Investigating Minimalism and Its Elements in Attār Nīšābūrī’s Tazkirat al-Awliyā

In literature, minimalism is a new genre characterized specially by an economy in using words. It distinctly emphasizes brevity and omission of unnecessary elements in text. This emphasis has resulted in lucidity of expression and unambiguity in stories. Although an emergent phenomenon in the European literature, examples of minimalist stories are found plentifully in the Iranian classics. Tazkirat al-Awliyā</em> of Attār</em>, the famous poet of the seventh century (AH) is one of them. The researchers here have tried to study and analyze the motifs and elements of minimalism in the classic book of Attar. The study has therefore been based on the library methods. The study concluded that short parables in Tazkirat al-Awliyā</em> can be classified as minimalist stories due to their being very short, clarity of language, brevity and straightforward plots, small number of characters and dialogues, and limited settings. Attār</em> himself is also introduced as an innovator in the field and a very successful model for other authors.