A Study on Theosophistic-Mystical Views of Mullah Habiballāh Sharif Kāshāni with the Emphasis on the Similarities of His Thoughts with Mowlānā

Habibollāh Sharif Kāshāni was a renowned jurist, exegesist, poet, and scholar of Kāshān in the recent century who wrote in areas of jurisprudence, exegesis, theology and tradition. He had also several precious works of poetry. In his most well-known poems in the form of Masnavi titled Tashwighāt Alsālekin (encouragement for the wayfarers), Tanbihāt Alārefin (admonishments to the mystics), and Nasihat-Nāmeh (book of advice), he presents the main mystical themes, allegories and motifs that indicates his vast and deep knowledge of the Islamic science, culture and antecedent mystical heritage. Among the former mystics, Mullah Habib was enamored of Mowlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, to the extent that in his writings frequently refers to the thoughts and sayings of Mowlānā and borrows motifs from him; for example self-criticism in the mirror of narration, the rebelliousness and bloodiness of love from the outset, inexpressibility of mystical experiences and concepts, spiritual exegesis of “put off thy shoes” in the holy Quran, yearning for a confidant to reveal the spiritual mysteries, Satan in human disguise, mouse and wheat, forty year procrastination, nullification of the causality and relationships, and the elixir of love. The impacts of the instructions of other mystical orders, in particular the Sufism of Khorāsān, such as God’s boundless Mercy, attraction and effort, the sympathy and altruism of the mystic, the dignity of man’s essence, and confliction between the soul and body are also noticeable in his poetry. The present article studies the theosophistic and mystical views of Mullāh Habiballāh Sharif Kāshāni and wishes to introduce him to the scientific and literary society by showing similarities of his thoughts with that of Mowlānā with the emphasis on Masnavi-Manavi, and presenting the most important spiritual motifs of his writings.