Mytho-Mystic Literature
Year:2010 | Volume:6 | Issue:19|Papers Count:7

In Islamic mysticism, the idea of “silence” refers to a method of meditation and is means for purification of the carnal soul. In Persian language ' Khamush', meaning silent, mute, or quite, is a word which Mawlānā Jālāl al-Din Balkhi frequently used in his poetry. In Divān-e-Shams, hundreds of odes end with ' khamush'. Some scholars are of the opinion that Mawlānā used nom de plume ' Khamush' in his poetry, hence the numerous references are made to the word ' Khamush' at the end of his odes.And some scholars believe that Shams-e Tabrizi tought the art of “silence” to Mawlānā that helped him change from a respected professor of theology into a lover of God.

Muslim mystics believe that true understanding is the lifting of the veils that obscure the face of the heart. Also, they believe that unveiling is a mode of knowledge superior to reason.Mohammad Lahiji (d.912/1506), the Persian mystic, in Sharh-e Gulshan-e Rāz, a commentary on the Gulshan-e Rāz of Mahmud Shabestari, speaks about his ten unveilings. In this article these unveilings are analyzed in the light of Islamic mysticism.

In Islamic architecture the tombs, esp. those of the mystics’, are the most noteworthy architectural constructs next to mosques. Nearly all these mausoleums have some type of surface inscription in the stone, stucco, marble, mosaic and/or painting; and specific verses from Quran or poems from famous poets are inscribed according to the functions of architectural elements.The present article tries to study the influence of Islamic mysticism in inscriptions of the tomb of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Is' haq Ardebili (1252-1334), eponym of the Safavid dynasty, based on Safvat as-safā, a hagiography of Sheikh Safi, written by Ebn Bazzāz (d.1391-2), a disciple of Safi ad-Din's son and successor, Sadr al-Dīn Mūsā.

Tazkirat al-Awliyā, written by Farīd ud-Dīn Attār (1145-1221) is a book about the life of famous Sufis and their miraculous deeds (Karāmāts). The miracles performed by saints and mentioned by Attār are categorized in the present article which attempts to study the relationship between the Karāmāts and miracles of the prophets.

Ferdowsi is accused of being anti-women. Likewise, similar attitudes and trends are detected in ancient Greek.By considering Persian and Greek myths, and based on a comparative study, the present article attempts to study the role of woman in Shahnāmeh and Iliad and Odyssey.

Garshāsbnāmeh (the epic of Garshāsb) is the major work of Abu Mansur Ali ibn Ahmad Asadi Tusi (died 1072) containing 9000 couplets (written 1064-66).Based on Vladimir Propp's morphology, the present article tries to analyze three stories of this epic and show their likeness.

According to the teachings of Sufism, a Sufi needs two journeys, the external (Seire Aafaq) in which he travels on earth, and the internal (Seire Anfos) that leads to the purification of his heart and makes him eligible to receive the Divine grace. The external journey (Seire Aafaq) is rooted in the teachings of Quran and the prophetic saying (hadith) whose manifestations are the rites of Haj and pilgrimage.The present article attempts to show the various aspects of Seire Aafaq among Sufis.