Sufism in Attar's "The Conference of the Birds" Selected Translation by Peter Avery: Representations of Mystical Experience in Islamic Literature
Al-NASR February 23, 2024 DOI: 10.53762/alnasr.03.01.e04 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key points | Argues that examining Attar's "The Conference of the Birds" alongside modern writings reveals how authors use Sufi traditions, themes, symbols, and practices to allegorize mystical experience and spiritual search, and that this interdisciplinary literary, cultural, and religious studies approach illuminates the connection between Sufism and fiction and its relevance to modern Muslim identity and spirituality. |
Abstract
In this paper, we seek to evaluate the presentation of Sufism in Attar's “The Conference of the Birds”, a Poem translated into the English by Peter Avery, in the Islamic literature. The investigation in its turn is directed on the modern writings to expose how the authors derive from the Sufi traditions the themes, the symbols, and acts to allegorize the many mystical experiences and spiritual search. The combination of literature, cultural, and also religious studies will bring in new perspectives to the study of Sufism and fiction to also enhance our understanding of the connection between Sufism and the fiction, and its importance concerning the modern Muslim identity and the spirituality.