Awakening Areas in Tazkirat al-Awliya Mystical Anecdotes

There are anecdotes and stories about the spiritual transformation and repentance in Tazkirat al-Awliya which indicate that a gnostic person leaves sin and crime and starts  obedience and worship. This is seen in different aspects of Gnosticism. A gnostic repents in different aspects of Gnosticism such as obedience, hierarchy, position, situation, and even in its existence. This has caused to construct a broad range or awakening areas in this prominent mystical work. Besides, as mentioned by writers of gnostic texts, the  awakening areas in each position depends on an earlier position. So, the question of awakening, how it is realized, and how it is linked in mystical research is of great importance. This paper examines the nature of awakening, its extent, and its continuity in Tazkirat al-Awliya  through the library and documentary methods. The results show that awakening in Tazkirat al-Awliya anecdotes is not limited to the initiation of a mystical journey, but rather in all stages and aspects of the journey, and it has different areas each having different aspects, features, and effects in the journey. Without understanding these areas, it is not possible to analyze and explain the position of stages of the journey. 

One of the central issues in the field of Islamic mysticism is the issue of human excellence and perfection. This issue has been raised in the form of moving from negligence to consciousness and its transcendent levels. Movement in this interpretation means a departure from power to action, which is done gradually or repulsively. According to the mystics, when the light of knowledge enters the heart of a gifted person, such a person must start moving in the path of perfection and reach the path to God to reach his goal and desire. So, the movement towards perfection does not beginunless one changes spiritually in his current life and changes his path, which is used to entertain him to the world  and takes a new path. For this reason, it is not possible to enter the path of perfection and walk its steps except with vigilance and awakening. The reflection of this issue can be seen in the anecdotes of Tazkirat al-Awliya. At the beginning of the conduct, the seeker repents from the realm of sin and negligence and turns to the realm of the path, and upon entering the realm of the path, these awakenings are constantly repeated. The sum of these anecdotes explains the areas of awakening in Tazkirat al-Awliya which can be classified into five general areas: the area of ​​disbelief to faith and sin, disobedience to obedience, neglect to consciousness, absence to presence, and presence to perdition. Considering the position of reprimand in the field of Islamic mysticism, it seems that it merits more study . In the meantime, Tazkirat al-Awliya is the best source for explaining the nature of awakening and its continuation in the form of mystical anecdotes due to its importance in expressing the moods and words of the great Sufis. 

This research uses the library documentary method to draw a pattern of awakening areas in the stories of Attar Nishaburi’s Tazkirat al-Awliya, and the relationship of these areas with the mystical levels of the sect. For this purpose, first, a collection of topics from Persian mystical prose texts up to the seventh century AH was extracted and classified. Then, based on the views expressed in these texts, the nature of awakening, its levels as well as its continuity was explained in the anecdotes of Tazkirat al-Awliya.

The results of this study indicate that awakening in Tazkirat al-Awliya anecdotes is not limited to the initiation of a mystical journey, but rather in all stages and aspects of the journey. Also, awakening has different areas  each having different aspects, features, and effects in the journey. Without understanding these areas, it is not possible to analyze and explain the position of the stages of the journey . On the other hand, the analysis of awakening areas in the anecdotes of Attar's Tazkirat al-Awliya shows the necessity of the seeker's movement by using the topic of warning and awakening to the higher authorities and degrees of faith. In addition, theawakening as well as  the subsequent changes as the essence of conduct from the beginning of the path to the level that the seeker can achieve are influential in the course of human perfection.