Qutb

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Sufi spiritual leader

title: "Qutb" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["arabic-language-masculine-given-names", "masculine-given-names", "sufism"] description: "Sufi spiritual leader" topic_path: "general/arabic-language-masculine-given-names" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutb" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Sufi spiritual leader ::

The term ar () means 'axis', 'pivot', or 'pole'. Qutb can refer to celestial movements and be used as an astronomical term or a spiritual symbol.

In Sufism, a ar is the perfect human being, al-Insān al-Kāmil ('The Universal Man'), who leads the saintly hierarchy. The ar 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. There are five ars per era, and they are infallible 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".

According to the Institute of Ismaili Studies, "In mystical literature, such as the writings of al–Tirmidhi, Abd al–Razzaq and Ibn Arabi (d. 1240), [ar] 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."

Scriptural evidence

In the teachings of Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, there is evidence to suggest that the ar is the head of the saintly hierarchy which provides scriptural evidence to support the belief in the ar. The hadīth attributed to Ibn Mas‘ūd has been used as proof that a ar exists.

Temporal {{transliteration|ar|qutb}} and cosmic {{transliteration|ar|qutb}}

Temporal {{transliteration|ar|qutb}}

There are two different conceptions of the ar in Sufism: temporal ar and cosmic ar. The temporal and cosmic qutb are connected, which guarantees that God is present in the world at all times. The temporal ar is known as "the helper" or al-ghawth and is located in a person on Earth. The cosmic ar is manifested in the temporal ar as a virtue which can be traced back to al-Hallaj. The temporal ar is the spiritual leader for the earth-bound saints. It is said that all beings - secret, animate, and inanimate - must give the ar their pledge which gives him great authority. The Only beings exempt from this are al-afrād, which belong to the angels; the djinn, who are under the jurisdiction of Khadir; and those who belong to the tenth stratum of ridjālal-ghayb.

Due to the nature of the ar, the location where he resides, whether temporal or cosmic, is a matter of learned speculation. It is thought by most that the ar is corporeally or spiritually present in Mecca at the Ka'ba, which is referred to as his maqām.

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.

Cosmic {{transliteration|ar|qutb}}

The cosmic ar is the Axis of the Universe in a higher dimension from which originates the power (ultimately from Allah) of the temporal ar.

The cosmic hierarchy of the {{transliteration|ar|qutb}}

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 is Ali Hujwiri's divine court. There are three hundred akhyār ("excellent ones"), forty abdāl ("substitutes"), seven abrār ("piously devoted ones"), four awtād ("pillars") three nuqabā ("leaders") and one qutb.

The second version is Ibn Arabī’s which has a different, more exclusive structure. There are eight nujabā ("nobles"), twelve nuqabā, seven abdāl, four awtād, two a’immah ("guides"), and the ar.

People named Qutb

For those named Qutb ad-Din, with many variant transliterations, see Qutb ad-Din.

Buildings

Qutb complex, a group of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India
Qutb Minar, a tall brick minaret in Delhi, India

Notes

References

Esposito, John L.. (2003). "The Oxford dictionary of Islam". Oxford University Press, Inc..
Hobson, J. Peter. (2001). "The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam". Stacey International & Cyril Glasse.
Brill, E.J.. (1938). "Encyclopaedia of Islam. A Dictionary of the Geography, Ethnography and Biography of the Muhammadan peoples". Leiden.
link. (2010-10-09)
Bearman, P.. "Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition". Koninklijke Brill NV.
Lewisohn, Leonard. (1999). "An Introduction to the History of Modern Persian Sufism, Part II: A Socio-Cultural Profile of Sufism, from the Dahahbi Revival to the Present Day". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
(2015). "A Traveler in God's Path: Sufi Words and the Metaphor of Journey. Asian Social Science".
[http://khidr.org/gunawardhana.htm "Idris and Al Khidr"--see ''Axis of the Universe'' about one-fourth of the way down the web page:]
[http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/Public/articles/The_Tree_Symbol_in_Islam-by_Noble_Ross_Reat.aspx "The Tree Symbol in Islam" by Noble Ross:]
[http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/35435-how-many-worlds-are-there/ "How many worlds are there?"] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-09-30 – Discussion of the [[Planes of existence]] as conceived in Shi’ism)
[http://sunnirazvi.net/qadiri/sufis/awliya.htm The Saints of Islam, quoting The Mystics of Islam] by Dr. [[Reynold A. Nicholson]]
Jones, Lindsay. (2005). "Encyclopedia of Religion, Second Edition". Thomson Gale.

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