Dr.
Hassan Bolkhari reviewed the mystical description of “Haft Shar-e-Eshq” i.e.
(The seven Cities of Love) in the works of Attar during the fourth set of
lectures on Attar. This session was held in the Book City Cultural Center on
Wednesday evening (August 10).
During
this session it was discussed that in Attar’s “Mantiq Al-Tayr”, a group of
birds begin a mysterious trip towards the Kaf Mountain in order to find a king.
Hoopoe, the birds’ leader explains to the other birds about Demand, Love,
Wisdom, Disdain, Monotheism, Wonder and Perish which are indeed the seven homes
of the “Love Trip”, or “Haft Shar-e-Eshq” :” The seven Cities of Love” as well.
Continuing
his speech Bolkhari said: In the realm of mysticism, those who reach the virtue
of realizing divine service have shouldered the mission to talk. This is
contrary to their aptitude, in other words If a mystic is left alone, he will
be retreated, since God bless you in the cloister. Plurality or better to say
being among others, brings sometimes so much contamination that the might tear
down the spirit of mystic from darkness and corruption.
He
added: secluding is the essence of Sufism. But the question here is why
Attar-who is indeed a Sufi-, does write “Mantiq Al-Tayr”? The answer is that he
had learned Mantiq Al-Tayr by himself and in this field he had acceded to the
wadi (valley) of demand. That is why those who read the book “Mantiq Al-Tayr” whole
heartedly, they will realize its language as well. While reading in this way,
what is so important is to achieve a "Demand" and becoming a
"Demander" means that he has intended to “Go”.
Bolkhari
noted: In the history of culture and literature of Iran, two beits are
attributed to Rumi. One of them is where he has renamed the Attar’s
"Seven-Wadis “, in to the" Seven Cities of Love” and has said: “the
seven-cities of love were toured by Attar / we still are bending over an alley,
"and this is another beit:" Attar is a soul and Sana’i is his two
eyes / we go after Sana’i and Attar.”
He
added: I have not seen these two beits in the Diwan of Shams or in Rumi's
Masnavi. Aflaki or Ahmad Sepahsalar has probably brought these two meanings to
describe the virtues of Rumi. But we know definitively that Rumi met Attar.
Once the Balkh caravan went to Mecca and then Konya, young Rumi met Attar and
Attar gave the book entitled: “Asrar-Nama (Book of Secrets)” to him. However,
such a meeting has taken place. The highlighted presence of Sana’i and Attar
among the disciples of Rumi is also undoubted. Be based upon these two
evidences, those two beits can be considered serious and real ones.
Bolkhari
said: two books are prominent among the works of Attar. The first one is
“Mantiq Al-Tayr” and the other one is “Tazkirat-al-Ulia” which is a prose
masterpiece. In expressing the birds’ flight towards the Phoenix, “Mantiq
Al-Tayr” is considered indeed the first significant artwork of Iranian and
Islamic civilization. The Phoenix of Avesta should not be ignored and also the
seven animates mentioned in Avestan and Pahlavi texts and said that they could
meet Ahura Mazda through co-questioning; are all in a sense similar to the
story of Attar ; Simurgh/ Phoenix is one of these seven animates as well.
He
continued: In the Iranian and Islamic civilization however, birds’ leaving the
land and flying towards Phoenix, is something old and frequent. Before Attar,
we had several “Resalat Ul-Tayrs "( the treatises on flight) such as dissertations
of Najm Razi, Ahmad Ghazali, Avicenna which was translated by Sheikh Eshragh.
However, it seems that “Mantiq Al-Tayr” is a term specifically used by Attar.
Although Khaghani has also a work entitled “Mantiq Al-Tayr” and this term is
not new, the Attar’s development of birds’ leaving and “Going the Way” is
unique and exclusive.
He
noted: I say it according to the comparative study of all the dissertations
written on birds’ travel in the Islamic civilization. In this arena, “Mantiq
Al-Tayr” of Attar seems has relied on its ancestors’ legacy and has used them
all to perfection.
Attar’s
Seven Cities of Love in “Mantiq Al-Tayr”
Dr.
Bolkhari added: It is after several questions and answers that the Seven Cities
of Love is mentioned in “Mantiq Al-Tayr ".The birds then departed towards
Kaf Mountain and "Hoopoe" serves as their guide and leader. The birds
raise many questions and Hoopoe answers them in wisdom. I am astonished by the
creative mind of Attar which led him to talk about the barriers of the journey
from the birds’ tongues so scholarly that if we don’t hear the answers of
hoopoe to them, we will give right to the birds that bring the excuse to
travel.
Then,
pointing out to the poetries of this masnavi; the scholar said: once on behalf
of a bird Attar says: "Another one said Hey; pathfinder / Our eyes became
exhausted from goggling the endless Valley/ The journey is like a punishment
/how many miles is the WAY hey pal?". . . This bird refers to the
hardships and difficulties of the “WAY”. Then the Hoopoe answers: " It
(the Hoopoe) said: We have seven intercepted Wadis /After passing all the Wadis
there will appear the Gate /No one came back from the way/ No one knows about
its length accordingly/ When no one came back from the long distance/ How can
one inform you; impatient/ When they all were lost there / How they can bring
news to aware you; full/. . . .
He
continued: Attar then explains the “Seven Wadis” as follows: " the Wadi of
demand is the beginning one / Then it follows by the Wadi of love/then the
third one is the Wadi of wisdom / Wadi of disdain is the fourth / The Wadi of
pure monotheism is the fifth /then the sixth is the horrid stunning Wadi/ Wadi
of poverty and death is the seventh / after passing through these ones ,you may
lost the ability to continue/you will go astray ; may lose the Way and you will
get thirsty and never find even a drop of clysma (Qulzum) water to drink.
Bolkhari
continued: Ahmad Ghazali has two epistles one of which is attributed to him
absolutely entitled: "Resalt Ul- Tayr” i.e. the treatise on flight. But
the other one which is called "Bahr ul-Haqiqat”/the Sea of Truth; is said
that is not written by him. There is no doubt that Attar had seen "Bahr
ul-Haqiqat”. Four trips have been mentioned in this book, two acquisitive trips
and two intuitive ones. Seven Seas are also mentioned which are as follows:
Wisdom, Glory, Monotheism, Piety, Divinity, Beauty and Observation. It seems
that "Bahr ul-Haqiqat”" and "Resalt Ul- Tayr” have been
effective on the advent of the seventh house of “Mantiq Al-Tayr ". The
reason lies under the similarities of the starting words of these papers with
the words in Attars’ “Mantiq Al-Tayr ".
Source:
IBNA News Agency