Content-based Contradiction in Mystical Approach: Attar's Mantiq al-Tayr and Avicenna's Risalat-al-Tayr

One of the contradictions of reason and mysticism was the contrast between religious-oriented approach of some scholars and mystics and rationalistic approach of some governors and philosophers during 5th-7th centuries (AH)/ 12th-15th centuries (AD). This hidden yet deep contrast continued throughout the centuries in different scientific and ideological forms among philosophers, jurisprudents, and mystics, and some philosophers and mystics were representatives of these different thought factions. The present study examined the similarities and differences of the two contradictory movements called Avicenna's and Attar's approaches, as representatives of each approach. In this study, presuming the purposeful authorship of symbolic journey of birds, the contradictions in Avicenna's Risalat-al-Tayrand Attar's Mantiq al-Tayr were examined. To this end, the contradictory contents of the mentioned books were extracted, compared, and then analyzed. The results showed that the point of departure between Attar and Avicenna is their interpretation of the soul and its dwelling in the body. Furthermore, the necessity for a path-finder's guide, a scientific approach towards phenomena on Avicenna's part and rejection of logic and cause-and-effect view on Attar's part, different approaches concerning the interactions between King of birds and other birds, different viewpoints on the matters ofmeeting God and the number of mystics who managed to meet Him, the epistemological difference between reason and love, and finally the introvert prospect of mysticism and the extrovert approach of philosophy are the main contradictory points of these two scholars. These contradictions could be suggestive of historical contrasts between religious-oriented mysticism and philosophical and rational mysticism.