ABSTRACT
The key element in earlier Ibn ‘Arabian treatments of the idea of the Perfect Human was the idea that the Perfect Human is ‘synthetic being’ (kawn jāmi‘) or ‘isthmus’ (barzakh) who unites the created and the divine through being both a locus of divine manifestation (maẓhar) and a microcosm (‘ālam ṣaghīr) of the cosmos. After presenting the key passages from the writings of Ibn ‘Arabī and his interpreters in which these ideas are set out, this chapter shows how al-Jīlī both adopted these ideas and elaborated upon them. Significantly, while he conceives of the Perfect Human as a ‘synthesis’ of all of the levels of existence, both divine and created, nevertheless he puts greater emphasis on the divine aspect, coming close at times to deifying the Perfect Human. The chapter also shows that, connected to this, he lays particular emphasis on the miraculous powers and sinlessness of the Perfect Human, developing ideas found in the earlier Ibn ‘Arabian tradition. The chapter therefore gives an overview of both the metaphysical nature of the Perfect Human in al-Jīlī’s thought and of his conception of the powers and qualities of the Perfect Human in this world.
