Qutb
Encyclopedia
Qutb, Qutub, Kutb, or Kutub (Arabic قطب), literally means 'axis', 'pivot' or 'pole'. Qutb can refer to celestial movements and used as an astronomical term or a spiritual symbol. In Sufism, a Qutb or Kutb is the perfect human being, al-insān al-kāmil, who leads the saintly hierarchy. The Qutb is the Sufi spiritual leader that 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 is only one Qutb per era and he is an infallible and trusted spiritual leader. He is 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 (Ismailism is a branch of Shīʻa Islam), "In mystical literature, such as the writings of al–Tirmidhi, Abd al–Razzaq and Ibn al–‘Arabi (d. 1240), [Qutb or Kutb] refers to the most perfect human being (al–insan al–kamil) 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."
The term quṭub was used by Meher Baba
in reference to the five perfect masters
: Sai Baba of Shirdi
, Upasni Maharaj
, Hazrat Babajan
, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba
and Narayan Maharaj
.
The state of a quṭub is quṭubiyyah.
Due to the nature of the qutb, the location where he resides, whether temporal or cosmic, is questionable. It is thought by most that the qutb is corporeally and spiritually present in Mecca at the Ka'ba, which is referred to as his maqām.
) of the temporal Qutb.
According to the Institute of Ismaili Studies (Ismailism is a branch of Shīʻa Islam), "In mystical literature, such as the writings of al–Tirmidhi, Abd al–Razzaq and Ibn al–‘Arabi (d. 1240), [Qutb or Kutb] refers to the most perfect human being (al–insan al–kamil) 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."
The term quṭub was used by Meher Baba
Meher Baba
Meher Baba , , born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age....
in reference to the five perfect masters
Perfect Master (Meher Baba)
Perfect Master is the English translation that the Indian spiritual master Meher Baba began to use in his writing as early as 1925 to the denote the Eastern sense of a sadguru or a qutub...
: Sai Baba of Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi , also known as Shirdi Sai Baba , was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint....
, Upasni Maharaj
Upasni Maharaj
Upasni Maharaj, born Kashinath Govindrao Upasni, was considered by his disciples to be a satguru. He lived in Sakori, India and is said to have received God-realization from Sai Baba of Shirdi...
, Hazrat Babajan
Hazrat Babajan
Hazrat Babajan was a Baloch Muslim saint considered by her followers to be a sadguru or qutub. Born in Balochistan, Afghanistan, she lived the final 25 years of her life in Pune, India.-Early life & realization:...
, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba
Hazrat Tajuddin Baba
Mohammad Tajuddin Baba was an Indian Muslim Sufi master considered by his followers to be a qutub. He lived in Nagpur, India.-Early life:...
and Narayan Maharaj
Narayan Maharaj
Narayan Maharaj was a Hindu Indian spiritual master considered by his followers to be a sadguru. He lived in Kedgaon, India.-Early life:...
.
The state of a quṭub is quṭubiyyah.
Scriptural Evidence of Qutb
In the teachings of al-Halkīm Tirmidhī, there is evidence to suggest that the qutb is the head of the saintly hieracrchy which provides scriptural evidence to support the belief in the qutb. The hadīth attributed to Ibn Mas‘ūd has been used as proof that a qutb exists. This hadīth was called into question for its reliability of the sanad and was discarded by MuhammadRashīd Ridā.Temporal Qutb
There are two different conceptions of the Qutb in Sufism: Temporal Qutb and Cosmic Qutb. The temporal and cosmic qutb are connected which guarantees that God is present in the world at all times. The temporal qutb is known as "the helper" or al-ghawth and is located in a person on Earth. The cosmic qutb is manifested in the temporal qutb as a virtue which can be traced back to al-Hallādj. The temporal qutb is the spiritual leaser for the earth-bound saints. It is said that all beings - secret, animate, and inanimate - must give the qutb 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 qutb, the location where he resides, whether temporal or cosmic, is questionable. It is thought by most that the qutb is corporeally and spiritually present in Mecca at the Ka'ba, which is referred to as his maqām.
Cosmic Qutb
The Cosmic Qutb is the Axis of the Universe in a higher dimension from which originates the power (ultimately from AllahAllah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
) of the temporal Qutb.
The Cosmic Hierarchy of the Qutb
The cosmic hierarchy is the way that the spiritual power is ensured to exist through the cosmos. There are two different hierarchies that are considered legitimate. The first is Al-Huhwīrī’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 hierarchy 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 qutb.People named Qutb or Qutb-ud-din
- Qutb-ud-din AybakQutb-ud-din AybakQutb-ud-din Aibak was a Turkic king of Northwest India who ruled from his capital in Delhi where he built the Qutub Minar and the Quwwat Al Islam mosque. He was of Turkic descent from central Asia, the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave dynasty of India. He ruled for only four years,...
(?-1210), Sultan of Delhi - Qutbuddin Bakhtiar KakiQutbuddin Bakhtiar KakiQutub ul Aqtab Hazrat Khwaja Syed Muhammad Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki was a renowned Muslim Sufi mystic, saint and scholar of the Chishti Order from Delhi, India. He was the disciple and the spiritual successor of Moinuddin Chishti as head of the Chishti order. Before him the Chishti order in India...
(1173-1235), Sufi saint from Transoxiana, who came to live in Mehrauli India* Qutb Shahi dynastyQutb Shahi dynastyThe Qutb Shahi dynasty was a Turko-Persian dynasty ; its members were collectively called the Qutub Shahis. They were the ruling family of the kingdom of Golkonda in modern-day Andra Pradesh, India. They were Shia Muslims and belonged to Kara Koyunlu...
, ruling family of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India, (1518-1687) - Qutb ud din Mubarak ShahQutb ud din Mubarak ShahQutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah Khilji was the third and last ruler of the Khilji dynasty in Sultanate of Delhi, India. Qutb-ud-din Khilji was the son and successor of Alauddin Khilji....
(d. 1320), third and last ruler of the Khilji dynasty in India - Qutb al-Din al-ShiraziQutb al-Din al-ShiraziQotb al-Din Shirazi or Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi was a 13th century Persian Muslim polymath and Persian poet who made contributions astronomy, mathematics, medicine, physics, music theory, philosophy and Sufism.- Biography :...
(1236–1311), a 13th century Persian astronomer - Qutb ad-Din MawdudQutb ad-Din MawdudQutb ad-Din Mawdud was the Zengid Emir of Mosul from 1149 to 1169. He was a brother and successor of Saif ad-Din Ghazi I.-Biography:...
, the Zengid Emir of Mosul, (1149-1169) - Qutb ad-Dīn HaydarQutb ad-Din HaydarQutb ad-Dīn Haydar was a Persian Sufi saint, of possible Turkic orgin, and is buried in Zava, Khurasan. Qazvini, author of the Tarikh-i guzida, states Haydar was alive at the time of the Mongol invasion in 1220 and died in 1221 CE/618 AH....
(?-~1221), Persian Sufi saint (the Qutb is an honorific) - Qutb al-Din MuhammadQutb al-Din MuhammadQutb al-Din Muhammad was the Mihrabanid malik of Sistan from 1330 until his death. He was the son of Rukn al-Din Mahmud.-Biography:...
(?-1127), was the first hereditary heir of the Khwārazm-Shāh dynasty. - Qutb M. R. Bawa MuhaiyaddeenBawa MuhaiyaddeenMuhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a saintly Tamil-speaking teacher and Sufi mystic from the island of Sri Lanka who first came to the United States on October 11, 1971 and established the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia...
Ral (died 1986), Sufi Saint from Sri Lanka. Buried near Philadelphia - Heba KotbHeba KotbDr. Heba Kotb is a certified sex therapist and host of The Big Talk, a sexual advice show in Egypt. The first licensed sexologist in the country, Kotb bases her methods on the teachings of the Qur'an, which she says encourages strong marital life including healthy sexual relationships between...
(1967–present), Egyptian sexologist and television personality - Hoda Kotb (1964–present), Egyptian-American television personality
- Sayyid QutbSayyid QutbSayyid Qutb was an Egyptian author, educator, Islamist theorist, poet, and the leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and '60s....
(1906–1966), an Egyptian author and Islamist, older brother of Muhammad Qutb - Muhammad QutbMuhammad QutbMuhammad Qutb, , is an Islamist author, scholar and teacher best known as the younger brother of the Egyptian Islamist thinker Sayyid Qutb...
(~1909 -~1980), an Egyptian author and Islamist, younger brother of Sayyid Qutb
Buildings
- Qutb complexQutb complexThe Qutb complex , also spelled Qutab or Qutub, is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. The construction of Qutb Minar was intended as a Victory Tower, to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori over Rajput king, Prithviraj Chauhan, in 1192 AD, by his then viceroy,...
, a group of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India - Qutub MinarQutub MinarQutub Minar also Qutb Minar, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Delhi, India. The Qutub Minar is constructed with red sandstone and marble, and is the tallest minaret in India, with a height of 72.5 meters , contains 379 stairs to reach the top, and the diameter of base is 14.3 meters...
, tall brick minaret in Delhi, India
Things
- Islamic Holy BooksIslamic holy booksIslamic holy books are the texts which Muslims believe were dictated by God to various Islamic prophets throughout the history of mankind. All these books, in Muslim belief, promulgated the code and laws of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur'an, the final holy scripture, was sent because all the...
, divinely revealed scriptures - Qutub: The Point, a book by Andrew D. Chumbley