Mystical Literature
Year:2012 | Volume:3 | Issue:5|Papers Count:7

Islamic Gnosticism, due to its purpose and goal, is a notion focused on recognition, awareness and intuition. In general, it is a process toward superego to achieve evident hierophanic knowledge of epiphanic phenomena. This provides an active and appropriate background to review the cognitive events from phenomenological perspectives. This study, thus, is going to deal with some aspects of this fact that are ‘ intentionality, ‘ reduction’ and the relationship between objective and subjective aspects which are considered as ‘ union’ and ‘ separation’ in Ruzbahān’ s Gnosticism. The attempt is to pinpoint the potentials of Islamic Gnosticism, especially cognitive role of Gnostic epiphany in accordance with Ruzbahān’ s standpoints. Finally, on the basis of philosophy and Gnosticism, new conclusions and findings are derived.

The truth of Human being according to Ibn Arabī is heart (qalb) that enslaves all man's inner and outer potentialities. Heart is the perfect manifestation of God with all its attributes, such as the First and the Last, the Apparent and the Hidden. As God has no limits, heart also has no limitation and true definition. Heart is an embracing truth whose soul is the perfection of aptitude, whose secret is the Exalted Divine Truth, whose bodily form is the heart pineal, and whose real form is the perfect man. The heart of the perfect man is the absolute Throne for the absolute Qur’ an. Ibn Arabī in his interpretation of a Qur’ anic verse calls the Prophet Mohammad's heart the Blessed Night (laylat al-qadr) to whom Qur’ an was revealed to. In this paper, Ibn Arabī point of view on Heart and its properties are analysed.

Savāneh al-Oshāq written by Ahmad Qazzāli is the first Persian book allocated to love. It is a collection of the author’ s own theories about love, the lover and the beloved, and their relationship. It influenced many works written after. One of the most important aspects of this text is its structure that to the best of our knowledge has not been studied so far. Therefore, this inquiry focuses on its structure. Structuralism, by finding a logical relation between smaller parts in a text and their relation to the whole body of the text, indicates the solidarity or irregularity of a literary work. In this paper, the application of lexis and concepts in the whole structure of the text are analysed. The results show that it has a circular structure and therefore the beginning and the end of the text share similar features. Moreover, we came upon the effect of metaphysical forces and divine concepts on the circular structure of Savāneh al-Oshāq.

Chandarbahan Brahman was born in 1023 A. H. in Lahore. The companionship of Darashokuh led him to moral elevation, Gnosticism and mysticism. His collection of poetry (divan) overflow with mystical expressions and his book Chahārchaman is the expression of mystical concepts, love for God and the negligence of worldly attachments. Following the death of Darashokuh, Brahman left Delhi for Banaras and passed away in the year 1073 A. H. . The literary works left of him are such as Chahārchaman, Goldasteh, Kārnāmeh, a collection of his poems (divan), Monsh, Tohfat-al-Vozarā, Majma-al-Vozarā etc. Brahman was a poet, a calligraphist and a writer who enjoyed the company of his contemporary mystics, poets, calligraphists and writers. His rhythmical prose is a reminder of Sadi’ s Golestā n. The language of his poems is simple and is furnished with beautiful similes and metaphors. Its content is the description of love, compassion, trust, volition and Unity of Being stated in a mystical tone. In this article, besides providing a brief summary of Brahman’ s life and his companion Chaharchaman, the features of Gnosticism, mysticism and knowledge (about God) in Brahman’ s collection of poetry are discussed.

The term ‘ fixed essences’ was coined by Muhyiddīn Ibn Arabī. It was further used by his followers one of whom can be named as Sheikh Mahmoud Shabetarī. The term refers to the Divine names and the truth of external objects. In other words, they stand as a medium between God and the tangible world. When God’ s divine will for the creation of the world and its creatures was settled, it was primarily manifested to the ‘ fixed essences’ and then the universe and the creatures came into existence of the material world. Shabestarī, based on the ideas of Sheikh Akbar, and by applying his tools of expression and allegories, tried to define the spirit of the ‘ fixed essences’ . This paper is based on the readings of five exegetes’ attempts to describe the fixed essences in 1000 couplet of Golshan-e Rāz and then it tries to compare them to Sheikh Akbar's viewpoints.

A recurring subject in mystical literature is the study of mystical literatures’ common symbols. The commonality of symbols cannot be due to but the existence of a unique archetype which has a unique manifestation in diverse traditions. One of such symbols is ‘ the loss of feathers’ . It has two main significances, one is the renunciation of temporal power which is the prerequisite of acceptance of the divine world, and another is the loss of the spiritual power and, in its wake, the fall caused by indolence in spiritual practice and indulgence in passion. Instances of the latter may be found in mystical and spiritual literature of the Hindus, Greeks, Arabs and Persians, and as such can be presented as a common symbol in literature, religion and beyond it, that is, the unique Truth from which all religions spring forth.