Persian Language and Literature

Thy Speech is Koran Identical Abu Sa’id Abu’l-Khayr’s Understanding and His Living with the Blessing Verses of the Qur’an

Yousof Asghari Bayghout

The Holy Quran, the divine book of the Muslims, has always been reflected in the works of literary figures and mystics in different ways. Abu Sa’id Abu’l-Khayr, the famous mystic of the 10^th and 11^th centuries, also benefited greatly from the Qur’an. The present study, while explaining the two concepts of “Understanding the Qur’an” and “Living with the Qur’an” of Abu Sa’id Abu’l-Khayr, seeks to answer the questions of how the Qur’an and its concepts were manifested in the sayings and manners of Abu Sa’id, and what effects they had on his intellectual and behavioral habits. From the study of Asrar al-Tawhid, we find that Abu Sa’id’s knowledge of the Qur’an was beyond literacy and education. Instead of the outward appearance of the Qur’an, he tried to understand its inner concepts and meanings, and in this regard, he achieved considerable success. This level of Qur’anic knowledge was manifested in his words in various ways, such as his interpretations and subtle remarks. Living with the Qur’an indicates the deep influence of the Qur’an on Abu Sa’id’s behavior and manners. Abu Sa’id learned the Qur’an not only to read and know, but also to live with it. On the other hand, Abu Sa’id’s particular attention to the blessing verses had a direct effect on his mystical inclination. Abandoning pride and egoism, tolerance, and hope for and trust in God’s forgiveness are among the manifestations of Abu Sa’id’s living with the Qur’an in Asrar al-Tawhid.

Functions of Simple and Compound Sentences in Masnavi

Zohreh Amani

A large part of the impressiveness of Rumi’s words is related to his manner of expression and syntax of his words, most of which are still hidden. To discover these beauties, there is no other way than a detailed analysis of his discourse. In the present study, the authors analyzed one of the factors of text coherence by examining the frequency and syntactic function of simple and compound sentences in Masnavi. This research is based on 1372 verses of the first book of Masnavi and uses statistical methods of structural analysis and classification of sentences. From this study, remarkable results were obtained regarding the close relationship between the content of the text and its sentence structure. The results indicated that the frequency of compound sentences is more than simple sentences, and among different types of compound sentences, those consisting of “main clause + subordinate clause” pattern have a higher frequency. This style of Masnavi wording contributes to the coherence of the text and paves the way for Masnavi to make good teaching material. Additionally, it was found that Rumi actively participated his audience in receiving the meaning of the compound sentences. He sometimes removed the conjunction from the structure of the sentence and allowed the reader to select the appropriate conjunction based on the selection of each of the main or subordinate clauses. In the complex compound sentences, a sentence has both main or subordinate roles at the same time, which means that based on its preceding or following sentence, the role of the sentence changes.

The Application of Imagery to Consolidating the Political and Religious Authority of States in Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy-i Juvaynī

Maryam Sadeghi Givi

Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy-i Juvaynī is a historical-literary work with technical prose. One of the features of this book is the use of imagery to express political concepts. The main question of this research is what role imagery plays in Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy to establish the political and religious authority of governments. Based on a descriptive-analytical framework, the analysis of imagery in Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy indicated that imagery was a tool for generating power discourse and for organizing specific political thoughts. The use of all kinds of imagery and expressive techniques in Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy was not only for the purpose of embellishing the speech and representing aesthetics, but it also served the purpose of persuading the audience and instilling political concepts in addition to reporting historical events. In his work, like other writers of prose texts, Juvaynī tried to use the persuasive and inductive functions of all kinds of imagery to political concepts such as the divinity of the source of power, the sovereignty of the sultans based on destiny, kingship, the requirements and duties of the king, absolute obedience to the sultan, the military power of the state, and suppression of enemies to instill the political and religious legitimacy of states, establish their authority, and justify their actions.

Textual Criticism of the Epic of Jamšid nāmeh

Milad Jafarpour

Jamshid-nāmah is one of the unexplored epics of Persian literature in Central Asia which has presented a detailed independent and completely different account of the events of the life and reign of one of the most important mythological characters of Iran i.e., Jamshid Pishdādi. Whereas the original version of Jamshid-nāmah was written in Persian and its Turkish and Urdu translations were common and published in other regions for some time, most of the epic scholars are not even familiar with it and no mention or explanation of Jamshid-nāmah has been provided in the previous studies. To bridge this gap and using the inductive method the present paper has first introduced the textual features of the narrative in two parts, and then evaluated the elements and motifs of Jamshid-nāmah.

The Role of Descent, Oblivion and Captivity of the Wayfaring Soul in the Experience of Boundary Situations (with a Focus on Suhrawardi’s Symbolic Stories)

Maryam Haghshenas

The story of the descent of the soul as a symbolic language has been adopted by philosophers, mystics, and men of letters for years. The systematic investigation of this symbolic language in Suhrawardi’s works, which is often represented in the form of a story, reveals that this image is interwoven with philosophers’ reminiscence theory on the one hand and the myth of awareness and oblivion on the other hand. Suhrawardi’s distinct intellectual and ontological system turns the “image of descent” into a meaningful symbol through which the state of oblivion is depicted as man’s superior gain. The motif of descent, which is symbolized by a bird in most stories, is the tale of a wayfaring soul who has departed from its origin and descended into the corporeal world. The characters of Suhrawardi’s symbolic stories sink into oblivion after their descent, and this stage prepares the wayfaring soul to realize its limitations and abilities while many of its profound beliefs turn into frail notions. Oblivion and descent in those stories provide conditions through which the wayfarer experiences boundary situations that can lead to knowledge, excellence, and elevation. The present study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach to analyze the stories of “The Red Intellect”, “Resalat ol-Tair”, “Language of the Ants”, and “The Nostalgic Story of the West” and concluded that oblivion is some sort of pre-awareness or pre-understanding which plays a fundamental role in experiencing boundary situations.

A Study of Jami’s Intellectual Themes in The Field of Mystical Ethics in Haft Awrang

Abd-al-Rahman Divasalar

Mystical ethics is a set of epistemological models that their results and functions are manifestations of God’s attributes in the mystic and their aim is perfecting and bringing man from the lowest level of his existence to the highest level of perfection. This can be achieved through following the path of God and dwelling in spiritual homes and by abstaining from vices and adornment with virtues and through austerity and effort. Attention to this rich and prolific spiritual concept is very prominent in Jami’s Masnavi of Haft Awrang. Based on a descriptive-analytical method the aim of this study is first to define mystical ethics and then to extract and express some of the themes of mystical ethics in the Masnavi of Haft Awrang, which are proposed in three areas of “Man’s relationship with God”, “Man’s relationship with himself” and “Man’s relationship with other men” and within five domains of “ideological-epistemological”, “emotional-affective”, “voluntary”, “action” and “speech”. By studying this Masnavi, we find that Jami tried to encourage his audience to observe mystical ethics based on serving God. Thus, the themes used in this Masnavi mainly revolve around the area of man’s relationship with God.

An Analysis of Papoli Yazdi’s Utopian Discourse in Shazdeh Hamam Based on the Discursive Theory of Laclau and Mouffe

Sayyed Ahmad Pars

The present research is an analysis of Papoli Yazdi’s utopian discourse in “Shazdeh Hamam” based on the discursive theory of Laclau and Mouffe. The sample of the study consists of the first three volumes of Papoli Yazdi’s five-volume book, Shazdeh Hamam, the first and second volumes of which have been reprinted 34 times and the third volume 14 times so far. The reason for choosing this topic is the metatextual discourses of this work, which makes it distinct from similar works. Additionally, the reason for choosing Laclau and Mouffe’s theory is its effectiveness for analyzing Papoli Yazdi’s discourse. The research method is descriptive-analytical. The data was analyzed based on content analysis and using Laclau and Mouffeʼs discourse theory. Based on this theory, the present study aims to answer the following question: How is the articulation of concepts and the process of identifying the authorʼs idealistic discourse and its relationship with the dominant discourse? The results indicate that according to this theory, the authorʼs modernist discourse is formed in contrast to the dominant traditionalist discourse, and places “modernity and progress” as an empty point in place of the nodal point. It also articulates the points of culture and women’s rights around the nodal point and gives each one a new identity and meaning. In the end, the author encourages human beings as agents to act for the realization of their ideal society.

A Semiotic Reading of Houshang Ebtehaj's Poem "Arghavan" Based on Riffaterre's Approach

Badrieh Ghavami

Semiotics is an interdisciplinary approach that examines sign systems in a literary work; Among the approaches to semiotics is the theory of Michael Riffaterre, a French-American theorist on the semiotics of poetry. According to this approach, the reader is a very important factor in the process of reading the text; Riffaterre believes that meaning is always present in the text of a poem and only the reader should extract it. In his view, the meanings of poetry should be understood on its own, not by referring its signs to external realizations, and understanding poetry requires the reader to try to find an intertwined network of signs, and in this regard, her approach can also be considered as a reader-cantered critique. In this research, Ebtehaj's poem " Arghavan" [English Equivalent: purple] has been analysed using Riffaterre approach. The central idea of the poem is "the isolation of the poet in an inappropriate social space", which is expressed in different ways in the text of the poem. Although this idea is not mentioned directly in the poem, the widely used propositions and clichés of the language that the poet uses by repeating them in the process of "over determination" or through the "conversion" process, by modifying those propositions, or using the "expansion" process, by extending the general idea to more detailed ideas. In addition, by discovering two semantic processes of "accumulation" as well as "descriptive anthologies", which all come from the same source and guide the poem to induce a single theme, the descriptive anthology of " Azadi" (freedom) that evokes words such as "morning", "spring", "candle", "lamp", "sun", "dawn" and "sun"; In contrast to "Sharayet-e Namonaseb-e Ejtemaei" (unfavourable social conditions) that the "forgotten silent corner", "crypt" and "night of darkness" evoke the same concept.

Rereading the Guru-Disciple Relationship Based on Michel Foucault’s Theory of Power Discourse

Abbas Mashoufi

In the Sufi tradition, wayfaring in the realm of the way requires a guru who can guide the wayfarer through the obstacles and in the discovery and understanding of mystical knowledge and the experience of truth. Many books, which deal with the rites of this spiritual journey and conduct, have emphasized the necessity of the presence of the guru and the commitment of the disciple to follow him. In this guidance and leadership, a discourse is made between the guru and the disciple. A discourse that the guru tries to guide the disciple by maintaining a discipline to oblige the disciple to do it (rites of the way). Based on Michel Foucault’s theory of power discourse, the purpose of this article is to review the guru-disciple relationship and to evaluate the aspects of “subjugation” and “transformation” of the wayfarer from “known and free subject” to “subordinate and bound subject” in the Sufi culture. This article uses the discourse analysis method. The result of this authoritative discourse and the existence of “bound subjects” can be attributed to the lack of a polyphonic and dynamic culture in the Sufi tradition, guru-worship, and the formation of the ritual collection of “manners of pilgrimage of Sheiks’ shrines”.

Investigating “The Other” in the Discourse Analysis of “Thresholds” in “Showhar-e Ahou Khanom” Novel and Movie Based on Laclau and Mouffe’s Theory

Ebrahim Mohammadi

Ahou Khanom (Madam Ahou’s Husband) novel, written by Ali Mohammad Afghani and its movie adaptation directed by Davood Mollapour. The noteworthy point in both works is the existence of different sense-maker layers and components in the novel and movie threshold that reveals the quality of the relationship between husband and wife in the traditional and pseudo-modern discourse. By highlighting the dispute between traditional and modern discourse, the writer and the director, invisibly and intangibly, try to present the audience the image of an oppressed and alienated woman around whom the patriarchal discourse has always formed a chain to subjugate her due to the natural differences between men and women, and has regarded her as the other and inferior and has marginalised her. So, in the present research based on a comparative-interdisciplinary approach and Laclau and Mouffe’s critical discourse analysis the structures of the thresholds of the two media were investigated. First, the micro-texts of thresholds in the novel and movie were identified, and then with the analysis of the existing point in their structure, the connection among thresholds, the nodal text and its outside world, and ways of creating meaning in different layers of micro-text were examined. Two points were revealed by studying threshold structures in Showhar-e Ahou Khanom’s novel and movie: 1. All the points found in the thresholds of both works were formed based on a macro-clash between men and women. 2. The existing points reveal patriarchally created discourse which always equates men with the nodal point, as superior, active, independent, and free, while introducing women with concepts such as marginal, inferior, passive, dependent and limited, and using the rational of the difference between men and women it excludes and rejects this rival.

Introducing Five Newly Discovered Poetic Sufi Interpretations

Mahmoud Fotouhi

One of the common literary trends in the Safavid and Qajar historical periods was writing the poetic interpretation of the Qur’an in Persian. The intellectual and linguistic structure of this literary trend was in fact a continuation of interpretations such as Kashf al-Asrar (520 AH), especially in Nowbate Thalithah, and the Mawaheb Aliyah (Hosseini interpretation, 897-899 AH), a tradition that shifted from prose to poetry in order to establish and expand itself. The purpose of the present study is to introduce five lesser-known poetic interpretative works in Persian. This has been done by referring to library sources and accessing the original versions based on a descriptive method. The obtained results are significant for fundamental studies in the fields of Sufism literature and Quranic studies. The five newly discovered interpretations are as follows: 1. Tohfeh Al-Momenin by Molavi Karimbakhsh (1068 AH) 2. Tafsir Rashidi (written around 1300 AH) by Abolfayaz Qamar al-Haq 3. Tafsir Najm Isfahani (1335-1336 AH) by Najm al-Hokama Muhammad Mousavi 4. Tafsir Asma al-Hossna by Geda (?) 5. Tafsir Manzoom by Nazr Hassan Ibn Muhammad Ali Zaidi (1247-1366 AH

The Nature of Language and Its Terminology in Imam Mohammad Ghazzali’s Thoughts

Mostafa Mirdar Rezaei

Most of the research conducted on the subject of “language” and its role in the field of mystical texts, has focused on the objective reflection of language (the investigation of language in speech and writing), an area that is actually regarded as second-order knowledge. It is very important to pay attention to the first-order knowledge, which is defined as knowing the nature of the language itself and every individual (mystic’s) interpretation of what it is – which is mostly neglected. That is why before the stage of proof and realization of language; the position of proof and interpretation of the language is a principle, and before the language reaches the level of realization and emergence, the manner of its interpretation and determination is formed. One of the thoughtful mystics who contemplated about the nature of language and wrote about it in his works is Imam Mohammad Ghazali. This study, based on a descriptive-analytical method, tries to investigate Imam Muhammad Ghazali’s thoughts on the field of language and its nature (first-order knowledge) in the light of some of Saussure’s linguistic ideas. The emergence and realization of language in the form of terminology and universals (second-order knowledge) is another aim of this research. The results indicated that, in explaining the subject of language, as a philosopher, Ghazali discussed the makeup and nature of language and from the point of view of a linguist, he looked into the process of language development in spoken and written forms.