The term () means 'axis', 'pivot', or 'pole'. Qutb can refer to celestial movements and be used as an astronomical term or a spiritual symbol.
In Sufism, a is the perfect human being, al-Insān al-Kāmil ('The Universal Man'), who leads the saintly hierarchy. The is the Sufi spiritual leader who 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 are five s per era, and they are infallible and trusted spiritual leaders. They are only revealed to a select group of mystics because there is a "human need for direct knowledge of God".
Scriptural evidence
In the teachings of Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, there is evidence to suggest that the is the head of the saintly hierarchy which provides scriptural evidence to support the belief in the . The hadīth attributed to Ibn Mas‘ūd has been used as proof that a exists.
Temporal and cosmic
Temporal
There are two different conceptions of the in Sufism: temporal and cosmic . The temporal and cosmic qutb are connected, which guarantees that God is present in the world at all times. The temporal is known as "the helper" or al-ghawth and is located in a person on Earth. The cosmic is manifested in the temporal as a virtue which can be traced back to al-Hallaj. The temporal is the spiritual leader for the earth-bound saints. It is said that all beings - secret, animate, and inanimate - must give the 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.
Sufi language forms a notable style of writing in Persian, which is full of novel spiritual ideas and metaphors, demonstrating a need to refrain from taking its words literally, if such should seem contrary to the teachings of Islam.
Cosmic
The cosmic is the Axis of the Universe in a higher dimension from which originates the power (ultimately from Allah) of the temporal .
The cosmic hierarchy of the
The cosmic hierarchy forms the manifestation of the way in which spiritual power underpins the existence of the cosmos. Two descriptions of the hierarchy come from notable Sufis. The first is Ali Hujwiri'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 version 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 .
People named Qutb
For those named Qutb ad-Din, with many variant transliterations, see Qutb ad-Din.
Buildings
- Qutb complex, a group of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India
- Qutb Minar, a tall brick minaret in Delhi, India