Abstract

The concept of wish is one of the most basic concepts of the Sufi literature and culture. Also, it is of high frequency in themes and motives of Persian tales. In the present article an attempt has been made to examine the typology of this motive, its goal, examples and functions in the Sufi texts. This survey clarifies the following.
1) Although the mystical desires have high as well as low examples, but most of them are material and worthless so as they may be reckoned among caprices.
2) Since, to wish, from viewpoint of Sufism, regarded as objection against the Divine providence and teachings of spiritual masters, it is taken blameworthy.
3) In most cases, desires in general and material desires in particular are not fulfilled, and if so, they will bring up repentance and punishment.
4) Desire in Manteq al-Tayr and Mosibat Nāma of Attār has a positive direction, and since the aspirants-birds or followers of the path-have reached the full self-negation and annihilated in the Ultimate Reality, so their wish which is the integration with The Real is fulfilled.
5) Wish in Sufi tales has generally four functions:
i) The starter element of story
ii) The formative element of story
iii) The complementary element of story
iv) The concluding element of story

Keywords

• Wish
• Caprice
• Sufi Desires
• Motive