Conception of perfect human in Dawud al-Qaysari

Davud of Kayseri, lived in the interface period of 13th and 14th centuries (1260-1350), was assigned by the Otoman government as the first head instructor of the first medrese (school) in İznik (Nicaea). He holded the task to constitute a bridge between former sufistic, theological and philosophical heritage of thought and Otoman thought. Therefore, as a sufist he is worth to be examined in order to understand both the former thought world and the Ottoman ideological conception.The subject of this study is the conception of Kâmil insan (perfect human) in Davud-i Kayseri. The ideas of Davud-i Kayseri are generally based on the vahdet-i vücut (unity of being) conception, systematized by İbn-i Arabi. For this reason, his conception of perfect human is not so much different from İbn-i Arabi?s. The concept of perfect human is related both with ontology and ethics. In the idea of unity of being, Hakk (God) is the absolute being and appears himself. By this appearence, the world of being, called universe, comes to existance. But the universe do not reflect God, from which it emerged, with all qualities. God appears with all his names, qualities and features in the being, called perfect human.The perfect human, in which God appears with all aspects, has both an ontological existance in the levels of entity, and a human existance with respect to the holy men, that are annihilated themselves in God. While his ontological existance in the levels of entity reflects his ontological aspect, his human existance with respect to the holy men reflects his ethical aspect.Keywords: Davud-i Kayseri, Perfect Human, Mysticism, Sufizm, Holy man, Truth of Mohammed, Ego Decency.