Al-Makassari's (1626-1699) thought on Al-Insan Al-Kamil in 17th century

Abstract

This study deals with the idea of al-Insan al-Kamil (the Perfect Man) in the thought of Shaykh Yusuf al-Makassari (1626 – 1699), a celebrated Muslim scholar in the Malay-Indonesian Archipelago in the seventeenth century. There have been a number of studies devoted to al-Makassari’s life works, and thought; however, very little attention has been given to his thought on al-Insan al-Kamil (the perfect man). Therefore, this study demonstrates the significance of the notion of the perfect man (al-Insan al-Kamil) in al-Makassari’s thought. In this study, we explore al-Makassari’s works such as Zubdat al-Asrar fi Tahqiq ba'd Masharib al-Akhyar, Taj al-Asrar fi Tahqiq Mashrab al-Arifin, Matalib al-Salikin and other treatises written by him to present his understanding and his explanation on the perfect man (al-Insan al-Kamil). This research utilizes the qualitative method of study which relies on textual analysis. Drawing mainly from al-Makassari’s selected works, it is found that Al-Makassari - as a Sufi Shaykh who was initiated into several Sufi orders, such as Khalwatiyah, Shatariyah, Naqshabandiyah, Qadiriyah, and Ba Alawiyah - followed the Sufis like Al-Junayd, Ibn ?Arabi, Abd al-Karim al-Jili and other Sufis before him in defining al- Insan al-Kamil (the Perfect Man). Al-Insan al-Kamil is a man who has entered fully the stage of annihilation in God (fana’ fi Allah) and gained subsistence with God (baqa’ bi Allah). He is a saint (al-wali), a gnostic (al-arif bi Allah), and a vicegerent (khalifah) of God. In other word, the Perfect Men are the messengers of God, the Prophets, the saints, and the gnostics; and the most perfect among them is Prophet Muhammad.