Historijski tok tumačenja Najuzvišenijeg Božijeg imena Ismi A'zam u sufijskim tefsirima Kur'ana
The Historical Trajectory of the Interpretation of the Greatest Divine Name, Ism-i A'zam, in Sufi Commentaries of the Quran

Summary/Abstract: The aspiration to uncover Ism-i A'zam, the Greatest Name of God, has always been one of humanity's central preoccupations and a subject of scholarly interest. This research, relying on a library- based method and an analytical-historical approach, aims to examine the historical trajectory of the concept of Ism-i A'zam in Sufi commentaries of the Quran. Sahl ibn Abdullah Tustari was the first exegete to discuss the Greatest Divine Name, Ism-iA'zam. Most exegetes did not offer their own opinions on Ism-i A'zam but confined themselves to transmitting traditions. After the emergence of Ibn Arabi in the 7th century AH and his special attention to the Greatest Divine Name, engagement with this topic in Quranic commentaries significantly increased from the 7th century onward. The Greatest Divine Name, Ism-i A'zam, exists in the Quran, and „Allah“ is Its verbal name that transcends all other Divine Names; there is no name more comprehensive or complete than It for describing the Divine Essence. Some exegetes, when addressing the attribute of being the The Most Exalted, did not limit themselves solely to the name Allah but cited other Divine Names as examples of the Greatest Name, such as: al-Hayy al-Qayyum (the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting), Rabb (the Lord), Dhu al-Jalal wa al-Ikram (the Possessor of Majesty and Generosity), the disconnected letters (al-huruf al-muqatta'ah), Ruh al-Qudus (the Holy Spirit), Malik al-Mulk (the Owner of Sovereignty), as well as the opening verses of Surah Al-Hadid and the concluding verses of Surah Al-Hashr. All Divine Names have an outward form that represents the manifestation of that name, and that name is the possessor of those manifestations and expressions. Therefore, the perfect human being (al-insan al-kamil) is the manifestation of the Greatest Divine Name. The term „perfect human being“ refers to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, then to the Pure Imams, peace be upon them, and in the present time, to Imam Mahdi.

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