Shath (paradoxes inspires) Types and Manner of Expression in the Mathnavi

This study examines the concept of Shath in Masnavi. Utilizing an analytic-descriptive approach and drawing on the relevant literature, including but not limited to Sharhe Shathiyat and Tazkeratololia, we tried to come up with a definition of Shath as well as cases of Shath uses. Next, we examined Masnavi for its uses of Shath, and juxtaposed them with those of Roozbehan and Attar. Moreover, the relationships among the diverse range of topics to which Shath applies and their mystical underpinnings is illustrated using a circle chart. The circle shows that the connecting pattern in this diversity is the notion of 'fanā and vesāl', which is further divisible to minor concepts such as the incentive for reachig, the reaching hum, the path to reaching, barriers to reaching, and the gains of reaching. Moreover, this study reveals that Rumi, in his Masnavi, has employed Shath in all its manifestations and topics. However, he has tactfully tailored such various uses to the needs of his audience in order to render them more accessible and welcoming. We also postulate that Shath is more than a mere linguistic archetype and that a good number of Shaths are behavioral indicative of social deconstructions or breaking social norms.