Ontology in Attar’s Mystic Contemplation

Since the advent of Islamic thought, the theme of “Essence” and “Existence,” their differences, which one is preceding and original and which one is credential and secondary, encloses the most essential philosophical notions and ideas in Islamic thoughts. The classifying of two sections of “Existence,” and “Essence” that is introduced by Farabi and Ibn Sina into Islamic philosophy became a branch of traditional, established Scholastic philosophy both in East and West. This two part classification turned into the source of many philosophical subjects and problems in East and West. It included the issue of originality whether the Existence is original and Essence is credential or vice versa: Essence is original and Existence is credential? This issue formed the first and the most essential step in the ontological contemplation among Muslims. Nevertheless the vision of mystics on ontology can be indicated that the Islamic mystics propounded Pantheism in general. They believe that the universe and its components are all the shadow of the origin of Existence who is Almighty, or they are the mirror for the reflection of manifestation of Almighty. Attar is also a mystic and a poet of Monism whose ideology is based on Pantheism. His endorsement of this attitude is quite obvious in his works. This research besides the summery of the ideas and notions of philosophers and mystics on the ontology issue, includes the assessment of the evolution course of this attitude in Attar’s works.