A Comparative Study of the "paragon of virtue" in the Sufi and Shia opinions

The paragon of virtue, regardless of how it is presented, is one of the common doctrines of Sufi and Shia. The commonalities and differences of this idea are presented in the form of a holy example of a man or a paragon of virtue. The present study is devoted to a comparative analysis of this idea in the views of Shia and Sufi. Some Shia and Sufi scholars believe that the paragon of virtue is God’s caliph and mediator with the people. If this mediator disappears, the world will disintegrate and the hereafter will begin. The soul of the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the first intellect and the absolute paragon of virtue in the universe, is another common intellectual result of Shia and Sufi. All beings in the universe, including angels, prophets, and other human beings, are dependent on the will and command of the first intellect. One of the obvious differences between the two sects in this regard is that the Shia believes that the paragon of virtue is manifested in the soul of divine prophets and infallible Imams, and that other human beings are on the route of self-development and perfection through paragons of virtue, and in proportion to their inner capacity and talents. But in Sufi, in addition to the holy prophets, the elders and dervishes of Sufi are also in the category of paragons of virtue.