The Concept of the Perfect Man in Islamic Mysticism

The Perfect Man as the Goal of Creation

Before the creation of the perfect man, the world is incomplete and the goal of creation has not yet been achieved. Only by the appearance of perfect man the goal of creation is met, for the ultimate goal of creation is God’s complete manifestation. Only the perfect man can reflect all God’s names and attributes. Therefore, without the perfect man the purpose of creation has not been met.[^17] As we already said, the perfect man is the intermediary cause of creation; but he is also the final cause of creation. The final cause has priority to the effect in the knowledge and will of the efficient cause, though its existence follows the existence of the effect. As Jalaluddin Mawlavi (Rumi) says, although in the appearance the fruit comes out of the tree, but in reality the fruit is the cause for planting the tree.[^18]

It follows that without the existence of the perfect man, the world would cease to exist. When the last perfect man dies, the resurrection will commence. This is in accordance with some Shi’a hadith which say that without a hujjah (the proof/the perfect man) the earth and its dwellers will vanish.[^19] If the perfect man is the channel of God’s grace to the world, the guardian of the world and its final cause and the world is created for him, it follows that the world cannot exist without the presence of a perfect man.