Seyyed Hossein Nasr: Contemporary Muslim Thinker and the Concept of Insan Kamil
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is a
contemporary Muslim thinker, born in 1933 in Tehran, Iran, within the Shiite
tradition. His basic education was obtained in Tehran, where he studied
philosophy, kalam sciences, and Sufism at Qum. After completing his traditional
education in Qum, Nasr continued his studies in the United States to study
modern sciences.
In 1945, Nasr moved to New York,
where he studied English diligently. Four years later, he moved to Boston and
became acquainted with Bertrand Russell, whose views further piqued Nasr's
interest in the world of science and literature.
In 1958, Nasr returned to Iran to
deepen his understanding of traditional Islam. Upon returning to the West, he
taught at various universities including the University of Edinburgh, Temple
University, and since 1984 at The George Washington University as professor of
Islamic and traditional studies.
Nasr also helped plan and develop
Islamic and Iranian studies programs at several American universities such as
Princeton, the University of Utah, and the University of Southern California.
Nasr is known as an Islamic
philosopher and scholar of comparative religion, as well as a follower of
Frithjof Schuon. Huston Smith, an expert on comparative religions, places Nasr
on a par with Socrates and Plato, which shows his leadership in understanding
traditional and contemporary Islam.
Nasr is often invited as a
resource person at international scientific forums in Europe, America, the
Middle East and Asia.
Insan Kamil in the View of Seyyed Hossein Nasr
According to Seyyed Hossein Nasr,
a perfect human is an individual who reflects the characteristics and
attributes of God and the entire universe in a smaller form (microcosm).
The perfect human or al-Insan
al-Kamil is God's representative (caliph) on earth and is the bridge between
heaven and earth. This view is rooted in philosophical Sufism and reflects the
Prophet Muhammad as the pinnacle of perfect human evolution.
Nasr identified three basic functions of the perfect human being:
1. The reality of humans as part
of the universe.
2. As a medium or intermediary
for divine messages.
3. As a perfect embodiment of
spiritual life.
According to Nasr, humans consist
of three aspects: body, mind (mind), and soul (spirit). These three aspects
must be integrated at their respective levels to create balance and perfection.
This integration is necessary because each aspect depends on the other for its
perfection. The body, mind and spirit must be empowered in a balanced way so
that people do not lose the meaning of life and feel emptiness.
1. Insan Kamil is the concept of
the perfect human, also known as the Perfect Man, Universal Man, or Ideal Man.
2. Insan Kamil according to
Muhyiddin Ibnu 'Arabi is a perfect human being in form and knowledge.
3. Human Kamil according to
Muhammad Iqbal is a believer who understands and appreciates Divine morals.
4. Insan Kamil according to Ali
Shari'ati is God's caliph who has self-awareness, free will and creativity.
5. Insan Kamil according to
Murtadha Muthahhari is a human being with perfect reasoning abilities, a
healthy body, intelligence and high spiritual quality.
6. Insan Kamil according to
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is a human who reflects the characteristics of God and the
entire universe, functions as part of the universe, a medium for divine
messages, and the perfect embodiment of spiritual life.
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