The “Perfect Man,” or al-Insan al-Kalil, was first coined by Ibn Arabi, a Sufi mystic and philosopher. It was said that the “Perfect Man” embodied all that was man, an archetype per se. He had within him all the divine properties of God, but had since lost this state of perfection, leading to separation from God. In Sufism, it is believed that all people still have the ability regain that state of perfection. In this sense, the “Perfect Man” is said to be someone who has realized his true oneness with God; one who has reached this perfect state is called awliya. The foremost example of the Perfect Man is the Prophet Muhammad, who all Muslims aspire to imitate.
It’s important in Sufism that a being like the Perfect Man exists because it makes it easier to picture a relationship with God, as the bridge formed by the Perfect Man makes Him close and accessible. In this way, Sufis can see themselves as a reflection of the Divine, though different due to the existence of human nature. To attain a state of perfection, one must always realize this difference between human nature and the Divine, while still trying to emulate the attributes of God. These attributes are commonly cited as the attributes of beauty, the attributes of majesty, the attributes of perfection, and the attributes of the essence.
Reaching these attributes requires a person to relinquish his ego, and focus solely on how he can become more like God, while still staying humble and knowing his own human nature. Because an integral part of human nature is one’s ego, it can only truly be extinguished once the state of perfection has been reached.
The greatest belief Sufis have is to follow the path of love. Every good trait, especially the attributes listed above, springs forth from love. The Perfect Man not only realizes love for God, but also realizes love for himself, his fellow man, and all beings in general.
A Sufi’s entire life is based around attaining this state of perfection. It is believed that once one’s soul separates itself from the Creator, it becomes imperfect. Therefore, when one enters perfection, he is actually reentering, and becoming “normal” again. Sufis, then, believe that everyone who hasn’t achieved sainthood (awliya), is less than normal and it is their social duty to become normal.
Most Sufis believe that every single person has the potential to reach this state of perfection, however there are some that believe that once per era, there is a person who reaches the state of perfection and is referred to as the Qutb, which translates literally as “axis.” He is regarded as the spiritual leader of Sufism, though his identity is only revealed to a small group of mystics; otherwise, he remains largely unknown. His role as “axis” is to serve as a connection with God and pass along spiritual knowledge.