From Rumi to Lalon: A Comparative Study of Humanism in Persian and Bengali Mysticism
Tanjina Binte Nur
Dhaka University Journal of Persian October 25, 2026 DOI: 10.68651/dujp.v8i1.3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that Rumi and Lalon Shah share a humanist Sufi outlook centered on reverence for the human soul, divine love, and spiritual universality, and that both favor inner experience over external religious formalism and reject social and religious discrimination. |
Abstract
This paper explores the manifestation of humanism in Persian and Bengali Sufism by comparing the mystical thoughts of Jalal al-Din Rumi and Lalon Shah. Both mystics, though from different cultural and temporal contexts, represent a deep reverence for the human soul and emphasize inner experience over external religious formalism. The study highlights their shared emphasis on divine love, human dignity, and spiritual universality that transcends sectarian divides. By analyzing selected poetic and philosophical expressions, the article argues that both figures champion a form of mysticism rooted in compassion, self-knowledge, and a rejection of social and religious discrimination.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |