The Explication of 100 Lines of Attar's Mosibatnameh

The present article studies and explicates 100 lines of Attar’s Mosibatnameh, which describe the journey to perfection. It also tries to compare his definitions with those by other mystics and what has been recorded in the books on mystic terms. Attar presents the wayfarer (saalek) 100 virtues and vices to lead him to the right path. He stipulates that there can be more than 1000 if he intends to include all of them. What Attar mentions in these lines has also been stated in other mystic books and works, but what is noteworthy here is that his unique definitions are very different from those by other poets, authors, and mystics. The main difference is that Attar defines each vice or virtue in one line, while other poets, authors, and mystics have written lines or pages to define each of them. It is necessary to note that a few lines are vague and may not be explicated clearly.