The Seal of Sainthood according to Imam Khomeini and Ibn ‘Arabī

Wilāya (Sainthood) is the servant’s dependence on his Lord when his ego is annihilated, and this is by God’s supervision over him in order to take him to the ultimate position of proximity and annihilation of his particularities. The seal of sainthood (khatam al-wilāya) is someone who accomplishes the happiness of this world and the afterlife—and someone whose death disrupts the world’s order. Ibn ‘Arabī’s words about the seal of sainthood are confused and vague. He sometimes refers to Jesus as the seal of absolute sainthood, and sometimes he praises ‘Ali so much that he seems to see him as the seal. He sometimes refers to al-Mahdī as the seal of Muḥammadī sainthood, and at some points, he explicitly refers to others as such. Moreover, there are cases in which he refers to himself as the seal of sainthood. As confused as his words might be, Imam Khomeini clearly states that ‘Alī is the seal of absolute sainthood, because of the union of his bright reality with the Prophet Muhammad. He also identifies al-mahdi as the seal of Muhammadi sainthood. This paper seeks to articulate agreements and disagreements between Imam Khomeini and Ibn ‘Arabī over the seal of sainthood. We analyze and compare their views.