Imagination in Maulana's Masnavi

The literary and literal meaning of imagination is disclosed if one refers to literary, philosophical, and mystical dictionaries explaining that imagination is the storage of a common sense so that common sense is the regulator of the whole senses and whatever drawn out of the figures and meanings. Imagination has a broad spectrum: delicate, profound, farsighted, the heaven and the major element of poetry. Mystics take it as the monster of the overall heavens and the essence and origin of an existence which is the manifestation of the creator from within. The world of imagination though assumed as something away from rational world together with wisdom is the existing and reality layer of human being so that whatever revealed out of it has been shinning onto the broad and ever present heaven for mankind. Mystics also discuss about imagination to be one of the most important human vigor. Maulana has also talked about imagination just like other mystics which in this paper imagination in Masnavi will be studied. From Islamic philosopher's point of views such as Ibn Sina, Farabi, and Sohrevardi imagination has multiple meanings that each of whom has strived to explain their own opinions in their own works; the same is true with western philosophers such as Descartes and Plato, totally different from others.Imam Mohammad Qazali, Sohrevardi, Mowlavi, Ibn Arabi, Hafez, and Mollasadra have all agreed on the broad scope of imagination and its importance in the existence.