Afsaneh Saadati, Safoora Saadati, Mohsen Mohammadi Fesharaki,
Volume 8, Issue 20 (8-2021)
Abstract
Plants have an important place in Rumi’s meaningful mind, and the narratives developed using plant knowledge in Masnavi incorporate a new educational strategy that Rumi adopted to cultivate himself and his audience. In this research, which was carried out using the descriptive-analytical method, plant topics and knowledge were extracted from all six books of Masnavi and then the data was divided into two parts: physical (material) and metaphysical (immaterial): Rumi’s approach to plants in these two parts is descriptive, sometimes material and formal, and corresponds to the current agricultural science and sometimes a tool at the service of spiritual teachings. This research shows, on the one hand, Rumi’s mystical discourse on plants as a manifestation of God, and on the other hand, it shows the poet’s taste for using the literary devices to embellish and articulate speech. Rumi’s knowledge of the name and morphology of plants and their medicinal and therapeutic properties; various types of fruits, cereals, vegetables, and legumes; horticultural terms and gardening methods; the cultivation and fertilization practices increase the notion that he had access and probably read encyclopedic books such as Bundahishn, Alabniyah an Haqaeq alAdwiyah, etc. Among the factors that can be considered as deep structure to the abundance of these terms are Rumi’s naturalism and the geographic location of his residence and the influence of his father Bahaedin’s spiritual teachings.
