The Role of Divine Guardianship in the Ontological Order and the Realization of the Perfect Human

Abstract

The concept of divine guardianship (wilāyah) is among the most central theological and mystical notions in Islamic thought, which, within the Qur'an and the tradition of theoretical mysticism, has acquired a multidimensional function and plays a decisive role in explicating the relationship between God, the cosmos, and the human being. The present study aims to analyze the position of divine guardianship within the ontological order and to elucidate its role in the realization of the Perfect Human. It examines, through an integrative approach, the Qur’anic and mystical foundations of this concept. The primary research question addresses whether divine guardianship is merely a legislative and guidance-oriented concept or whether it possesses an ontological and metaphysical function within the structure of existence, acting as a conduit of divine grace in the process of realizing the Perfect Human. Employing a descriptive–analytical method and drawing upon exegetical and mystical sources, the study demonstrates that guardianship in the Qur’an signifies a form of ontological stewardship and guidance manifested through divine lordship and continuous governance of the cosmos. In Islamic mysticism, guardianship is also understood as the inner reality of prophethood and the principle underlying the persistence of divine grace, while the Perfect Human is introduced as the complete manifestation of the Divine Name “al-Walī” and the intermediary of grace between the Absolute and creation. The findings indicate that divine guardianship constitutes the organizing principle of the ontological system and serves as the mediating link between the origin and the degrees of existence, while the realization of the Perfect Human represents the full manifestation of this guardianship within the human domain.