Ahmad Ghazali and the Use Of Narrative Parables In Explaining Mystical Concepts (Case study: Persian works)
Subject Areas : Research in Iranian classical literatureavoodd vaseqhi 1 * , Mahdi maleksabet 2
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Iran.
2 - Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Yazd University, Iran.
Keywords: Ahmad Ghazzali, narrative parables, love, mystical behavior.,
Abstract :
Ahmad Ghazali and the Use Of Narrative Parables
In Explaining Mystical Concepts
(Case study: Persian works)
Davoud Vaseghi Khondabi*
Mahdi Malek Sabet**
Narrative allegory is one of the approaches used to explain moral, mystical concepts, etc. Ahmad Ghazali, one of the renowned Sufis, employed this method in his works to convey his views. With this arrangement, he has been able to accurately explain concepts related to love and its states, mystical behavior, and moral issues. This research, based on library studies and employing a descriptive-analytical method, explains the role of narrative parables in Ahmad Ghazzali's Persian works. It answers the question of what ideas and concepts are contained in these allegories. In his works, especially the "Savaneh al-Oshshaq" collection, which deals with topics related to love in a cryptic and allusive manner, he expresses some ambiguous points about the states and moods of this divine gift, and then he presents an allegorical narrative to the audience to understand these secrets. This artistic trick is also evident in Sheikh's didactic works, and in his original works, especially the collection of "Majaalis", which has an evident appearance. Investigating the Persian works of Abul Fattouh reveals that the Sheikh's narrative parables are mostly related to the topic of love and mystical manners and educational-ethical concepts related to it. The characters of these narratives are the elders and legends of the field of love as well as religion and mysticism, and in an allegorical narrative, he used the symbol of birds to express the return to the origin and God’s abode, which can be considered the most important allegorical narrative of Ghazali.
Keywords: Ahmad Ghazzali, narrative parables, love, mystical behavior.
Introduction
Allegory is considered in rhetoric as a branch of likening or metaphor. Ghiravani said: ˝Allegory belongs to metaphors that, for some, means a comparison, and that means representing one object with another object that contains a reference to that object˝ (Ghiravani, 2000, Vol 1:450). Also, Noiri said: ˝Allegory is of the metonymy part, if it comes in the form of a metaphor˝. (Noiri, 2002, Vol 7: 60).
Kharazmi mentioned in ˝Naghd-e Sher˝ that: Metaphor means likening one object to another˝ (Kharazmi, 2007: 97). Also, Motavval writer, considers allegory to be a type of likening: ˝Allegory is likening in which, the likening reason is a description derived from two or more multiple things˝ (Taftazani, 1971: 553). Some contemporary researchers also consider allegory to be a type of likening: ˝The truth is, allegory is a branch of likening and for this reason, the term allegorical likening is frequently seen in rhetorical books˝. (Shafiee Kadkani, 2008: 78).
In addition to its concepts in rhetoric, and considering it as a type of likening and metaphor, allegory is attributed to a type of narration or so-called ˝Allegory˝ by foreign languages. Allegory or narrative parable, is a narrative-based method which presents non-fiction content in a narrative form: ˝Narrative allegory or allegory in literary term, is an extended narrative that has at least two layers of meaning: first layer, is story appearance (peoples and events) second layer, is a secondary and deeper meaning that can be found beyond the face and called it ˝allegory soul˝. In allegory, a mental idea is expressed through sensory medias˝. (Fotoohi, 2010: 258).
The purpose and necessity of the research
Ahmed Ghazali is one of the prominent persons in the world, whose worldview has had a tremendous influence on Sufi literature. Because Majd-o al Din was aware of the sciences of his time and was also active in the field of practical mysticism, he has been able to play a strong role in the history of Sufism. Also, Khajeh Ahmad's Persian works have great potential for research in terms of form and structure, since Ahmad Ghazzali was one of the innovators in the field of Sufism, and his prose is also debatable in terms of individuality in style, research on the narrative allegories in his works is necessary.
One of the goals of this research is to examine narrative allegories and their concepts in Ahmad Ghazali's Persian works. With this arrangement, we can study the role of this rhetorical trick in his works and reveal the hidden meanings in them.
Methods and research questions
This research, which is based on library studies and the descriptive-analytical method, examines narrative allegories in the Persian works of Ahmad Ghazali and answers these two questions through the classification:
- What is the role of narrative allegories in explaining Ahmad Ghazzali's views?
- What concepts and ideas are expressed by the narrative allegories in Ghazali's Persian works?
Discussion and review
Khajeh Ahmad Ghazzali, the elder brother of the outstanding thinker Mohammad Ghazzali, is among of famous and trend-setting Sufis of the fifth and sixth centuries AH, whose theology has been greatly influenced by his. He was orphaned in childhood and was placed under the care of his father's friend, Abu Ali Ahmad Razakani. Abul Fotooh has Shaafei religion, and in his path, benefited from the presence of great men such as Abu Bakr Nassaj and Abu Ali Farmazi, and had extraordinary skills in preaching and exhortation. “Emam Ahmad had a warm and captivating language in his sermons and speeches and expressed his views with utmost courage and fearlessness, even in the presence of the Caliph, sultans, and ministers of the time” (Homaii, 1963: 298).
He has left behind numerous books in the field of mysticism and Sufism, of which Savaneh- Al Oshshagh was the most important. The other book of Ghazzali was “Al Tajrid fi Kalameh Al-Touhid,” a collection in it the author interprets and analyzes the topic of monotheism (Ghazzali, 2005:3).
It can be mentioned from Khajeh Ahmad's books to the collection of “Majaales”, “Resaleh al-Einied”, “Resaleh Al-Toyour”, “Mokatebat-e Khajeh Ahmad Ghazzali Ba Ein Al-Ghozzat Hamedani”, and “Vasaya”.
In the works of mystics, grandees like Sanaii, Attar, Molana, … narrative allegory has been widely used. Also, in Ahmad Ghazzali's incontrovertible works, narrative allegories have been used to explain various concepts, especially his Majaales book, which stands out in this field.
It should be noticed that the characters of the narratives presented in Ghazzali's Persian works are mostly human; in other words, they are parables, and in one case, which is of course the greatest and most important of Ghazali's allegories, fables are used, and that is the story of the birds and the tale of Simorgh.
Conclusion
Narrative parables are among the techniques used in mystical-didactic texts to explain thought and understand it to the audience. Ahmad Ghazzali used this technique in his persian works and with this measure, not only strengthened the aesthetic dimension of his works, but also presents deep meaning and precise allusions to the audience in an understandable way; It should be noticed that the language of Ghazzali is coded and sign language, special in “Savaneh Al-Oshshagh” collection and using narrative allegory can greatly clarify the circumstances and moments of love for those familiar with this field. Savaneh collection can have different meanings, because it is an open text, and this issue has caused its commentators to have different interpretations and explanations of the allegorical narrations contained in it. This article consists of two parts: the first part is about love, whose allegorical narrations are taken from the collection of Savaneh Al-Oshshaq, and the second part is related to the mystical path that encompasses other Persian works of Ahmad Ghazzali. In the first part, allegorical narrations are analyzed and compared on the themes of the relationship between love and the spirit, love and the instrument of union, love and the intoxication and awakening, love and the sovereignty and glory of God, love and the charisma of beauty and the charisma of a beloved, lover, and likening and metaphor. Character of these allegorical narrations is sometimes mythology is the arena of love, like Mahmood and Ayyaz and Leyli and Majnoon, and sometimes Ghazzali used general titles like “Aashegh and Maashoogh” or “Mardi” or “Malek and Golkhan Taab”. Also, in one case, he used the “Ostad and Shaagerd” character that is related to his Sufism ideology. He also used metaphors, about mystical behavior, the most important of which is the story of birds, which is of the fable type. He used the religious grandees, especially Prophet Mohammad and Hazrat-e Fatima, and mystics like Mojahed, Joneid Baghdadi, Abubakr Katani, in the allegories that were used in the section of ethics and mysticism. Sometimes he also narrated stories from scholars and worshippers and spoke about Khalifas like Omar Bin Abdel Aziz. Ghazali's allegorical narrations regarding mystical conduct are different from the allegories in the book of Savaneh and have less semantic depth. Of course, there are deep and sublime concepts in the allegory of the birds, and various meanings can be derived from it, in accordance with the intellectual horizon of the interpreter.
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* Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Iran.
d.vaseqhi@yazd.ac.ir
** Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Yazd University, Iran.
mmaleksabet@yazd.ac.ir
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همایی، جلال¬الدّین (1342) غزّالی¬نامه، چاپ دوم، تهران، کتاب¬فروشی فروغی.