Mystical Literature
Year:2011 | Volume:2 | Issue:3|Papers Count:8

Mystical interpretation is an approach applied by the commentators of the Qur’an to disclose its esoteric meaning. The main feature of this approach that dates back to pre-Islamic religious texts is emphasis on the esoteric and symbolic interpretation. Sufis and Gnostics, based on their intuitions, observations, and their mystic knowledge, interpreted the Qur’an in a distinct manner from other commentators.Josef is one of the most mystically interpreted surah s. In this inquiry, ten of these interpretations are being treated from a mystical approach and the transformation of mystical outlook is being considered. The results indicate that while the commentators had applied both theoretical and practical mysticism approaches to the interpretation of the surah, they had profited more from the religious texts prior to the Qur’an and even sometimes had provided interpretations based on their mystical tastings. The interpretations provided of the surah up to the seventh century were based on asceticism and religious Law, however, later the teachings of Ibn Arabi and the effect he left among his followers raised the attention of commentators to esoteric interpretation.

This article aims at discussing the manifestation of Hadith-e Avael in some Persian literary and Gnostic texts. Hadith-e Avael includes three narrations, including the Pen, Intellect, and Prophet's light, that have been widely manifested in texts of Prophetic tradition, interpretation, philosophy, and Gnostic literature. In the three first types, the focus is on the first creation of God and its derivation from the One. In the last type, intuitive interpretation mainly based on the prophetic light (Hadith) and the First Intellect is reflected in prose and poetry. Persian mystical poets and writers have narrated this Hadith by means of allusion, metaphor, and simile and in some cases have gone beyond these literary phraseologies and have made allegorical narratives by personification of the Intellect.

This inquiry examines Attar’s reflections on fear of death as a major concern for all human beings. Fear of death may originate from the belief in the Hereafter where the consequences of deeds are revealed or because of loneliness. The fear and anxiety may increase as a result of weak faith, commitment of sins, and the terror of the long way to resurrection and encountering the Justice. Attar mentions several reasons that lead to this fear, particularly being an unknown and puzzling phenomenon. Nonetheless, he believes that this fear can be overcome by considering this worldly life as a realm of preparation for the Hereafter, a fact that gives sense and meaning to life. His approach to death is distinguished from normal people’s standpoint, for him death is a bridge for the connection of the devoted lover to the Beloved. Finally, Attar’s ideas on the benefits of death remembrance will be mentioned.

Dream as a spiritual experience is a common mean of expression among Gnostics. The wakefulness impossibilities can be realized in dream. Gnostics express their moral, educational, religious, spiritual, and personal observations and opinions through dreams and particularly they lofty wishes are reflected in them. Vision of God is one of these wishes often appeared in their dreams and quoted as their spiritual experience. In these experiences, the dreamer claims the perception of God’s sight or voice. Psychologists maintain that the observed sight is one of the imaginary and symbolic aspects of the dreamer’s unconsciousness that has reached the level of consciousness by dreaming. However, Gnostics’ interpretations are different. This inquiry is an attempt to study their diverse interpretations and to determine the validity of their vision of God based on the stated dreams in Atar's Tazkarata al-Uliya (6th century) and Jami's Nafahat al-Uns (9th century).

This inquiry aims at comparing opinions of Francis Bacon and Maulana Jalal al-Din on ‘errors of thought’. This term refers to false thoughts that according to ancient and contemporary philosophers, and many poets of Islamic world should be identified to avoid wrong judgments. Firstly, the definition of these errors according to the philosopher Francis Bacon will be provided. He coined the term ‘idols of the mind’ to refer to these errors. Then, the obstacles created by these errors in the way of genuine research and true judgment will be explained. Finally, Francis Bacon’s ideas on these errors will be compared to the ideas of Maulana in Mathnavi, and the similarities and differences between them will be examined.

In this article by analyzing the rhetorical images in Shams-e Tabrizi’s Maqalat, his thought coherence beyond the inconsistent appearance of the text and the mystery behind his language influence will be unraveled. Moreover, the uniqueness of his character and his Maqalat in the history of Sufism and specifically among sufi prose texts will be illustrated. In this respect, the highly frequent rhetorical devices such as allegory, metaphor, symbol, and paradox will be pinpointed as the common ground between Maqalat and the Persian mystical proses prior to it. Then, the uniqueness of the text regarding the ironic language and attitude of Shams will be highlighted. In addition, after providing irony’s definition, its different types, and features, the ironic outlook of Shams to his contemporary discourses and social institutions, and finally irony’s function in Maqalat will be elaborated.

Mystical journey is one of the most distinguished paths taken consciously by the seeker to achieve self-knowledge. Its goal is crystal-clear from the beginning and its stages and steps are determined. The seeker overcomes the difficulties of the path by the teachings of a wise and sage spiritual master (learned Pir)3, and at the end achieves Unity. This process can be compared with Jung’s archetype of ‘individuation’. However, it should be noted that Jung’s process of ‘individuation’ is completely unconscious and is being deducted from his studies on dreams, myths, and legends. In contrary to ‘individuation’ which has a simple structure, mystical journey is taken consciously and its stages and steps are precise and accurate. However, its general framework is identical to the framework offered by Jung for the archetype of ‘individuation’. It is the very reason that makes the comparative analysis and the distinction of their similarities and differences possible.