Mystical Landscapes in Medieval Persian Literature
January 31, 2025 DOI: 10.3366/edinburgh/9781399533201.001.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Edited essay collection |
|---|---|
| Key points | The collection presents focused scholarly essays on major authors and genres of medieval Persian mystical literature, addressing topics such as 'Attar's The Speech of the Birds, 'Aziz Nasafi on religion, Rumi's conversations with the Divine, Sufi Qur'an commentary, and the use of Sufi manuals, life stories, and utterances, in order to bring the depth and eloquence of this literature to life. |
Abstract
In this collection of essays on major authors and genres of medieval Persian mystical literature, established scholars in the field share their scholarship on one of their favorite subjects. Breaking out of the all-inclusive literary history framework, they write on the choice topics that energized their scholarship over time. The topics are varied. How to interpret the climactic conclusion to the framing narrative of The Speech of the Birds of ‘Attar of Nishapur? How did ‘Aziz Nasafi understand the concept of religion? What do Rumi’s conversations with the Divine tell us about his teachings and his poetry? What do medieval Persian Sufi commentators add to our understanding the Qur’an? How to utilize Sufi manuals, life stories, and utterances? All these explorations and more bring the depth and eloquence of Persian mystical literature to life in this volume.