The Concept of the Perfect Man in Islamic Mysticism

Nabī, Rasūl and Walī

Each name of God has a requirement in God’s explicit knowledge which is called a fixed entity. The name “Allah” which is the most comprehensive name has a reflective eternal fixed entity that is called al-haqīqah al-Muhammadiyyah (the reality of Muhammad). The external manifestation of this reality in each period of history is one of the prophets. Its most perfect manifestation is in the person of the Prophet Muhammad (s). Therefore, all prophets, and thus all their messages, originated from the same source and are different reflections of the same light.

Here, we should distinguish between three connected concepts: al-nabī (the prophet),al-rasūl (the messenger) andal-walī (the saint, the friend of God). One person may accumulate in himself all three concepts, as the great prophets, such as Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, do. Each of these concepts constitutes one dimension of a prophet’s spiritual personality. Walī is the one who has a direct relation to God; his acts, qualities and essence are annihilated in God. Nabī is the one who receives the message from God via a medium like an angle. And rasūl is the messenger who has a shari’ah and is obliged to deliver God’s message to the people. The wilayah of a nabī is the inner dimension of his prophethood and thus the wilayah of a nabī is higher than his prophethood. All rasūls are nabī and walī. All nabīs also arewalī , but all walī is not necessarily nabī or rasūl. Nubuwwah (prophethood) andrisalah (messengerhood) are not eternal. After the last prophet there will not be any nabī or rasūl; however, wilayah is eternal and the world will never be without a walī. For the word “al-Walī ” is one of the names of God which requires a manifestation, unlike “nabī ” and “rasūl.”[^20] According to Shi‘ite doctrine, after Prophet Muhammad, each of the twelve Imams of his household are walī.

Beside the cosmic roles that prophets and sages play as the perfect men, they are masters and guides for the religious and mystical life. They are gates for salvation. Without following their teachings and examples spiritual journey of mystics is not complete. Therefore, knowing the walī and following him is essential. As the Qur’ān says: “[O Muhammad] Say, ‘If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, and Allah is All-forgiving, All- merciful’” (3/31).