Shams-e Tabrīzī's Ironic Outlook to his Contemporary Discourses and Social Institutions

In this article by analyzing the rhetorical images in Shams-e Tabrīzī’s Maqâlât, his thought coherence beyond the inconsistent appearance of the text and the mystery behind his language influence will be unraveled. Moreover, the uniqueness of his character and his Maqâlât in the history of Sufism and specifically among sufi prose texts will be illustrated. In this respect, the highly frequent rhetorical devices such as allegory, metaphor, symbol, and paradox will be pinpointed as the common ground between Maqâlât and the Persian mystical proses prior to it. Then, the uniqueness of the text regarding the ironic language and attitude of Shams will be highlighted. In addition, after providing irony’s definition, its different types, and features, the ironic outlook of Shams to his contemporary discourses and social institutions, and finally irony’s function in Maqâlât will be elaborated.