The concept of the “perfect man” by Ayatollah Khomeini in the Iranian Revolution

Abstract

The article attempts to analyze the concept of the “perfect man” (انسان کامل) of Ayatollah Khomeini in relation to the events of the Iranian Revolution of 1978 in 1979. Based on the materials contained in the official collection “Sahifеh-ye Imam”, it reconstructsa model of the single believer behavior that derives from the concept of the “perfect man”, widespread in Irfan, Islamic mysticism. According to Ayatollah Khomeini, it was his concept of a “profane” “perfect man” that was intended to form the basis for educating a new type of person in the Islamic Republic of Iran, guided in his behavior by the norms and canons of Shiite Islam. The article traces a certain influence of the mystical teaching, which goes back to the Islamic thinkers of the past, in particular to the ideas of Mullah Sadra, who had a great influence on the formation of Ayatollah Khomeini's views during his years of study at howze (seminary) of Qom. It is concluded that under the influence of the activation of the broad masses in the anti-Shah movement and the victory of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini is transforming his views on the “perfect man”, taking the form of an active participant in revolutionary events and being a member of Hezbollah. Based on the traditional terms common in Irfan, Ayatollah Khomeini gives them a modern interpretation based on the needs of the time and the tasks of building an Islamic Republic.