The Perfect Man as a Condition for the Possibility of Understanding: An Analysis of the Hermeneutic Function of the Perfect Man in Sayyid Haydar Amuli’s Inward Interpretation

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The position of the Perfect Man in Sayyid Haydar Amuli’s thought has predominantly been studied through ontological lenses, while its methodological function in text comprehension remains less explored. This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach to explain how the concept of the Perfect Man transforms from a subject of knowledge into a condition for the possibility of understanding within Amuli’s inward interpretation of the Quran. Findings indicate that by linking the interpreter's ontological stages with the inward layers of revelation, Amuli perceives understanding not as a merely linguistic act, but as an ontological event based on the correspondence between the cosmic and written realms. In this reading, the Perfect Man, as the Speaking Quran, serves as the sole channel for transcending literal surfaces and penetrating the text's depths. The research innovation lies in demonstrating that in Amuli’s wilayi hermeneutics, the interpreter's role is not a transcendental position relative to the text; instead, it is a station where the interpreter and the Quran attain unity within the oneness of the Muhammadan Reality. Consequently, valid interpretation arises from this ontological bond and the interpreter’s reflective capacity toward the truths hidden in the divine word, preventing stagnation at the literal level.

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Main Subjects

References

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