A Study of the Elements of Practical Mysticism in Rumi's Spiritual Masnavi

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Theology, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahrekord University

Abstract

Mysticism, which is the direct identification and intuition of transcendence through discovery and intuition of the heart, as a spiritual phenomenon, has two practical and theoretical parts. The practical part of mysticism expresses the mystical path and behavior that is in the field of the practical intellect of the seeker. Theorists in this field paid attention to practical mysticism from different aspects and considered attention to each dimension as one of the components of practical mysticism. It seems that the majority of these components can be traced and studied in Rumi's Masnavi. Rumi has presented the stages of human perfection based on specific methods for achieving divine knowledge and has explained this mystical path and behavior. Therefore, in the present study, an attempt is made to answer the question, based on the descriptive-analytical method, what is the most prominent component of practical mysticism in Rumi's Masnavi? The results show that the conditions of practical mysticism and its instructions are among the most prominent of these components in Masnavi. Therefore, from Rumi's point of view, although the mystic must resort to the tools of love during the course of his journey; But this love is a means to an end for mysticism. Also, in Rumi's practical mysticism, the behavior of the people of knowledge will not end without the guidance and arrest of the old man who has gone this way.

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