Mystical Literature

In the hectic life of modern man, the components of the new age such as density of communications; technology and scientific breakthroughs; acceleration of life concerns; escalation ... Read More In the hectic life of modern man, the components of the new age such as density of communications; technology and scientific breakthroughs; acceleration of life concerns; escalation of intellectual conflicts, doubts, economic problems; complexities of digital life; alienation from spirituality; breakout of various diseases caused by mental pressures, poverty, ignorance, inequality, and the like have resulted in individuals’ insufficient attention to wellbeing of their soul and psyche, and have made them trapped in frustration and depression. In such circumstances, virtues such as hope, happiness, empathy, altruism and wisdom regain their value and meaning; as the common belief in the Iranians’ collective wisdom is: The sons of Adam are limbs of each other having been created of one essence When the calamity of the time afflicts one limb the other limbs cannot remain at rest If thou has no sympathy for the troubles of others thou art unworthy to be called by the name of man (Sa’di, 1971, p. 47) Positive psychology, at the subjective level, is about valuable subjective experiences including well-being, contentment, and satisfaction (with the past); hope and optimism (about the future); and engagement and happiness (with the present). At individual level, it focuses on positive individual traits, namely the capacity for love and occupation, courage, personal skill, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindfulness, spirituality, and wisdom. At social level, it is about the civic virtues and institutions that move individuals toward better citizenship, namely responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation, tolerance, and work ethics. Accordingly, Seligman classifies positive excitements into three categories of the past, presence and future. Fortunately, in the realm of Iranian literature, we have unique or unparalleled texts representing the presence of positive psychology in Persian literature and culture. Israr al-Tawhid is a literary collection containing the sayings, manners and life of Abusa'id Abu al-Khair. The book Asrar al-Tawhid is not just a biography of Abusa'id, but one of the most prominent sources in the history of Iranian mysticism and one of the most important documents in the social history of this land. With no exaggerations, many of the anecdotes, behaviors and thoughts in the book could be compared with virtues presented in modern positive psychology. As reflected in the book, Abusa'id held the view that mysticism should be truly experienced and enacted rather than merely defined and described (Zarrinkoob, 1971, p. 63). Probably that’s the reason why there exists no written manuscript authored by him. The basic concepts of Abusa'id’s worldview are positive thinking, optimism about the creator, kindness with God's creatures, selflessness, sincerity, altruism, self-satisfaction, transcendence and perfection; for each of which ample evidence could be found in Israr al-Tawhid’s anecdotes. The same concepts could also be found in what positive psychologists call virtues and capabilities. The Sufism adopted by Abusa'id is a bright, optimistic, hopeful, happy and joyful one; the same concepts that positivist psychology seeks to explicate and establish. “At the heart of his teachings there is no place for pessimism and denial of life, and he always looks to the bright side of life”. Abusa'id has an optimistic view to the universe, the humans, and all the phenomena of creation. There is no predilection or preference in his thoughts and his life. In his view, Muslims, Christians, Jews, religious and non-religious individuals are all creation of God. Of all the numerous paths that lead to God, he considers the best way to be “bringing peace and tranquility to the people” (Israr al-Tawhid, p. 329). Abusa'id maintains that all personal and social problems originate from human duplicity and hypocrisy; the continuation of which has caused fundamental tragic catastrophes in human history. He believes that pretense or insincerity ruins human essence and human communities, and suggests promotion and dissemination of sincerity and purity as the panacea. In his view, bringing peace (or happiness) to the heart of believers (or others) could bring tranquility and this tranquility stimulates happiness in humans; which in turn results in wellbeing of soul and psyche at both personal and social levels. Abusa'id’s Sufism, and in fact his lived experience, and essential concepts entrenched in Israr al-Tawhid’s anecdotes like purity, optimism, altruism, hope, vigor, and transcendence are the topics underscored in the schools of psychology for individuals’ prosperous life.

Scientific-research

A Study on Narrative Structure of Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq (On the Reality of Love) Treatise by Suhrawardi

Leila Rezaei; Meysam Ghalkhanbaz

Volume 12, Issue 22 , September 2020, Pages 33-58

https://doi.org/10.22051/jml.2021.32797.2090

Abstract

Shahab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, also known as “Sheikhe Ishragh”, (1154–1191) or the founder of the Iranian school of illumination, is an Iranian philosopher who has ... Read More Shahab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, also known as “Sheikhe Ishragh”, (1154–1191) or the founder of the Iranian school of illumination, is an Iranian philosopher who has widely deployed semantic functions of narrative mode in his mystical works. Going beyond the conventional and traditional approach of narrating allegorical anecdotes, he started to create his own narratives to present his intended philosophical and mystical concepts to the audience in form of “plotted” narratives. Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq (On the Reality of Love) treatise also known as Munis ol-Oshaq (Companion of Lovers) is one of Suhrawardi’s distinguished and valuable Persian writings in the field of narrative. In this work, he describes the reality of life and the beginning and destination of existence from his own philosophical-mystical view. This treatise—which is an interpretation of the Qur’anic story of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) and based on Suhrawardi’s illuminationist view—is presented as an independent narrative more detailed than his other narrative-based writings and with a more elaborate plot. Unlike other dialogic narratives, Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq is an action-based one that has been considered one of the most elaborate and structured narratives of Suhrawardi. The story begins with the first step of creation, which is the creation of the intellect by Noor ol Anvar (Light of Lights). From the outset, the intellect is endowed with three features: “beauty”, “love” and “sorrow”; all three are brothers and from the same origin. However, despite the devotion of “love” and “sorrow” to “beauty”, who is the eldest brother, “beauty” inhabits Joseph’s body, reaches the peak of independence and autonomy, and spurns the brothers. Yearning for reunion with “beauty”, the two brothers set out on a journey of austerity so that in companion with Jacob and Zulaikha they could set the ground for reaching their goal. Examining the structure and plot of this narrative based on structuralist theories reveals multifaceted dimensions of its hidden semantic layers regarding Suhrawardi’s illuminationist doctrine. Since Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq is centered on the binary oppositions between the “material” and “spirit” as well as “light” and “darkness”, the actantial model proposed by Algirdas J. Greimas (1917- 1992), the famous French semiotician, was applied to achieve a kind of detailed analysis of the narrative. The model is built on binary oppositions by which different structural elements of a narrative, including the plot and the characters in both deep and surface levels, are analyzed. In Suhrawardi’s illuminationist philosophy, which emphasizes on the originality of “light”, there is a basic binary opposition between “light” and “darkness” and consequently between “heaven” and “earth”, “abstract” and “material” as well as “ignorance” and “knowledge”. In Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq, which briefly reviews the great event of creation alongside the spiritual journey of soul to the source of life in two parts, this thinking system dominates; a manifestation of which is the binary opposition between “beauty” and “love”. As it continues, the independence of “beauty” and its separation from “love” kindle the “love’s” passion for reunion, which turns him into a traveler (Salik) in the second half of the story. Studying the actions and the arrangement of the narrative actors, based on the actantial model, proves that the main action in the first half of the story is “creation” which has been performed by different actors throughout successive stages. The result of this action is the creation of the heavens and the earth as well as endowing the earth and earthly creatures with the grace of creation. The main action in the second half of the narrative is the “spiritual journey”; which is known as a way for the earth inhabitants to return to the spiritual and heavenly origin of life. In this regard, the transformation of the actors both on the side of the earth and the heaven (transformation of “beauty”, “love” and “sorrow” to the earthly characters of Joseph, Zulaikha and Jacob) displays the extension of the great event of “creation” in both heavenly and earthly realms (both deep and surface levels). The contrasting plot of this narrative demonstrates the confrontation of the two main substances of “light” and “darkness” (spirit and material) and briefly explains the descending arc of life (the extension of the grace of creation from Light of Lights that resulted in the creation of the heavens and the earth) and the ascending arc (spiritual journey of human being to reconnect to the source of light). This structure adjusts to theory of opposition and actantial model of Greimas. Examination of this narrative based on the mentioned model shows that the two basic actants (“beauty” and “love”) in deep level accompanied with the two actors in the surface level (Joseph and Zulaikha) are the different manifestations of the light and darkness who have been integrated in the process of the creation. Considering the existing opposition in the deep structure of the story, which causes the separation between the brothers, the most important sequence in this narrative appears to be disjunctive. Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq is a brief literary and artistic expression of the author’s philosophical mindset. In this work, Suhrawardi briefly reviews the great event of the creation and the origin of the life to initially remind the reader of the spiritual history of the world and to show another dimension of the truth in the second half of the narrative; the fact that we, human beings, are prisoners in the dark well of the mundane world and the only way of liberation and reconnection to the source of “Light of Lights” is awareness and setting out on a journey of austerity. In this story, “love” is the actant who firstly made this hard journey but in fact the actors of this action (spiritual journey) are all devoted travelers who have stepped on this path to reach the eternal truth and “Light of Lights”.

Scientific-research

Studying the Inexpressibility Obstacles of Mystical Experiences in Masnavies by Attar (Ilahi-Nama, Mantiq al-Tair, Mosibat-Nama)

Maryam Moradi; Ebrahim Rahimi Zangene

Volume 12, Issue 22 , September 2020, Pages 59-83

https://doi.org/10.22051/jml.2020.32116.2000

Abstract

The incapability of vocabularies in expressing mystical experiences is called inexpressibility. Those with mystical experiences consider their mystical awareness outside the extent ... Read More The incapability of vocabularies in expressing mystical experiences is called inexpressibility. Those with mystical experiences consider their mystical awareness outside the extent of understanding and description. In fact, they believe a mystic can reach a kind of awareness and perception which is beyond common wisdom and hence cannot be expressed. In his mystical experience, the mystic looks at an aspect of truth which is far beyond the ordinary conceptual frameworks of experiences. This aspect of experience has neither been imagined nor could be imagined. In other words, language and words fail to express such experiences. Inexpressibility is considered one of the integral elements of mystic experiences. For mystics, expressing mystical facts and concepts has constantly been difficult and has hindered them from expressing the spiritual states. The chief obstacles include subject, interlocutors, speech, and listeners which lead to inexpressibility of sublime mystical facts. The mystic’s astonishment makes him encounter the obstacles of fathoming abstract subject matters; expressing the grandeur and complexity of the truths; and sharing them with others. Sometimes, the interlocutor is the obstacle. This occurs when those engrossed in mystical truths, at the time of the appearance and disclosure of the truth, are overcome by senses of divine drunkenness and lose their ability to express the mystical truths. The mystic loses his patience and continence in this state of unconsciousness and transcends the spatial and temporal realm. Accordingly, he loses the control over his language and fails to express the mystical experiences. Sometimes the experiencer due to reaching subsistence after passing away or awareness after abolition is able to express his mystical experiences; however, limitations inherent in the world of language and vocabulary stop him. Vocabularies have been defined to describe concrete and mundane perceptions related to human’s sphere of knowledge; nonetheless, mystical experiences appear in revelation which is outside the realm of science and intellect. Therefore, it is not logical to expect the words to be able to express the issues outside this realm. Accordingly, they make the mystic face obstacles expressing the truth. The other obstacle is the listener. It occurs when the speaker is able to express the surface or a layer of the issue; however, the listener is not sufficiently competent to fathom and appreciate the message. The authors have classified the reasons for inexpressibility of mystical experiences as the following: The grandeur of mystical experience issue; The inability of the interlocutor to express mystical experiences; explained through theory of emotions; The incapability of vocabularies and speech in explaining the nature of mystical language and hence transmutation of speech during the experience; Listener obstacle to receive the message; explained through theory of spiritual blindness and keeping mystical secrets from outsiders. Like other mystics, Farid-e-Din Attar Neyshabouri has explicated different forms of inexpressibility of mystical experiences in his works while acknowledging his inability to express the mystical truths. The current study aims to discover the reasons for inexpressibility of mystical experiences. In other words, we attempt to display the inherent weakness of language which makes mystics unable to express their mystical experiences while fathoming them. Besides, we intend to study the reflection and frequency of this basic mystical issue in the works of Neyshabouri. The present study, which is a descriptive-analytical one, has analyzed three collections including Ilahi-Nama, Mantiq al-Tair,and Mosibat-Nameh. The number of verses representing the mentioned obstacles, as referred to by Attar in these three collections, is as follows: In Ilahi-Nama, there exist 6511 verses in which 86 represent the issues, 80 represent speakers, 17 represent the speech and 52 represent listeners. In Mantiq al-Tair, there totally exist 4600 verses in which 195 represent the issues, 327 represent the interlocutors, 6 represent the speech and 52 represent the listeners. In Mosibat-Nameh,there totally exist 7593 verses in which 155 represent the issues, 133 represent interlocutors, 25 represent speech and 123 represent listeners. The findings reveal that issues and interlocutors have higher frequencies than speech and listeners. The content of Attar poems considering the aforesaid obstacles demonstrates that understanding the greatness of God’s knowledge (the issue obstacle), self-absence, and lack of knowledge or ignorance about the reality of intuition (interlocutor obstacle) are the chiefs obstacles that make the profound mystical thoughts inexpressible.

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Analysis of Transtextual relation between The Conference of the Birds by Peter Sis and Attar's Mantiq al-Tair

Sarah Zabihi; Ahmad Razi

Volume 12, Issue 22 , September 2020, Pages 85-115

https://doi.org/10.22051/jml.2021.32838.2092

Abstract

Attar’s Mantiq al-Tair, a classical Persian literature heritage, has transcended the local geography and has been considered at worldwide level. One of the fiction books published ... Read More Attar’s Mantiq al-Tair, a classical Persian literature heritage, has transcended the local geography and has been considered at worldwide level. One of the fiction books published under the influence of Attar's Mantiq al-Tair is The Conference of the Birds by Peter Sis, the Czech writer, illustrator, and filmmaker. The book was recreated and illustrated by Sis for children, adolescents, and adults in 2011 and after it he won Hans Christian Andersen Award or the biennial Little Nobel Prize–the most prestigious literary and artistic award in the field of children's literature. Zohreh Ghaeini, a writer and researcher of children's literature, translated this book into Persian in 2016. Next year, she was selected as one of the nominees for the sixth period of receiving Golden and Silver Flying Turtle Award for adolescents at domestic festivals. Adopting descriptive-analytic method, intertextuality approach, and specifically Gérard Genett's theory of transtextuality with a critical look, this article attempts to describe and analyze the transtextual relationship between The Conference of the Birds and Attar's Mantiq al-Tair. Intertextuality has long engaged researchers with the premise that texts interact with each other. Intertextual method has roots in the works of Russian critic, Mikhail Bakhtin. All the theorists have presented their own view of dialogism. Among others, Genette proposed and completed his model of “transtextuality" in the twentieth century based on Bakhtin's dialogism principles. His theory of transtextuality includes five types of relations including "intertextuality", "hypertextuality", "paratextuality", "metatextuality", and "architextuality". In the following, these relations are described and analyzed in The Conference of the Birds. Paratextuality includes intra-textual and extra-textual paratexts that are the gateways to enter or exit the text. It is considered an influential element that affects the audience mind and perception. Examples of intra-paratexts are title, second title, book size, cover design, and the like. Extra-paratexts can be divided into two categories of paratexts created by the author and publisher to attract the audience, and paratexts created by other people, including critics or reporters and other authors to promote or critique the text. The Conference of the Birds by Peter Sis is an adaptation of Attar's Mantiq al-Tair based on paratextual sources and documents. The author's explanations concerning the book's connection to Attar’s and his announcement of copyright permission granted to Research Institute of Children's and Adolescents’ Literatureare examples of intra-paratexts. Extra-paratexts can also be seen on Persian and English sites and some media. Intertextuality is the interconnection and relationship between two texts, which includes explicit (verbal), non-explicit, and implicit relations. Implicitly, the essence of Mantiq al-Tair is reflected in the main and general plot of The Conference of the Birds by Sis. From the beginning, through paratexts and references to Attar's metamorphosis to Hudhud, Sis acknowledges that this work is a rewriting of Mantiq al-Tair and with these references he avoids using quotes in the text. Examples of intertextuality are the birds being called by Hudhud to seek the king and set out on a journey to Mount Qaf; the birds bringing pretexts for not going on the trip; the seven valleys (Haft Wadi); and reaching Simorgh. Metatextuality is the explicit or implicit critical commentary of one text on another. In The Conference of the Birds, which is itself an adaptation of Mantiq al-Tair, the effects of conforming to Mantiq al-Tair’s atmosphere in the general formation of the new work cannot be neglected. During the transfer, Mantiq al-Tair’s atmosphere, which is mystical-didactic, has been reduced to a moral-didactic one in The Conference of the Birds; a kind of description and confirmation that the author has adopted in recreating that great classic work taking into account the target audience and the circumstances. Thus, metatextual relations between The Conference of the Birds and Mantiq al-Tair are formed based on the main story. Architextuality is the relationship between a work and the generic category to which it belongs. The genre of Mantiq al-Tair and The Conference of the Birds can be viewed from two perspectives: one is the genre of mystical epic, and the other is the sub-genre of Risalat al-Tair, a branch of didactic genre. The epic genre has indeed been transferred to The Conference of the Birds and has turned it to a didactic epic; however, the format of the new work has changed from a poetic story to a prose one. This part is one of the aspects that Genette's transtextuality considers it to be weak in terms of architextual relationship. Hypertextuality is a relationship based on the adaptation of text B from text A; which is divided into two types of transformation or imitation. From imitation view, the plot and structure of the work can be considered an imitation of the original plot and style of Attar's Mantiq al-Tair. This imitative plot, which forms the plot of Mantiq al-Tair, has been rewritten for children and adolescent audience. Reducing the volume, adding imaginative illustrations, and reducing the mystical dimension could be considered as instances of transformation. Accordingly, by exploring Genette's transtextuality, different dimensions of textual relationships can be examined which have even been created at various geographical boundaries and over different times; though some criticisms are leveled against this model by reader-oriented and systematic analysis approaches.

Scientific-research

Notes on Recording of Some Words and Phrases of Tazkirat al-Awliya

Seyed Mahdi Tabatabaei

Volume 12, Issue 22 , September 2020, Pages 117-137

https://doi.org/10.22051/jml.2020.32422.2035

Abstract

Mystical memoirs are among the most valuable treasures that contain pure essences of great Sufis’ lives. Among these works, Attar's Tazkirat al-Awliya holds a special place since ... Read More Mystical memoirs are among the most valuable treasures that contain pure essences of great Sufis’ lives. Among these works, Attar's Tazkirat al-Awliya holds a special place since it is one of the leading works written in Persian on the subject, and its author is considered one of the most prominent poets and writers of the sixth and seventh centuries (AH). Besides the mystical content of Tazkerit al-Awliya, the book’s prose form has attracted the attention of researchers. In the last century, two important corrections of the book have been carried out; the first of which was published by Reynold Allen Nicholson in 1332 (AH), and the next one by Mohammad Reza Shafiee-Kadkani, which was published in 1398 (AH) after forty years of efforts. Shafiee's correction of Tazkirat al-Awliya, due to the eminent position of the corrector in the field of contemporary mystical studies, laid the ground for further research. The method employed by Shafiee Kadkani is correction based on the base manuscript. In the correction of the first part, since no sole manuscript could be the basis of critical correction, five highly original and ancient manuscripts (Nafiz Pasha, Qastamuni, Kiliç Ali Pasha, Hazrat Khalid, and the Konya Museum) were used as "base manuscripts". In correcting the second part of the book, the manuscript “Ayasofya" has been considered as the base and Berlin 581 and Shahid Ali Pasha manuscripts as the variant manuscripts. The corrector acknowledges that in the correction, the criterion of "the most frequent" has been considered, and a manuscript has been used as the base manuscript, which is given "overlapping" priority; even if in some cases there is omitting or misreading by the scribe. Accordingly, there are defects in the manuscript considered as the base plus misreading and inaccurate reporting by the corrector which have intensified the shortcomings. One of the biggest problems in correcting Tazkirat al-Awliya is that there exist two separate writings; the first one was written by Attar describing the lives of 72 great figures of Sufism and mysticism. The ancient handwritten manuscripts of Tazkirat al-Awliya include the same 72 chapters. In the other written version, chapters have been added with the title “Remembering the late Sufi elders”, which contain the states and sayings of 25 mystics of the fourth and fifth centuries. Some scholars do not consider Attar as the author of the second version, and believe that this part was added to the memoir after the tenth century; others believe that Attar came to this conclusion after a while that there were other figures missing in the book. So, he wrote about their manners afterwards. This has led to the existence of different versions of Tazkirat al-Awliya with different inscriptions; which makes the correction incoherent. Deploying a descriptive-analytical method, the present library-based study aims to provide suggestions on how some certain words and phrases of this correction could be recorded. In view of that, Shafiee-Kadkani’s correction was compared with Nicholson's and other existing editions and the texts’ ambiguities were juxtaposed with old and authentic manuscripts of Tazkerat al-Awliya, which had been used in Shafiee-Kadkani’s correction. Then, suggestions with regard to recording of some words and phrases of Tazkirat al-Awliya and their meanings were offered via providing exemplary evidence from Persian literary texts. It seems that the following cases are among the most important issues that have caused problems in accurate recording and reporting of the text of Tazkirat al-Awliya: Lack of fidelity to the base manuscripts and, consequently, omitting and adding letters and words to convey the desired meaning of the text; Carelessness of the scribes in writing the manuscripts as well as their poor literacy; Inattention to adjusting parts of Tazkirat al-Awliya to other mystical texts; Lack of attention to the corrections made to the manuscripts by the scribe or someone else; Ignoring the variant manuscripts that could occasionally be found in the margins of the manuscripts; Editors' lack of accuracy and care in recording of the words’ spelling and the general meaning of phrases; Orthographic similarity of some Persian letters of alphabet as well as their form of writing by the scribes; Passage of time and the damages done to the manuscripts.

Scientific-research

Existence and Death in the Light of Attar's Intuitive Experiences

Homayun Jamshidian; Leila Nowruzpur; Maysam Sadighi

Volume 12, Issue 22 , September 2020, Pages 139-161

https://doi.org/10.22051/jml.2021.32755.2077

Abstract

Death has always been an important matter in human history. Everyone takes a stance on it based on his/her epistemological and ontological orientation and reaches psychological state, ... Read More Death has always been an important matter in human history. Everyone takes a stance on it based on his/her epistemological and ontological orientation and reaches psychological state, emotions and lifestyle as a result of essential beliefs in it. Some do not believe in the life after death; some feel afraid of it; and others, like Socrates, see the soul of the real philosopher as longing fordeath. Some have considered the grief over death to be unwise, because no one will ever experience death in life. According to some, the grief over death is pointless because we live a short life and would return to nonexistence before we realize it. Obviously, such an idea is based on the assumption that there is no world after death. In addition to these perceptions of death, differences could also be seen in the views of religious people. In Ashʿari theology, the man, despite piety, restlessly feels afraid of the “final moment”. In contrast, the intuitionists, and here Attar, basically have an approach to death which is the result of revelation; not just knowing and believing, and this is derived from their intuitive epistemology and ontology. Attar's view of existence and death is based on intuitive experience. These experiences emanate from man's encounter with the hidden layer of the universe. Attar maintains that intuitive perception is attained only through the language of dreams or the language of deep reflection. How existence has been depicted in Attar’s intuitive experiences and the impact this view has on the perception of death are the main problems of this article. To answer the question, Attar's Masnavies that both explain his mystical teachings and represent his states were analyzed. The results showed that Attar's attitude towards death emanates from his intuition-based epistemological and ontological view. Intuition is one of the means of acquiring recognition which is achieved via facing the depth or hidden layer of the universe. His works show that without intuition there would be no way to reach the truth of existence and death. Ontologically, in contrast to the tangible and material world, which appears to be dreams and fantasies, there are many other worlds whose components, like tangible components of this world, move towards God passionately and with great love; the spiritual world and the world after death is buried below the surface of this world. According to Attar, existents in the universe apparently do their destined physical affairs but inwardly they yearn for moving towards the origin of the universe. Humans are generally caught in a mirage. The one who reaches the treasure at depth of the sea of the world will see God as a shining sun in this world. In the form of the allegory of Ayaz and the Sultan, the loving face of the Sultan is depicted, which is revealed only in intuition and by "leaving the number". God, the world and man are united. With such an attitude to existence, with death, the part reaches the whole and becomes the whole that was once separated from Him by form. Death can be experienced through quasi-death experiences like annihilation, the self-manifestation of God, and the experience of the state of resurrection in this world; such experiences is feasible for almost everyone. Some intuitive images of the mystic's encounter with death and eternal life are: appearance of the sun from nowhere, increase of light with death, feeling the sun inside, eating the sun, landing of the sun, and fading the dew in the sea. Mystics seem to live in two worlds simultaneously. Individuals will be able to have such experiences based on their efforts to transcend the external senses. Such an attitude will be effective in reducing the boredom of mundane life and giving meaning to existence and death. Death is not a tragic event at the end of life as mystics keep experiencing it in various forms in this world. Such an attitude is supported in Qur’an, the stories of the prophets, and the stories and experiences of the mystics. The man’s destiny is not separate from existence. Before self-purification, man, depending on the level of the universe, becomes enchanted by the light reflected from the sun, i.e. God, while he himself is a part of the light and like all existents is moving towards the source of light. In this view, with death, man goes to the whole as a part of it. Since God is light and has breathed from his soul into man, then return is the return of light to light. Such an attitude towards existence and death removes the boredom and gives life and death a different meaning. The exquisiteness of death experience is possible only through the intuitive understanding of the universe. In light of the intuitive experience of existence, death takes on a different color, and not only is its dreadfulness removed, but also it becomes a desirable thing and a prelude to a blissful union; which is what the mystics yearn for in their life.

Scientific-research

Convergence of Two Jurisprudential and Theosophical Discourses in Hadiqah al-Haqiqah, Mantiq al-Tair and Masnavi Ma’navi

Abdiman Mohaghegh; Habib Ollah Abbasi

Volume 12, Issue 22 , September 2020, Pages 163-188

https://doi.org/10.22051/jml.2020.31757.1975

Abstract

In Statement of the Problem, we refer to the meaning of jurisprudence and its role in Islam. Jurisprudence means knowledge in general and knowledge of Islamic rules in particular, which ... Read More In Statement of the Problem, we refer to the meaning of jurisprudence and its role in Islam. Jurisprudence means knowledge in general and knowledge of Islamic rules in particular, which is known as minor jurisprudence and is generally divided into Imamiyya or special jurisprudence and Sunni and Jama'at or public jurisprudence; each of these two branches has several subdivisions. In general, faqih means scientist, as Iranians usually call the community of faqihs scholars or people of science. It could be inferred that where Shams Tabrizi said to Rumi, “leave science and pursue insight” he meant abandon the science of jurisprudence and become a Sufi. In general, independent publications relevant to the subject of this article were not found among Persian books and articles; however, concerning certain subjects, some writings and articles have been printed, such as Molavi Nameh by Jalaluddin Homayi which discusses nine jurisprudential headings mentioned in Masnavi. Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob also refers to the jurisprudential characteristic of Rumi in his book Serre Ney. Mohammad Reza Shafiei Kadkani in his articles "Sufi jurisprudence" and "Sufi Hajj", in the book The Language of Poetry in Sufi Prose, has talked about the issues of jurisprudence in the speeches of Sufis. Also, the articles "The function of jurisprudential discourse in Masnavi Ma’navi" written by Habibollah Abbasi and Gholam Ali Fallah; "The relationship between jurisprudence, ethics and theosophy" by Morteza Javadi Amoli; and "Introduction to the influence of Sufism from jurisprudence" by Hadi Adalatpour show the deployment of jurisprudential concepts by Sufis in their works. Nonetheless, they do not make a mention of the interaction of discourses or discourse transformation, and their points of discussion in these three Masnavies are not the concern of the present article either. The research method adopted in this study is a descriptive-analytical one, relying on the theory of discourse analysis, and it is delimited to three anecdotes about “judgeship” and “judge” and some jurisprudential terms that have been used in all three Masnavies. The Discussion section begins with an explanation of “discourse”; continues with a study of theosophical poetry and a brief reference to its history; and finally focuses on the triad of Persian theosophical poetry wonders, namely Sanai Ghaznavi, Attar Neyshabouri and Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi with references to their biography and works. Explanations have also been provided about the three Masnavies, Hadiqah al-Haqiqah, Mantiq al-Tair and Masnavi Ma’navi. All three theosophical Masnavies, which are the subject of this article, have been composed by poets who deployed a variety of discourses; these discourses both embody the mentality of the poets and display the nature of religious, social and political interactions of their era. Besides the theosophical discourse, which is the dominant discourse, one of the main discourses used in these Masnavies is the jurisprudential discourse which has a prominent and important presence. The jurisprudential sub-discourse in all three Masnavies often turns into a theosophical discourse in interaction with the theosophical discourse. This change does not occur due to the difference or conflict between the two discourses, but in tandem, convergence, and interaction with the jurisprudential discourse in the theosophical discourse. In some cases, it becomes a theosophical discourse, and in some cases, it retains its jurisprudential characteristic and is used only to prove theosophical content. Based on this, we traced the process of interaction and transformation of jurisprudential and theosophical discourse in Hadiqah al-Haqiqah, Mantiq al-Tair and Masnavi Ma’navi via examining three anecdotes with the jurisprudential themes of “judgeship” and “judge”. An anecdote about the justice of kings from Hadiqah, the anecdote about the mystic Vaseti in a Jewish cemetery from Mantiq al-Tair, and the anecdote of a judge complaining and arguing with his deputy about the difficulty of the job of judiciary from Masnavi Ma’navi were selected and analyzed and the process of discourse transformation from jurisprudence to theosophy was explained. Also, the four jurisprudential terms of purity, peace, Hajj (pilgrimage) and repentance, which have been used in all the three Masnavies, were selected and their relevant verses were extracted and analyzed, and their process of discourse interactions was explained briefly. After analyzing the anecdotes and the aforementioned jurisprudential terms, the findings of the study were explained. It was shown that both jurisprudential and theosophical discourses represent a different view of existence as well as a different interpretation of its events. This difference in the orientation of these two discourses with that of Sharia institution and its premises causes the identification and distinction of these two discourses. For example, the jurist's view of religion and its categories is like a biologist's view of a cypress tree, but the Sufi approach to theology is an artistic one resembling a painter's look towards the beauties of a cypress tree. In this article, we observed the varied encounters of jurists and mystics with religious phenomena. Relying on his intuitive knowledge, the mystic presents a new reading of religious concepts, adopted from the reading of the jurist, which indicates the interaction between and convergence of jurisprudential and theosophical discourses. We have also observed that as we move from the stage of development of theosophical poetry to the stage of its elevation and evolution, this convergence of discourses becomes more artistic. As Rumi was both a jurist and a perfect Sufi, he has displayed the issue of discourse interaction or transformation in his Masnavi in a more literary and artistic way.

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Volume & Issue: Volume 12, Issue 22, September 2020, Pages 7-188

Re-reading of Mystical Anecdotes of Asrar al-Tawhid through Positive Psychology Approach

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A Study on Narrative Structure of Fi Haqiqat al-'Ishq (On the Reality of Love) Treatise by Suhrawardi

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Studying the Inexpressibility Obstacles of Mystical Experiences in Masnavies by Attar (Ilahi-Nama, Mantiq al-Tair, Mosibat-Nama)

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Analysis of Transtextual relation between The Conference of the Birds by Peter Sis and Attar's Mantiq al-Tair

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Notes on Recording of Some Words and Phrases of Tazkirat al-Awliya

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Existence and Death in the Light of Attar's Intuitive Experiences

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Convergence of Two Jurisprudential and Theosophical Discourses in Hadiqah al-Haqiqah, Mantiq al-Tair and Masnavi Ma’navi

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