مجله ادبیات عرفانی
پیاپی 8 (بهار و تابستان 1392)

The possibility of generation of meaning and thought by speech is، from mystics’ point of view، a significant question to which we want to answer in this paper. This problem is exposed because the authenticity of meaning and thought are emphasized in mysticism. First، we explain the features of and the relationship between signifier and signified، thought and speech، heart and speech، and piety and prayers. Then، we return to the main question of this research، and we investigate the possibility of generation of meaning and thought by speech. Mystics'' view about distinct stages of speech and their emphasis on its ontological location and also its eternal and divine action justify the role of creative speech in meaning making. Thus، mystics consider speech as the origin of existence، regard creatures as God’s words and emphasize on the innovative and unique power of speech.

Persian literature has been، for a long time، appreciated by critics for its great variety. In this case، «Sawaneh» by «Ahmad Ghazali» is of a high epistemological value for some reasons such as: multiplicity of its theorization on mysticism and its author’s point of view about the phenomena like: love، lover and beloved. This article has applied an epistemological approach to Sawaneh to analyze the relationship between consciousness and the state of «Fana.» In this article، we take Husserlian «transcendental phenomenology» in order to analyze the position of consciousness and indicate the process of its formation toward one of the most important stages in spiritual path، that is، love which has been frequently discussed as basic subject in «Savaneh».

Positions of annihilation، survival، union and connection are the most important and complicated subjects in Sufism and Islamic Gnosticism. Gnostics consider that these are the highest point of the spiritual pilgrimage (solouk) and that their target is attainting God. According to descent arch and ascent arch، human being has been available، before creation، in the invisible world and divine knowledge. To be descended to the world of creation، he has been، step by step، transferred through different worlds until he enters the material world. Through annihilating his human features and endowing himself with Divine characteristics، the pilgrim manifests his desire to return to his Divine origin. His spiritual pilgrimage starts from ‘toward God’ to reach ‘in God’ and، at the end، he attains union and connection with his Beloved. Dehlavi، whose poetry book is regarded as a dictionary of mystic expressions and who is the representative of Indian school، has described these positions in his poems. Dehlavi، like other Gnostics، believes annihilation and connection with God is a Divine gift and out of the pilgrim’s hands. He rejects dualism، believes in union and connection with God and regards abandoning ‘self’ and material possessions as the pre-requisites of attaining the ‘Beloved. ’ According to Dehlavi، God manifests Himself in new forms each moment and His manifestations are unrepeated; therefore، after connection with God، the pilgrim still yearns for the Beloved and his ‘self’ perishes in God.

After the profound transformation which emerged in the Islamic mysticism in the seventh century Hegira، ontology was added to the other two pillars of mystical cognition، theology and anthropology. Accordingly، in the second tradition of mysticism understanding the existence is not only a theoretical knowledge but also is achieved by accessing the perfection levels and the cognition of God results from the cognition of human self and existence. The linkage between anthropology and ontology for cognition acquisition opened new horizons to the mystics of the second tradition. Consequently، with the coupling of human and existence positions، as microcosm and macrocosm، new aspects of these two worlds were recognized. Aziz Nasafi، who is one of the innovative mystics of the second tradition in mysticism، introduces new plans for mystical ontology which are compatible in general principles with the other ontological plans of the second tradition، but are unique in details. This article investigates and analyzes his views on existence and its various levels.

Rumi is one of the most well-known mystics in the history of Persian literature and his Mathnavi is full of philosophical and mystical concepts. One of these concepts is the World of Ideas which has been more explored by philosophers rather than mystics and literary men. In this study، we tried to analyze the world of Ideas and its related sense، imagination، and also their relations in Mathnavi. Our results showed that from Rumi’s point of view، world of ideas and imagination are ontological and epistemological concepts. By thinking about them the relationship between man، universe and beyond the universe as well as mystical and intuitive messages which are received by mystics or mystic poets will be well understood.

One of the issues that absorbs human''s attention to itself in this century much more than at any time before، is «the meaning of life» which includes the reason of life and choosing its quality. This research، attempts to analyze Ibn Arabi’s thinking manner about this issue، based on asked questions in Philosophy by paying attention to some subjects like the status of human in the world، the elements which give meaning to life، God and the meaning that He gives to life، human''s bliss and the after-death-life and its role to give meaning to life. Ibn Arabi has a supernatural look to the meaning of life and in his point of view human''s existence has an intrinsic value and God creates human body for being، knowing and love. God himself is necessary and sufficient for a significant existence as His love gives a desirable goal to human and world، and the meaning of life comes from uniting with Him; something not possible in the physical world. In Ibn Arabi’s point of view، not only life is intrinsically meaningful (because it is worth living and has a worthy and satisfactory end)، but also we can make our lives more meaningful، too.

Intuition and sensing (unveiling) are regarded as the fundaments of mystical insight; through sensing، mystics directly and without any mediator experience the reality. Therefore، ways of sensing and intuitional ability have always been in the center of mystical studies. Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi، as a thoughtful mystic، literarily and based on theoretical Sufi teachings expresses forms of sensing in Mathnavi. Mystics have explored two forms of sensing: sensual and spiritual. This paper، drawing upon Gheisari’s introduction to Fusus al-Hikam، tries to deal with forms of sensual sensing in Mathnavi. Besides all forms of sensual sensing (except tactile sensing)، Mathnavi includes numerous minute teachings about each of them which have not been seen in Gheisari and Heidar Amoli’s classification. It seems that Rumi has dealt with auditory sensing more than the other sensual forms of sensing.