The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (132 page)

l
, he (the Perfect Man) is unique for all time but appears in different guises and names: there is no reincarnation but merely the irradiation of the reality of Mu
ammad on each occasion upon the most perfect of men, who thus become Mu
ammad's representatives on the plane of manifestation. In another development (cf.
AL-HALL
J
), the Creator (al-
aqq
) and the Perfect Man (al-
alq) are seen as complementary constituents of total or absolute Being: ‘Man unites in himself both the form of God and the form of the universe…God is necessary to us in order that we may exist, but we are necessary to him in order that he may be manifested to himself’ (Ibn ‘Arab
). Such a way of union was of profound importance in
S
f
sm
.

 
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(Heb., ‘ascent’).
1
Emigrating from the
diaspora
to the land of
Israel
to become a permanent resident.
2
The calling up of a member of the congregation in a
synagogue
to recite a
blessing
or to read from the
Torah
scroll (in full, ‘aliyah la-Torah).
3
Making
pilgrimage
to
Jerusalem
.

 
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