Document Type : علمی- پژوهشی

Authors

• mohammad mohammadi ¹
• Mahmood Fotoohi Rudmajani ²

¹ PhD Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

² Department of Persian Language and Literature Faculty of Letters and Humanities Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

The 10th century A.H. is the beginning of the formation of the literary currents of Qur'an poetic interpretation.This current has continued until now and was more popular in the Qajar era. Some of these works claim directly or indirectly miracles like the Quran. The basis of this claim is Persian prosody order. This poetic interpretation is subordinate to the Qur'an. The aforementioned claim is examined by studying the prominent poetic interpretations of the Qur'an, especially the Tafsir Safi (1308 A.H) ; which includes the entire Qur’an; the study seeks answers to these questions: what was the motive behind the claim of the miracle of poetry in the field of interpretation or what factors provided the basis for such a claim? Has this practice led to the expansion of the Sufi interpretation tradition or is it just a claim? How is it possible to receive revelation or inspiration while interpreting? Since the principle of interpretation is within the framework of a sacred text, how can that text be a source of religious experience and a field for the mystic to receive revelatory inspirations?

Highlights

The Sufi poetic Interpretation: The Claim of Continuity of Revelation in Persian Language[1]

Introduction

The establishment of the Safavid rule in the 10th century A.H. is the beginning of the formation of the literary currents of Quran poetic interpretation. This current has continued until now and was more popular in the Qajar era. Some of these works claim directly or indirectly miracles like the Quran. The basis of this claim is Persian prosody order. This poetic interpretation is subordinate to the Quran.  The aforementioned claim is examined by studying the prominent poetic interpretations of the Quran, especially the Tafsir-e Safi (1308 A.H) which includes the entire Quran. This claim is made on the basis of the power of the poetry, that is, the commentator claims that the interpretation in the style of the poetry is a specific matter and does not come from the authority of others. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the role of poetry in the formation of miracle claim and examine its various aspects. This claim makes sense in connection with the Quran and following it, and has created something new in the Sufi tradition.

Goals

The main goal of this study is to examine the claim of miracle and challenge in the method and form of poietic interpretation of Quran. Now we want to know the answers of these questions: what was the motive behind the claim of the miracle of poetry in the field of interpretation or what factors provided the basis for such a claim? Has this practice led to the expansion of the Sufi interpretation tradition or is it just a claim? How is it possible to receive revelation or inspiration while interpreting? Since the principle of interpretation is within the framework of a sacred text, how can that text be a source of religious experience and a field for the mystic to receive revelatory inspirations?

Discussion

 The intellectual system of poetic interpretations is often based on Sufi ideas. According to the apparent structure and the way the poet commentators face the text, these interpretations can be divided into three categories; 1. Interpretations that are only based on Sufi taste perceptions and personal experiences of the commentator, such as poetic interpretation Kašf al-Arwâh written by Pir Jamâli (d. 879 AH); 2. Interpretations whose approach is only to return the prose interpretations to poetic Persian interpretations, such as: Tafsir Tohfat Al-Muʾmenin, Maulavi Karim-Baxš (authored in 1068 AH); 3. Interpretations whose approach is a combination of the two methods mentioned. Tafsir-e Safi is a clear example of this group. In the interpretations of the first and third category, the poet commentator sometimes deviates from the normal level of interpretation during the arrangement of the contents and expresses his own taste perceptions. Miracles are claimed in such situations. In this situation, the poet commentator is like a passive listener who does not have a role in the formation of the content; this provided a platform for him to consider his poetic interpretation as a miracle like the Quran. In the poetic interpretation, poetry, in addition to its capabilities - including brevity and carrying many meanings - also includes another definition that is related to its spiritual and sacred aspect. Poet commentators consider a special importance for poetry. From his point of view, poetry is an unseen gift to enable the expression of untold truths. "The poetry of interpretation" is a gift given by the world beyond the world of normal human thought and speech, which leads to the presentation of precious truths and pristine meanings. The poet commentator believes that the poetry of interpretation and the text of God's words are both created through inspiration and from a single source, and there is no difference between the two except in the ranks and intentions of the recipients of inspiration. The depth of this belief is to the extent that the poet commentators seeks a challenge to bring a poetry like his poetic interpretation. They believe that the Quran is a revelation and the poetic interpretation is the result of inspiration that was made according to it. Both are from God and have a higher dignity than poetry, and interestingly, this inspiration is in Persian language.

Conclusion

Poetry, as an excellent style of speech, has provided a basis for re-creating Sufi thoughts in the field of Quran interpretation. Since the custom of poetry is such that the manner of speaking is not up to anyone, therefore it has become commonplace and has become a basis for it to be considered sacred. The gifted Sufis, who have always been accused of heresy and irreligion, have used the possibilities of poetry to express their opinions while interpreting the Quran. According to Sufi commentators, Poetry is an unseen gift from the world beyond human thought and speech, which carries precious meanings. They have claimed a miracle in the formation of poetic interpretation and have sought challenges to create a poetic interpretation similar their one. The aforementioned claim is not opposed to the Quran, but rather supports and perpetuates it. Claiming the miracle of poetry in the field of Quran interpretation is a novel thing in the tradition of Sufi interpretation. However, it seems that this claim does not have a special prominence outside the inner discourse of the cult and outside the circle of disciples. For some reasons, it has not been able to become popular like the other famous Sufi works. These reasons are: 1. Claim of the continuity of the revelation in the form of interpretation of the holy text is both new and a factor in gaining credibility for the commentators who are often from the elders of the doctrine. These works were often like a lasting prism before the eyes of disciples and followers of the dynasty, but due to the difficulty of poetry for the public, this format was not accepted in the general culture. 2. The internal disputes between the numerous branches of the Neʾmatollâhi lineage and the contradictions of other cults regarding the correctness of the attribution of interpretations to the elders, especially the Tafsir-e Safi, caused these interpretations not to be noticed by the public outside the discourse of Sufis. 3. Legislators and jurists have been a staunch opponent of Sufism and their works. Because of their influence in the ruling system, they have usually made the sultans cooperate with them. This has isolated the Sufi elders and consequently their works have been forgotten. 4. Repetitive claims of commentators, especially in positions such as passion, has similar precedents in Sufi works such as Ayn al-Qozât, Ruzbahân, and Mowlavi. What the poet commentators have expressed in the interpretation of the verses is actually repeating the opinions of the past people such as Rašid al-Din Meybodi, Ibn Arabi and Jalâl al-Din Balxi. Therefore, about the miracle of the poetry interpretation what seems to be new, is apparently more related to the form of the speech, although according to them, both form and content are the result of inspiration and carry exquisite meanings.

References

Qorʾân-e Karim (Holy Quran)

Badr, Karim-baxš (1657) Tohfat al-moʾmenin fi tafsir-e ʾamma yatasâʾalun, Mashhad Ketâbxâneye dâneškadeye adabiyyât va olum-e ensâni.

Corbin, Henry & Osmân Esmâʾil Yahyâ (1968), Jâmeʾ al-asrâr va manbaʾ al-anvâr, by Seyyed Heydar Âmoli, Tehran: Anstituye Irân va Farânse.

Ebn Homâm Širâzi (1498), Rowzat al-qolub, Tehran: Ketâb-xâneye markaziye dânešgâh-e Tehran:

Ebn Homâm Širâzi 1497), Fath-nâme, Tehran: Ketâbxâneye markaziye dânešgâhe Tehran.

Eqbâli, Moʾazzame (1991), Šeʾr va šâʾeri dar âsâr-e Xâje Nesir al-Din Tusi, Tehran: Sâzmân-e čâp va entešârât-e vezârat-e farhang va eršâd-e eslâmi.

Fotuhi Rudmaʾjani, Mahmud (2019), "Irâniyân va ârmân-e Qorʾân-e pârsi", Boxarâ, vol.133, pp. 168-202.

[1] Mohammad Mohammadi: PhD Student of Persian Language and Literature, University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Mahmud Fotuhi Rudmaʾjani: Professor Persian Language and Literature, University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Keywords

• poetic interpretations
• interpretation poetry
• continuity of revelation
• the miracle of poetry

Main Subjects

• Sufism and Mysticism