Three Different Approaches (Hostile, Mythical, and Admirable) to Nasir Khusraw in the History of Persian Literature

Nasir Khusraw is one of the great and influential figures in the history, culture, and literature of Iran. But because of his political and ideological activity in the dominant religion, some have sometimes deliberately ignored him, and beyond that, some have sometimes insulted him the worst. Nevertheless, the Iranian literary friend taste has always praised the eloquence of his poems, regardless of the religion of the poet, and some of those poems have been remembered and preserved over the centuries. This article intends to examine and analyze the extent and manner of his presence in the long-term written memory of Iranians by collecting any mention of Nasir Khusraw's name from the time after his life until the year 1000 AH. This research has been done by a descriptive-analytical method. According to the findings of this study, there are three different approaches to Nasir Khusraw in the texts: he is often referred to as ugly in the Islamic sectology texts. In some texts, regardless of ideological point of view, his poems are praised and his life is discussed, and the approach of some texts to his character is more mythical than real. The hostile mention of Nasir Khusraw's name has diminished since the military and propaganda activities of the Ismaili sect declined, and Nasir Khusrow's image has changed from a religious preacher to a Sufi that has miracles.