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The termqutb[a] (Arabic:قطب) means 'axis', 'pivot', or 'pole'.[1] Qutb can refer to celestial movements and be used as an astronomical term or a spiritual symbol.[2]
InSufism, aqutb is the perfect human being,al-Insān al-Kāmil ('The Universal Man'), who leads the saintly hierarchy.[citation needed] Thequtb is the Sufi spiritual leader who has a divine connection with God and passes knowledge on which makes him central to, or the axis of, Sufism, but he is unknown to the world.[3] There are fivequtbs per era, and they areinfallible and trusted spiritual leaders. They are only revealed to a select group of mystics because there is a "human need for direct knowledge of God".[1]
According to the Institute of Ismaili Studies, "In mystical literature, such as the writings of al–Tirmidhi, Abd al–Razzaq andIbn Arabi (d. 1240), [qutb] refers to the most perfect human being who is thought to be the universal leader of all saints, to mediate between the divine and the human and whose presence is deemed necessary for the existence of the world."[4]
In the teachings ofAl-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, there is evidence to suggest that thequtb is the head of the saintly hierarchy which provides scriptural evidence to support the belief in thequtb. The hadīth attributed to Ibn Mas‘ūd has been used as proof that aqutb exists.[5]
There are two different conceptions of thequtb in Sufism: temporalqutb and cosmicqutb. The temporal and cosmic qutb are connected, which guarantees that God is present in the world at all times. The temporalqutb is known as "the helper" oral-ghawth and is located in a person on Earth. The cosmicqutb is manifested in the temporalqutb as a virtue which can be traced back toal-Hallaj. The temporalqutb is the spiritual leader for the earth-bound saints. It is said that all beings - secret, animate, and inanimate - must give thequtb their pledge which gives him great authority. The Only beings exempt from this areal-afrād, which belong to the angels; thedjinn, who are under the jurisdiction ofKhadir; and those who belong to the tenth stratum ofridjālal-ghayb.[5]
Due to the nature of thequtb, the location where he resides, whether temporal or cosmic, is a matter of learned speculation. It is thought by most that thequtb is corporeally or spiritually present inMecca at theKa'ba, which is referred to as hismaqām.[6]
Sufi language forms a notable style of writing in Persian, which is full of novel spiritual ideas and metaphors, demonstrating a need to refrain from taking its words literally, if such should seem contrary to the teachings of Islam.[7]
The cosmicqutb is theAxis of the Universe in ahigher dimension from which originates the power (ultimately fromAllah) of the temporalqutb.[8][9][10]
The cosmic hierarchy forms the manifestation of the way in which spiritual power underpins the existence of the cosmos. Two descriptions of the hierarchy come from notable Sufis. The first isAli Hujwiri's divine court. There are three hundredakhyār ("excellent ones"), fortyabdāl ("substitutes"), sevenabrār ("piously devoted ones"), fourawtād ("pillars") threenuqabā ("leaders") and one qutb.[11]
The second version isIbn Arabī’s which has a different, more exclusive structure. There are eightnujabā ("nobles"), twelvenuqabā, sevenabdāl, fourawtād, twoa’immah ("guides"), and thequtb.[12]
For those namedQutb ad-Din, with many variant transliterations, seeQutb ad-Din.
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