The Comparative Study of Ontological and Epistemological Aspects of the Perfect Man in the Opinions of Ibn Arabi and Mullā sadrā

The issue of the perfect man is of the most fundamental issues of the Islamic wisdom (hikma) and philosophy area. The importance of this subject in this gnostic (knowledgeable) realm is that the perfect man (al-insan al-kamil) is the interface (intermediary) between non-delimited existence (Being) (al-wujûd al-mutlaq) and delimited existence. In other word, because of the prefect man, the cosmos (world/ universe) has been developed and expanded and the hidden treasure is revealed and disclosed. This aspect of ontology of the prefect man with his epistemology area will be completed. It means from the view of the great scholars such as Ibn ’Arabi and Mullā Ṣadrā, the knowledge (acknowledgment) of the Real is impossible except through the knowledge (acknowledgment) of the prefect man. Due to this, the prefect man is the agent of developing being and it is a sign of the knowledge to the essence of the Real and it is exactly the mirror of the Names and Attributes of God. For this, this note with analytic and comparative method will study and research the concept of the prefect man in two aspects: ontologically and epistemologically with emphasizing on the opinions of Ibn ’Arabi and Mullā Ṣadrā. The hypothesis of this paper is based on this meaning that the approach of these two great men to the concept and application of the prefect man in the knowledge of God and doctrines while it contains obvious similarities, has dissimilarities, too. The differences which should be mentioned the most aspect of them in the functional look of Mullā Ṣadrā to the prefect man and ethically showing of him can be seen rather than merely examining the prefect man from the abstract position and area.