Categories of Wilāyah
Ibn ʿArabī divides wilāyah into a number of categories:

1) Al-Wilāyah al-Ilāhīyyah

This wilāyah is specific to Allah (swt) and it is absolute. He is close to

everything. This is how some explain the statements of Imam ʿAlī (a)
where he says:

. ‫غي مباينة‬ ٌ ٌ
‫ و خارج منها عل ر‬،‫غي ممازجة‬
‫داخل ف االشياء عل ر‬

He is within everything, but not like one thing within another. He

is beyond everything, but not like one thing outside another.

This wilāyah itself can be divided into two:

6
 a. ʿĀmah (General): It is the closeness Allah (swt) has with all
creation.
b. Khāṣah (Specific): It is His (swt) closeness to the believers and
there are verses of the Qurān alluding to this.

2) Al-Wilāyah al-Malā’ikīyyah

The angels possess this wilāyah. We will not expand on this type of
wilāyah in this discussion.

3) Al-Wilāyah al-Insānīyyah or al-Basharīyyah – this is where the

discussion of al-insān al-kāmil takes place. This wilāyah is also of two
types:

a) Wilāyah ʿĀmah: This is a general wilāyah that people have over one
another, this is not what we are concerned with. There is also a wilāyah
that believers have with respects to Allah (swt). Meaning, the believers
ae closer to Allah (swt) than non-believers. This is opposite to the
Wilāyah Khāṣah mentioned earlier that was Allah’s (swt) closeness to
the believers. This degree of closeness can be very little, and a number
of verses of the Qurān and also be cited to allude to this.
b) Wilāyah Khāṣah: this is also called Wilāyah Muṭlaqa and this is what
we entail when we describe someone as Inṣan Kāmil.

The premise for this wilāyah is that Allah (swt) has created something
called al-Ḥaqīqah al-Muḥammadīyyah (the Muḥammadan Reality) and
the relationship between these two is pre-eternal (azalīyyah) and
ontological (takwīnīyyah). It is the medium (wāṣiṭah) between all other
creations, including Prophets, and Allah (swt).

This ḥaqīqah itself has degrees, the highest instance and manifestation
of that is in the creation of Muḥammad (p). After him the same reality is
manifested in other Prophets, awṣīyā’, awlīyā’, and ʿurafā’ – with the
condition that they are connected (wāṣilīn) as ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Jāmī
puts it. Only after them it reaches other creation. None of these are
conventional degrees, rather they are all existential real degrees.

This is how the mystics understand creation and put them in different
degrees with their relation to Allah (swt).

7
Someone may ask, how is it that the greatest instance of al-Ḥaqīqah al-
Muḥammadīyyah was Prophet Muḥammad (p) but he only appeared
14-centuries ago. The mystics reply by saying that the Prophet (p) was
the first creation of Allah (swt) – something which is mentioned in the
ḥadīth as well, however, the Prophet (p) that we recognize is the wujūd
nāsūtī (corporeal existence) – it was the immaterial existence of that
Prophet (p) that was created by Allah (swt) first.

Many Shīʿī mystics will also justify the existence of the 13 other
infallibles the same way. They will say the multiplicity is only observed
in this material realm, otherwise in their essence they are all one. This is
how they explain the traditions of anwār and ashbāh - that they were all
one light and existed before the creation of other things.

Ibn ‘Arabī in his introduction to Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam says this book is not his
own words. Rather, the Prophet (p) graced him with this wisdom which
he then goes on to mention in his work.

Salient Features of Wilāyah ʿIrfānīyyah (al-Insān al-Kāmil)

According to the mystics, wilāyah ʿirfānīyyah is a new birth which is the

end result of the first journey, after a person reaches fanā’. Hence, the
beginning of wilāyah is the end of the first journey. The mystic then sees
nothing but Allah (swt). This process of al-sayr wa al-sulūk (spiritual
journeying and wayfaring) has been described in the literary
masterpiece Manṭiq al-Ṭayr (Conference of the Birds) of Farīd al-Dīn
ʿAṭṭār of Nishābūr at length.

Wilāyah ʿIrfānīyyah and al-insān al-kāmil have various degrees which

cannot be enumerated. The highest of these degrees is Wilāyah Muṭlaqa
which is immediately subordinate to Allah’s Wilāyah. Furthermore, the
only possible way to reach this stage is through shuhūd (witnessing) or
knowledge by presence. Intellectual, mathematical and scientific
endeavours will not lead one to this stage because they are deficient
methods. The closer you get to Allah (swt), the more things you will be
able to know by presence.

8
When a mystic reaches this stage and becomes heedless of their
humanness, they will do certain acts and will show certain emotions and
their internal states will change. However, at that point, these changes
and qualities are mere manifestations of the attributes of Allah (swt).
For example, if one feels sorry for a homeless person and shows mercy,
then this is the mercy of Allah (swt) being manifested by the mystic. If
they get angry, they see it as the anger of Allah (swt). All of this is due to
the origin of their actions are the attributes of Allah (swt) rather than
the attributes of humans.
ʿAbd al-Razzāq Kashānī and Ṣadr al-Dīn and other mystics have
mentioned these things in detail and have interpreted certain traditions
through this lens as well such as:

‫إن هللا خلق آدم عل صورته‬

Allah (swt) created Adam in His image.

or the following tradition – a similar version of which also exists in al-

Kāfī:

‫ وبرصه‬،‫ فأكون أنا سمعه الذي يسمع به‬،‫حت أحبه‬ ‫ال يزال عبدي يتقرب إل بالنوافل ى‬
‫ وإذا سألت‬،‫ فإذا دعان أجبته‬،‫ وقلبه الذي يعقل به‬،‫ ولسانه الذي ينطق به‬،‫الذي يبرص به‬
‫أعطيته‬

My servant will continue to seek closeness to Me with the optional

acts so I may love him; when I love him I will be his ears with
which he will hear, his eyes with which he will see, his tongue
with which he will speak, his heart with which he will
contemplate, and when he calls on to Me, I will respond, and when
he asks Me, I will provide.

Once a person reaches this stage, just like Allah (swt) has authority over
this realm, an ʿārif also develops authority over this realm and other
creation. Of course, the Prophet (p) holds the greatest authority, but
others also hold it in relation to their closeness to Allah (swt). This
Wilāyah is Takwīnīyyah and it is the exact same discussion which is
argued in theological. Someone like Ḥayder Āmulī played a significant
role in reinterpreting some of the religious texts through this lens and
bringing Shīʿī theology closer to the idea of al-Insān al-Kāmil.

9
Some – such as Ibn ʿArabī – have referred to this stage as Maqām of Kun.
They have cited a ḥadīth qudsī and used it to prove their point:
ُ ّ
‫ تقل للشء كن فيكون‬،‫عبدي أطعت تكن مثل‬

My servant, obey me so that you can become like me, for when
you say “be”, and it shall be (kun fa-yakūn)

Ibn ‘Arabī also says that this wilāyah can only be acquired by humans,
no other creation can acquire it. Imam Khumaynī in his Miṣbāḥ al-
Hidāyah2 also quotes a tradition from the Prophet (p) which is used in
this discussion to indicate that people of paradise will have the same
ability:
ّ ّ ّ
‫ إّل و يكون‬،‫ فال يقول أحد من أهل الجنة للشء كن‬:)‫فقال (ص‬

The Prophet (p) said: No one from amongst the people of Paradise
will say, “be”, except that it shall become.

The idea of having authority over this realm has also influenced other
discussions. Since the first thing after Allah (swt) was al-Ḥaqīqah al-
Muḥammadīyyah, hence the light of Muḥammad is also called the First
Proceeding Entity (al-ṣādir al-awwal). This is where the discussion
of wāṣiṭah al-fayḍ (medium of grace) which is another aspect of the
discussion of wilāyah takwīnīyyah, that says, everything that occurs in
this realm, it is through this medium, it is the pole and criterion for this
realm. Hence, all the Imams are ontological mediums of fayḍ for
creation. It is for this reason why Ibn ‘Arabī would say that the world is
a jism and its ruḥ is al-insān al-kāmil.

This wilāyah is not a bodily quality or attribute, rather it is related to

existence itself. Whether this person is currently in this realm or not has
no consequences on their wilāyah. This is a very important principle
because it is used in the discussion of differentiating between a Walī and
a Nabī. Wilāyah continues and does not diminish whether they are alive
or dead, they will remain as a medium of fayḍ.

10
Another point to remember is that infallibility (‘iṣmah) is not a
condition for wilāyah. However, every ma’ṣūm is a Walī and hence the
relationship is ‘umūm wa khuṣūṣ muṭlaq.

Just like there is a concept of khatm al-nabī or nabūwwah, there is a

similar concept of khatm al-walī or wilāyah. The Prophet (p) is the
khātim al-nabī, but according to the mystics there is also a notion of
khātīm al-walī. However, they don’t mean the same thing as a temporal
end like is the case for Prophethood. What they mean is that there is a
walī whose wilāyah is the greatest and no one else’s wilāyah is greater
than theirs. Some of them argue that the khātim al-awliyā is Imam
Mahdi (a).

Al-Insān al-Kāmil is the final cause (al-‘illah al-ghāīyyah) for the created
world. They argue, given the Qur’ānic verse says, “We created Jinns and
humans except to worship,” the highest degree of worship is conducted
by al-insān al-kāmil, hence this verse is saying, we created Jinns and
humans for al-inṣan al-kāmil. This is further backed up by traditions
that say that the different realms of existence were created for the
infallibles (Prophet & Imams).

Imam Khumaynī says that al-inṣān al-kāmil from one perspective is the
manifestation of Allah’s (swt) attributes, but from another perspective,
they encompass all degrees of existence (jamādī, nabāṭī, ḥayawānī,
insānī, khiyālī, ‘aqlī, ilāhī). In other words, these degrees of existence are
like the veins in our bodies. They exist from our feet all the way to our
head – and a person encompasses all of these veins of different sizes.
Likewise, the created reality is like the body with different degrees of
existence, whereas the insān kāmil encompasses all of these degrees.

When Allah (swt) intends to manifest Himself, the first place He does so
is in al-Ḥaqīqah al-Muḥammadīyyah, hence it is called al-ṣādir al-awwal.
The classical philosophers would refer to this idea as the First Intellect
(al-‘aql al-awwal) and then go through different emanations afterwards.

What is the criterion for kamāl (perfection)? Is it through political and

physical authority? Is it bodily or intellectual strength? Is it an ethical
superiority? According to the mystics, the criterion for kamāl is a
person’s journey back to Allah (swt). The closer a person is to Allah

11
(swt), the greater their kamāl is. In fact, one can have a lot of kamāl in
the definition of the mystics, but be weak in their bodily strength or not
have any political authority.

Difference Between Wilāyah and Nabūwwah

This has been a very heated subject of debate. It is one of the

discussions which led to the mytics being condemned and being accused
of disbelief. They say there is something called Nubūwwah and
something called wilāyah, nubūwwah is a type of uncovering (kashf)
and something apparent, whereas wilāyah is something esoteric (bāṭin).
That is why they have a famous phrase which says: Wilāyah is the bāṭin
of Nubūwwah and Nubūwwah is the Ẓāhir of Wilāyah. This is an
extremely important concept in their understanding of these concepts.

They will say things along the line of Sharī’ah being the apparent
(Ẓāhir), and its esoteric side (Bāṭin) being the wilāyah. For example,
Prophet Ibrāhīm (a) was a Nabī until he became an Imām. He attained
the stage of wilāyah and hence according to the mystics, wilāyah is
superior than nabūwwah. The question is, is it possible for there to be a
Nabī then who does not have wilāyah? They will say no, that is not
possible. Every Nabī has wilāyah, and what Ibrāhīm attained was just a
much greater and higher degree of wilāyah (‘irfānīyyah) – which is a
closeness to Allah (swt).

In this manner, the mystics tie the concept of wilāyah and nubūwwah
very closely. They further say that every wilāyah also implies
nubūwwah inbā’īyyah, but not legislative (tashrī’īyyah). This
nubūwwah inbā’īyyah implies that they can report things about other
realms. Shaykh Suhrawardī would say:
‫ال أموت ى‬
‫ قم فأنذر‬:‫حت يقال ل‬

I will not die until it is said to me: Arise and warn (a reference to
74:2).

This implies he was claiming some degree of nubūwwah for himself. All
Muslim mystics will say that they never imply there will be new

12
legislation after Prophet Muḥammad (p), but they believe people can be
exposed to unseen realities, like Prophets are.

Points of Similarities:
 A Nabī and Walī both perceive supra-rational and divine realities
– through presence.
 Their knowledge is not through a medium or by acquirement
(ḥuṣūlī).
 They can perform supernatural acts, like miracles or karāmāt.
Many jurists had an issue with this because they would accuse the
mystics for believing in the continuation of Prophethood and this
was essentially one of the main accusations against the mystics.

Points of Differences:

 Legislative Nubūwwah is finished, there is no new legislation.

Even if the greatest Walī were to come afterwards, there would
still not be any new legislation. All that is being said is that a Walī
has the ability to perceive realities and become aware of them.
Interestingly, the Shī’a get accused of this when it comes to the
discussion of the Prophet and Imams (a), and they also generally
respond in the same way. Wilāyah is a relationship with Allah
(swt) and al-Ḥaqq, therefore it will never end, whereas
nubūwwah is a relationship with creation and it can end.
 The earth will never be void of a Walī – whether he is apparent or
in occultation. Whereas it can be empty of a Prophet.
 The status of a Walī is above a Nabī or a Rasūl. The wilāyah aspect
of a Nabī is greater and of more importance than the aspect of
their nubūwwah.
 The status of wilāyah can be attained by both men and women,
whereas nubūwwah is restricted to men. They have mentioned
many examples of the former as well.

The Four Journeys

13
These four journeys were initially expounded on by Ibn ‘Arabī, followed
by Qaysari, Qūnawī and Ṣadra. Imam Khumaynī also has a very unique
explanation on this subject.

First Journey: From Multiplicity to Unity – this is the stage where one
reaches fanā’. It is an upward vertical journey, where they remove their
veils to reach fanā.

Second Journey: From Ḥaqq to Ḥaqq – meaning from Allah (swt) to Allah
(swt). It is an excursion in the attributes and names of Allah (swt). Even
the words “attributes” and “names” of Allah (swt) mean something else
in the language of the mystics, which we cannot expand on here. This is
a horizontal journey.

Third Journey: From Ḥaqq to Creation – this is called sahw after mahw.
This is also a vertical journey, back to creation and multiplicity. This is
where they reach Nubūwwah Inbā’īyyah and go from one realm to
another such as the malakūt and back to the realm of nāsūt.

Fourth Journey: From Creation to Creation with Ḥaqq – This is where

the witnessing of the realities of creation takes place. This is also a
horizontal journey. Over here is where Nubūwwah Tashrī’īyyah can be
given.

In Iran, over the last few decades, there has been a debate on whether it
is possible to establish an Islamic political system on the basis of the
way the mystics think. Some scholars like Sayyid Jawād Ṭabāṭabāī in
his Dar Āmadī Bar Andīshe-ye Siyāsī Dar Iran believe their principles do
not allow for an Islamic political system.

This has resulted in a great debate, and the mystics and as well as those
generally into mysticism have tried to respond to this. Someone like
Āyatullah Ḥusaynī Tehrānī would believe or imply that one of the
conditions of a ḥākim shar’ī is for them to be a mystics, or at the very
least be under the shadow of a mystics who can assist them. Some other
mystics have disputed this though, some hold the opinion it is not
possible to establish a government, while others say it is possible, and
some even have said it is an obligation to set up a government based
upon the principles expounded on in mysticism.

14
Those Who Wrote on the Subject of Al-Insān al-Kāmil

The first person to use this term was Ibn ‘Arabī after which it was used
by other mystics and with different names like al-Ḥaqīqah al-
Muḥammadīyyah and so on. The mystics believe all humans are al-insān
al-kāmil bil-quwwah (with potential).

Some scholars who expounded on it after Ibn ‘Arabī:

1) Qūnawī in his Miftāḥ al-Ghayb

2) Ibn Fanarī in his Miṣbāḥ al-Uns
3) ‘Abdul Karīm al-Jīlī in his al-Insān al-Kāmil
4) ‘Azīz al-Dīn al-Nasafī in his al-Insān al-Kāmil
5) Shaykh Maḥmūd Shabistarī
6) Mulla Ṣadra in his works
7) ‘Allāmah Ṭabāṭabāī in his Risalah al-Wilāyah
8) Imam Khomeini in his Miṣbāh al-Hidāyah

15