Mystical Literature
Year:2021 | Volume:13 | Issue:24|Papers Count:6

In the field of Islamic mysticism, Abu Sa’ id Abu al-Kheir is a leading figure who has paid special attention in his speech, disposition and thought to human beings and their concerns, and has consolidated his mystical system accordingly. Such an attitude is reflected in the school of humanistic psychology, of which Abraham Maslow is the most prominent theorist. His attention to the man’ s well-being has led to his theory of self-actualization. One of the characteristics of selfactualized individuals described by Maslow is “ populist disposition structure” . In this regard, the purpose of this study, which is based on library resources and descriptive-analytical research method, is to study and analyze populist structures in the practical and intellectual life of Abu Sa’ id Abu al-Kheir via adopting Abraham Maslow’ s theory of self-actualization. The results of the research show that Meihana spiritual guide disregarded conventional preconceptions in his interactions with people, and only considered basic human concepts as criteria for distinguishing between flourishing and immature people. Being well aware of the existing scientific and cognitive limitations, he had chosen to associate with scientific, religious and political elites; which was effective in strengthening his spiritual character and popular base. Also, Abu Sa’ id's explication of a new valuation system based on epistemological and non-tangible issues had made people interested in his sermons and moral advice. The outstanding feature of sheikh's interpersonal relationships was that he sought to identify himself with the common people and did not display any feelings of superiority.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the role of counterdiscourse in strengthening, consolidating and reconstructing the meaning of a sign or deconstructing the discourse signs of another related discourse. Through explaining the linguistic and semiotic mechanism of the text from counter-discourse viewpoint, this study seeks to examine the ways by which different discourses interact and compete with each other. Furthermore, it attempts to explain the way meaning is produced, transformed, or confirmed by discovering the nodal points of the discourse. Counter-discourse creates a situation in which each discourse interacts with or challenges another discourse and gains confirmation through its support. In the present study, the functions of counter-discourse in shaping signification and the process of meaning-formation have been revisited. The main question of the research is how and by what means the Counter-discourse in Sheikh Sanan story (in Attar’ s Mantiq al-Tair) are representing the interactions and competitions between different discourses. For this purpose, the present study, via adopting a descriptive-analytical approach and qualitative discourse analysis method, explains the elements and components that act as counter-discourse in the story and aid the main idea of the story to be supported and expanded. The findings show that this story uses various kinds of counter-discourse such as referential simulation, narration, metaphor, intricacy, delegation, questioning, action suspension, evidentially, actor revival, supernatural wonders or miraculous acts, and anti and transcendence discourses; through which it has supported and affirmed the main discourse of the story.

A significant part of Hafez's poetry is the product of complex mystical experiences and the poet uses a variety of rhetorical devices in their linguistic formulation. Therefore, these two factors complicate Hafez's poetry. The mystical experiences of Hafez are more evident in his intensive narrative sonnets and due to the excessive compactness of these narratives, and the inherent fluidity of intuitive experiences, serious complications arise in the meaning and form of these sonnets despite their simple language. The sonnet 423 starting with the verse: “ Last night, to the door of the wine-house, I went, sleep-stained; the Khirka wet in skirt, and prayer-mat, wine-stained” is one of these cases. This sonnet, though covertly, reports the stage of transformation from “ ascetic mysticism” into “ romantic mysticism” . In the form of narration, especially in the symbolic characterization of “ Moghbacheh” and the conversation between him and the narrator, the literary and mystical norms of the tradition of Qalandari poetry have been violated. This character— a tavern master who often provokes the pious seeker to enter the tavern in Qalandari poetry— appears in a new role in this sonnet and rebukes the narrator for entering the tavern and drinking wine and making love to the boys. The question addressed is how we can place this sonnet within the tradition of Qalandari poetry and save the sonnet from semantic and formal contradictions. Adopting a semantic-structural reading and interpretive method, we try to untie the knot and prove that this sonnet is a continuation of the same tradition of Qalandari sonnets and the intellectual doctrine of Hafez. The poet, by manipulating the literary tradition, has achieved a narrative and artistic construction of the same ideas and through creating semantic and formal ambiguities has made it open to multiple readings.

If we consider spiritual journey (Solouk) as a set of life practices against the epistemological content of intuition (Shohoud), which is used to explain the system of existence and knowledge of the truth, then we can talk about the relationship between these two in the mysticism of great mystics such as Rumi. In this article, via adopting interpretive method, we have tried to show the way mystical characteristics of a mystic like Rumi are in accordance with his intuitive epistemological characteristics. Accordingly, we have studied various dimensions of this relationship with regard to two areas: first, the truth of intuition and second, the epistemological quality of intuition. In Rumi's mysticism, purifying the soul with practices such as devotional worship, in form of prayer and remembrance (Zekr), and following the Divine Law (Shari'a) are considered vitally important. In addition to these matters, according to the spiritual statuses of different ranks of individuals, the quality of intuition enjoys different degrees too. This claim can be supported in Rumi's mysticism by mentioning the characteristics of his mystic manners and intuition and revealing their correspondence and appropriateness. For example, in Rumi's mysticism, the piety and purity of the seeker of the path of God (Salek) is essential for connecting with the divine source of intuition, and eventually leads to the truth of intuition. Regarding the epistemological quality of intuition, the most important examples are the congruence between Rumi's rejection of permanent and essential correlation between cause and effect; his disregard for established customs and traditions; plus his non-adherence to Sufi formalism in conduct and his intuitive view that the universe is not bound by fixed and necessary causes. Another example is the correspondence between a lover’ s romantic spiritual journey and the divine intuition along with the romantic will in the universe, to which Rumi has paid much attention. In fact, describing the main features of Rumi's spiritual journey and intuition and putting them in relation to each other, as an interrelated whole, would depict the congruity between them.

Mega-metaphors or central images, as propositions, contain profound thoughts originated from the mystic's personal experiences. Hence, decoding and clarifying the secondary meanings of these megametaphors will help to have a closer look at the mystic's worldview. These epistemological images can be represented in both superficial and intuitive levels. The present study aims to explore the connection between sun and the philosophical and mythological concepts (Active Intellect and Light of the Lights), on the one hand, and some other images like Simurgh, tree, Keykhosro, and Pir (Wise Man), on the other hand, and to explicate the function of sun image as a symbol that has become unified with meaning. One of the findings of this descriptive-analytical research is that it is the intuitive representation of the sun phenomenon which makes Suhrawardi’ s symbolic stories distinct. This makes the sun transcend the language levels and turn into a conceptual perception. This study also sheds light on the interconnection between image and meaning in Suhrawardi's intellectual and linguistic doctrine and presents two key findings: first, the images create meanings and not the other way round; second, phenomenal images create a mutual identity between the mental perception and the outside object. Therefore, in addition to being elusive and convoluted, such images are unconditional and ever changing, and are deployed for diverse meanings.

Focusing on the self and self-recognition, as well as paying attention to the sacred self, are among the topics that link mysticism and Sufism with psychology. Western researchers of Sufism have used comparative studies and diverse research approaches and methodologies in the study of mystical texts. Psychology is one of the sciences and tools that these researchers have used in their mystical analyses. Orientalists have proposed a new approach to Sufi studies resting on psychological and psychoanalytical principles found in Sufi texts. The present study aims at analyzing and critiquing the translated works of Western researchers who have studied mysticism and Sufism adopting a psychological approach. A careful examination of their studies reveals that the subconscious mind; symbol and the issue of interpretation (ta’ vil) along with the concept of “ individuation” in Jungian psychology; attention to the “ flourishing self” in the psychology of transcendence; plus focus on the principle of concentration during mystical worship are among the most important psychological approaches of Orientalists’ mystical studies. The findings of the study show that a large number of Orientalist studies have focused on the process of Sufi “ remembrance” and “ meditation” and the mystic's attempt in reaching the heavenly-self. Sufi researchers’ purposes and understanding of the mystics’ psychological and psychoanalytical approaches are not necessarily and exclusively limited to modern psychology and psychotherapeutic schools of later centuries, and their main effort— due to the focus of Iranian mystics on the soul— are more inclined to “ soul-searching” . On the other hand, in a small proportion of their studies, they believe in the compatibility of mystical teachings with modern schools of psychology, and have analyzed and critiqued the works accordingly.