Sufism and the Scriptures

Al-Jili (d. 1408) is usually remembered for his concept of the Perfect Human, but that idea sits inside a larger work, al-Insan al-kamil (The Perfect Human), which surveys Sufi metaphysics in the tradition of Ibn 'Arabi. This book focuses on one of that work's major sections, the account of sacred history: how God made the truth known to people through prophets and scriptures.

Fitzroy Morrissey presents what is described as the first in-depth study of this section. The book translates and analyses the central passages on the Qur'an, the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel. It argues that al-Jili's understanding of sacred history rests on a metaphysics in which the visible world reveals God, and in which prophets and scriptures are the places where the divine attributes are most fully displayed.

The study also examines how this outlook shapes al-Jili's ranking of prophets, scriptures and religions. Against common assumptions, Morrissey contends that al-Jili's position agrees with the widespread medieval Muslim view that the Qur'an is the finest scripture, Muhammad the finest prophet, and Islam the finest religion.

Beyond the text itself, the book offers a window into medieval Sufi thinking about how Islam relates to other religions.