نشریه مطالعات عرفانی
پیاپی 16 (پاییز و زمستان 1391)

The current article aims at reviewing and correcting some difficult and obscure words in Description of Shathyyāt written by Roozbehān Baqali. Similar to the mystic texts، this book is found to use technical writing style which causes it to be one of the complicated mystic passages. Some complexities of this book، however، are assumed to be originated in errors and inaccuracies of text. A Comparative study of these words on the basis of in-text signs may result in correction of these forms. As Roozbehān was obsessed with Islamic cultural heritage، such sources as Qurānic verses، Hadiths and famous narrations can also be applied to correct errors in Descritption of Shathyyāt. Employing comparative and subjective approach، the present study analyzes and corrects some difficult words of this book، and then defines them. The most significant origin of complexities in the book is detected to be writing/reading errors. If more thorough versions are found، these difficulties in interpretation of text will be removed. By that time، every reference to this book requires many corrections.

Number 28 is a code related to 28-day cycle of moon which is highly reflected in Ibn ‘Arabi’s viewpoint. Most aspects of Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought are affected by this code. In his works، Ibn ‘Arabi has attempted to decode this number and express its effect on celestial and divine aspects of human. This is mostly revealed in Fusous al-Hikam (=Seals of Wisdom) which was presented in 28 chapter on the basis of levels of existence. Each level of existence is formed based on a divine person that is symbol of one of the divine names. So، the relationship between that perfect man and his relevant level of existence is required to be observed. Ibn ‘Arabi’s cosmological knowledge and his examination of the relationship between words and numbers result in specific situation. The present study sought to investigate one aspect of Ibn ‘Arabi’s examination of number and words as related to comparison of moon and perfect man.

One of the most frequent topics in discourse on Sufism is presumed to be stories about Kerāmāts of Sufis. The first step for reading these stories is presenting a classification based on theme and frequency of stories. Persian texts on Sufism do not seem to include any comprehensive and scientific category of Kerāmāts (Sufis Extraordinary Actions). Instead، these texts are found to introduce some limited types of Kerāmāts. The findings of this study reveal that stories about Kerāmāts of mystics in discourse on Sufism، written up to the 7th century AH، can be categorized into 21 groups and 15 subgroups. While the most frequent theme in these stories was found to be “knowledge of unseen”، the least common appeared to be “corpse walking on air”.

As it can be observed in the history of Iran، most of the great scholars in different branches of science are oriented toward mysticism. One of those scholars was Bahā al‐Din Muhammad Āmili (Sheykh Bahāyi)، a scholar، philosopher، Faqih (expert in Fiqh)، exegete، Muhaddith (Hadith expert) and poet in 10th century AH. Though Safavid dynasty originated from a mystical order، people in this era did not appreciate Sufism. Still، Sheykh Bahāyi and some other scholars of time were assumed to have profound mystical and pietical tendencies. While his poems appear to be less noteworthy as compared to his extensive knowledge in different branches of science، mystical aspect of Sheykh Bahāyi is principally reflected in his poems. This fact may be rooted in the history of Iranian poetry and mysticism. Devoid of some exceptions، unconscious mind of the public in Iran expect mysticism and poetry to coincide. Sheykh Bahāyi was a significant، respectful character in Safavid court. Meantime، he was proficient in all facets of science in his time. He also has deep mystical tendencies similar to those found in senior religious officials. All these characteristics were properly collected in this personality. Although his mysticism was not independent، it was an amorous، roguish belief، oriented to criticize and disclaim impure Sufis while appreciating true mystics and Sufis. The current study is an attempt to examine Bahāyi’s mystical thoughts and tendencies as reflected in his Persian poems including sonnets، quatrain and mathnawi.

Unity of existence is one of the basic concepts in Islamic mysticism. Other concepts in Islamic mysticism appear to be less important than this theory، so that those concepts are assumed to be aimed at progress of the notion of unity of existence. The current article sought to categorize Ammān Sāmāni’s views about unity of existence. Each division of this category is compared with views of such mystics as Shams al-Din Mohammad Tabrizi and Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. Meantime، the study presents a detailed analysis of Ammān Sāmāni’s views as classified in four sections: unity of lover and beloved، spiritual unity of awliya، unity of awliya and God (Fannā Fi Allāh or Annihilation in God)، spiritual unity of awliya along the time. Beside Examining and categorizing ‘Ummān Samāni’s ideas about unity of existence، this research attempts to discover source of these theories as found in Hadiths and traditions. Some examples of the effect of this theory are also presented.

Ibn ‘Arabi’s knowledge about ontology caused him to have a specific interpretation of revelation. His ontology has been based on Emanation of God. He has asserted that all things flow from emanation of God. The first emanation of God presumed to be the «Perfect Man» or Muhammad (PBUH) who was the source of revelation and endowments of all prophets (from Adam to the latest). Ibn ‘Arabi introduces two types of revelation including general and special revelation. General revelation includes all creatures، whereas special revelation is given through inspiration or angels of revelation. As the purpose of revelation appears to be setting rules and life schedules which help people to live in the world، it can be ceased. However wilāyah which is the soul and essence of religion has always been continued.

The issue of perceiving God in Islamic theology، philosophy and mysticism is very important. It seems that there is no concern regarding the consensus among the proponents and opponents of perceiving God by the visual sense، though mystics have made a lot of efforts to reconcile the visual perception and intuitive discernment. Of these efforts، a typical example can be found in the interpretation of these two verses from Najm chapter: “The heart did not deny what it saw” (11)، and “The gaze did not swerve، nor did it overstep the bounds” (17). These verses tell about the quality of the day when messenger of Islam meets Gabriel in his spiritual journey or his ascent to heaven. Among Muslim Mystics، Faraqāni in his Mashāriq al-Darari، insisting on the union between sight and mind، considers the second verse as a case of God’s perception with the mind rather than with the visual sense. Seyyed Heydar Amoli، also، by attributing the second verse to the second journey of so-called four-fold journeys، relates the visual sense to the returning position and from unity to multiplicity. In this course، the wayfarer sees، hears and speaks with the divine eye، ear and tongue. So، there is a kind of strong relation between sensory perception and intuition in Quran and mysticism.

Through Analyzing poetic imagery in Diwān-e Shams، the current study tries to investigate sorrow and happiness in Jalāl al-din Rumi’s perspectives along with their origin and status in his works. Coincidence of sorrow and happiness in Rumi’s mystical worldview result in some images which chiefly correlate with musical language and poem. There appears to be a profound relationship between content and appearance in Rumi’s poem. So، the present article examines some language elements and the order of words in his sonnets to detect origin of Rumi’s sorrow and happiness. “Mystical and ideological experiences” of Rumi may be found in musical facet and dynamic imageries of his poems. Meantime، Rumi’s happiness، intoxication and creativity are signs of his mystical maturity. The relationship between Rumi’s mystical experiences their reflection in his poems، and situations including happiness and sorrow are obvious in his poems. Reflecting on his Diwān Shams، this study proposes that Rumi express a deep sorrow in his sonnets، while applying happy music in them. He resembles body to a cage which separate people from their homeland or، as he calls، their eternal canebrake. This research argues that Rumi suggests two main perspective in Diwān Shams: the thing we are (the origin of sorrow)، and the purpose of our being (the origin of happiness). In this book، these two views are presented beside each other.

Among the well known figures of Sufies، the life and the character of Ahmad Jām is more tied by legends and strange anecdotes. Official authors have drawn his figure by uttering the legends and wonderful anecdotes and attributing features to him such as breaking jar، dogmatism and increasing enjoying and prohibited from denying and breaking harp in a way that it was of his favorite and they didn’t care about what he had thought or what had happened in his mental and thought and manner lexicon. The shortage of research based on thoughts and the principal character of Ahmad Jām beyond the written officials for him and appointed legends in them in one side، and the unfair and hastened judgments of some scholars of mysticism without noticing his works in other side، has had nothing but notoriety، self satisfaction، and seeking for revenge for him in the sight of contemporaries. While، it is possible to lower the number of these wrong features having been attributed to him by having a brief look at his works or even regarding him a sympathetic، kind، and pious mistiest. In this utterance، after uttering approaches and the lectures of some contemporary researchers about the character of Sheykh-e Jam and pointing to some anecdotes، is tried to introduce the real character of him in three chapters “non dogmatic approach” “sympathetic approach” and “clear sighted approach.

After Farid al-Din Attār of Nishāpur، as this study assumes، there were some other persons who claimed to be Attār. Claiming that they have written Attār’s works، these fake Attārs attribute their own products to the poet of Mantiq al-Tayr. When reading the introduction of these fake works، the readers may assume that their poets have been born before the real Attār. Examining this unusual phenomenon، the current article reveals that believing in the “emanation of lights” or، as extremists and their opponents called it، believing in the “advent” might cause this event. Meanwhile، some radical tendencies of followers of Mansur al-Hallāj were also found to be the source of this phenomenon. According to the emanation of lights، divine lights are transferred from each person to another. This process was started from Ali ibn Abi Tālib and transferred to other Imāms and mystics. So، fake Attārs presumed that they had become Farid al-Din Attār through the emanation of lights.