naser jaberi
Abstract
This study examines the concept of Shat'h in Maṣnavī. Utilizing the descriptive-analytical method and drawing on the relevant literature, including but not limited to Sharh al-Shathīyyāt ...
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This study examines the concept of Shat'h in Maṣnavī. Utilizing the descriptive-analytical method and drawing on the relevant literature, including but not limited to Sharh al-Shathīyyāt and Taẕkirat al-Awlīyā, the researchers have tried to establish the boundaries of Shat'h, and come up with some examples of this concept. Next, Maṣnavī has been explored for its uses of Shat'h, and the examples extracted from Maṣnavī have been juxtaposed with those found in Rūzbahān and Attār. Moreover, the relationships among the diverse range of topics to which Shat'h is applied and their mystical underpinnings are illustrated using a pie chart. The chart shows that the connecting pattern in this diversity is the notion of 'fanā and vesāl', which is further divisible to minor concepts such as the incentive for reaching, the path to reaching, impediments to reaching, and the gains of reaching. Furthermore, this study reveals that Rumi, in his Maṣnavī, has employed Shat'h in all its manifestations and topics. However, he has tactfully tailored such various uses to the needs of his audience in order to render them more accessible and welcoming. We also postulate that Shat'h is more than a mere linguistic archetype and that a good number of Shat'hs are behavioral, indicative of social deconstructions or breaking social norms.
Keywords: Rumi, Maṣnavī, Shaṭ'ḥ, Rūzbahān.
