Author

• M Hosseini

Abstract

In some Sufi hagiographies a dialogue between a Sufi man and a mystic woman is narrated, in most of which the woman is nameless and called so as well- Majhoolah al-Asmā‘a-.
According to certain narratives, while the Sufi man is in the state of meditation or ecstacy, the woman appears into an imaginary figure and solves his spiritual problems and guides him upon the Path.
There are some similarities among these anecdotes. This paper aims at discussing the features of these visits and characteristics of the dream woman in two of these tales, taken from the narratives related to Dhu al- Nun and Ibn al-،Arabi, the great Sufi masters of third and seventh centuries, in which She can be considered as Sophiā, Daenā, Shakhinā, or according to Yung as the anima of poet himself. This imaginary woman, in deed, is the hidden part of mystic’s soul which through meditation and revelation manifests and directs him in his spiritual journey. She as the product of Sufi active imagination, is divine manifestation of wisdom, grace and love.
The present paper consists of three parts. The first part deals with the positive look of Dhu al- Nun towards woman. The second talks of Ibn al-،Arabi’s school of love, in which woman plays a central role. Then, considering these two similar tales that narrate encounters with the anima, the important status of the dream woman in these situations has been discussed.

Keywords

• Animā
• Sophiā-Like Woman
• Ibn al-،Arabi
• Dhu al- Nun