But, this knowledge is not about him as a perfect man.

But, this knowledge is not about him as a perfect man. Recognition of ‘Ali means knowing his personality, rather than his person. Once we’ll get acquainted with his entire personality, we will know him as a perfect man of Islam to the extent that we’ll take him as a model, and accept him in actuality, and not limited as our leader and Imam in literal sense. Following to emulate him, we will be true Shi'a follower of this perfect man.

Shi'a means one who follows ‘Ali, not only with words and sentiments, but by practising the philosophical and academic terms lead by ‘Ali. These two ways of recognition of the perfect man are practically useful, but we must use this knowledge to follow the ways shown by Islam to become a true Muslim, and make society truly Islamic. However, the question arises as to the meaning of 'Perfect'.

Some things may seem obvious, but explicit things are sometimes harder to explain than complicated matters. In Arabic the two words meaning 'Perfect' and 'complete' are close to each other but not exactly interchangeable in meaning, and both of them have an antonym meaning 'defective'.

The difference between the two words is as follows: The word 'complete' refers to something which is prepared according to a plan, like a house and a mosque, and if any part of it is unfinished, it is incomplete, or, defective. But something may be 'complete'; yet, there may exist a higher degree of completion, or, many degrees higher than that, and that is called 'perfection'.

'Complete' is a horizontal progress to maximum development, and 'perfect' is a vertical climb to the highest degree possible. When we speak of 'perfect wisdom, or, knowledge', it refers to a higher degree of an already existing wisdom or knowledge. A man may be complete in a horizontal sense, without being perfect vertically. There are people who are half-complete, or, even less than that.

But when perfection is attained, there are still higher levels of perfection until a perfectly “perfect” state is achieved. The term ‘perfect’ did not exist in Islamic literature until the seventh century of the Hiijra.

It is now used frequently in Europe, but was first used in the Islamic world by the well-known Gnostic "Mohyedin Arabi Andalusi Ta’i", who is the father of Islamic Gnosticism, and many Islamic Gnostics, including Iranian and Persian-speaking ones, and including his pupils like Rumi. Rumi with all his greatness is of lesser calibre compared to Mohyedin, in Gnosticism.