Ravanshenasi & Din

Abstract – The present study aims to conduct a comparative examination of the concept of the Perfect Human and the path to its attainment within two intellectual traditions: Islamic mysticism (with a focus on Rumi’s thought) and humanistic psychology (centered on Viktor Frankl’s perspective). Despite their fundamental differences in ontological and epistemological foundations, both approaches share significant commonalities in presenting a transcendence-oriented vision of the human being. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, thematic analysis, and a philosophical-conceptual approach, this research compares the two perspectives across five main dimensions: the concept of the Perfect Human, its characteristics, the path to realization, obstacles, and the strategies for achieving it. The findings indicate that Rumi views the Perfect Human as a manifestation of the Divine Names, who—through love, ascetic practice, and annihilation in God (fanāʾ fī-llāh)—attains subsistence in God (baqāʾ bi-llāh) and spiritual vicegerency. In contrast, Frankl defines the Perfect Human as a meaning-seeking, responsible, and free individual who, in the midst of suffering and crisis, achieves self-transcendence and existential growth through conscious choice. In both perspectives, concepts such as love, meaning, responsibility, and self-transcendence are considered essential pillars of growth and perfection. The primary distinction lies in the source of meaning: in Rumi’s mysticism, meaning is rooted in the divine and accessed through intuition, whereas in Frankl’s psychology, it is experiential and existential. This comparison demonstrates the possibility of an interdisciplinary dialogue between Islamic mysticism and logotherapy for a deeper understanding of the human being, meaning, and transcendence in the contemporary world.