Foundations of the Perfect Human in Nahj al-Balagha and Their Relation to the Theory of the Perfect Human in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism: A Comparative Study
Head Of Software, Information Security And Network Department/Inistitute For Humanities And Cultural Studies
10.30465/alavi.2026.56032.2889
Abstract
The concept of the Perfect Human (al-insān al-kāmil) receives a systematic formulation in Ibn ʿArabī’s theoretical mysticism. Certain anthropological components that can be brought into dialogue with this concept, however, may already be identified earlier in Nahj al-Balagha. The research question is whether the relation between the image of the transcendent human in the discourse of Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) and the theory of the Perfect Human is one of thematic overlap or of a shared ontological structure. The study proceeds by conceptual analysis and textual comparison. Four components—existential comprehensiveness, knowledge of God, purification of the self, and the guiding role—are first extracted from specific passages of Nahj al-Balagha and then set against the pillars of the theory of the Perfect Human in the Chapter on Adam (Faṣṣ Ādam) of the Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam and its commentaries. The findings indicate a considerable overlap between the two portrayals at the level of content. Both emphasize the human being’s comprehensive capacity, the transformative force of presential knowledge, the necessity of struggling against the lower self, and the mediating role of the transcendent human. Nahj al-Balagha formulates these components within the horizon of ethics, moral education, and social responsibility, whereas Ibn ʿArabī accounts for them within the framework of the manifestation of the Divine Names and the mediation of effusion (fayḍ). A rereading of this very distinction makes the model of the transcendent human in Nahj al-Balagha—as a conjunction of spirituality and justice—available for the discussion of the civilization-building human.
Delshad Nadaf, A. (2026). Foundations of the Perfect Human in Nahj al-Balagha and Their Relation to the Theory of the Perfect Human in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism: A Comparative Study. (e14324). Imam Ali ΄s Studies, 17(1), e14324 https://doi.org/10.30465/alavi.2026.56032.2889
MLA
Delshad Nadaf, A. "Foundations of the Perfect Human in Nahj al-Balagha and Their Relation to the Theory of the Perfect Human in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism: A Comparative Study" .e14324 , Imam Ali ΄s Studies, 17, 1, 2026, e14324. doi: 10.30465/alavi.2026.56032.2889
HARVARD
Delshad Nadaf, A. (2026). 'Foundations of the Perfect Human in Nahj al-Balagha and Their Relation to the Theory of the Perfect Human in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism: A Comparative Study', Imam Ali ΄s Studies, 17(1), e14324. doi: 10.30465/alavi.2026.56032.2889
CHICAGO
Delshad Nadaf, A., "Foundations of the Perfect Human in Nahj al-Balagha and Their Relation to the Theory of the Perfect Human in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism: A Comparative Study." Imam Ali ΄s Studies, 17 1 (2026): e14324, doi: 10.30465/alavi.2026.56032.2889
VANCOUVER
Delshad Nadaf A. Foundations of the Perfect Human in Nahj al-Balagha and Their Relation to the Theory of the Perfect Human in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism: A Comparative Study. Imam Ali ΄s Studies. 2026;17(1):e14324 (In Persian). doi: 10.30465/alavi.2026.56032.2889