Human Immortality: Its Types and Variations in Attar's Works

Immortality is a concept as old as human history. Attar is among those who have dealt with this fundamental concept in their works. He has attributed several aspects to immortality including residing in others’ memories, reproduction and descendants, etc. However, he considers perishing and being united with God as the most important manifestation of immortality. Attar, like most other Islamic mystics, consider human being as consisting of two dimensions, body and soul, and believes that the one which is of the highest value is the soul not the body. Thus it is the soul that must be purified and exalted in this world. Notwithstanding, in some of his works, he seems to believe both in corporeal and spiritual resurrection. Also, in accordance with his religious tendencies, he believes in the world to come and divine judgement expressed through such terms as paradise, hell, intermediary world, the secret bridge, and etc. Attar denies incarnation and states that any human being coming to this world has but one chance to live and will not come back to this world in any form and under any conditions.