The Nature of Religious Language from Rumi’s Point of View

Mystical literature has provided an extensive area in which the nature of religious language, as a common topic of philosophy and religion, can be considered from a mystical point of view as well. In the meantime, the large collection of “Masnavi-ye Ma'navi” is a paradigm example of mystical texts that helps investigate the views of its creator, Jalalu-’d-din Mohammad Rumi on the nature of religious language. Rumi (Mawlawi, Mawlana) is one of the greatest Iranian poets and probably one of the most renewed poets in world literature.

This paper, which was conducted with the method of qualitative research and documentary review of Rumi poems,  is organized as follows: First, the seven main theories about the nature of religious language will be explained briefly. Then, some paradigm examples of “Masnavi” in which Rumi has expressed his views about religious language will be interpreted. Finally, it will be shown that, according to Rumi, religious language is mainly symbolic, then analogous, followed by univocal, and lastly equivocal.

In the conclusion of the research, there will be a brief explanation of the reason behind the aforementioned order, which shows why Muslim mystics, as one of the main four groups of Muslim scholars, have chosen such a view about religious language.