Allegorical Images in Maghamat al-Gholoob; An Analysis Based on the Views of Paul Nwyia

In mystical texts, abstract concepts are explained by using the referential language and literary possibilities of language, such as allegory. The main purpose of allegory is to teach the holy traveler (sālek) to go through the stages of mystical journey (suluk) and to reach perfection. The use of allegorical language in mysticism is attributed to Abul-Hassan Nouri. After briefly referring to the background and function of allegory, in the present study, by using the method of analyzing of information and the library resources, the content and theme of Maghamat al-Gholoob (Authorities of Hearts), by Abul-Hassan Nouri, have been studied and types of allegory such as Quranic allegories, metaphors and allegorical similes have been analyzed based on the views of Paul Nwyia. The findings show that the mysticial stations and principles, in their most abstract form, are presented in this treatise. Non-narrative allegory, along with metaphor, allegories, and allegorical additions, are among the most frequent types of allegory in Maghamat al-Gholoob.