Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mohamadail Salimi ¹
• hassan soltani koohbanani ²

¹ . PhD student, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Ilam, Ilam, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Ilam, Ilam, Iran. h.soltani@ilam.ac.ir

Abstract

In some sources, Rijal al-Ghayb refers to men belonging to the unseen, invisible, and chosen world whose spiritual aspect of life is more prominent than their physical life. This term does not appear in Persian mystical texts, but it is used in the writings of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi. Although the term rijal apparently refers to the male gender, we encounter many instances of this concept in mystical texts, where rijal refers to mystical women whose spiritual status is beyond ordinary human life. The main issue of this research, which is written in a descriptive-analytical manner and based on library sources, is to examine and analyze the status of mystical women under the seemingly contradictory title of "rijal women".The aim of the research is to analyze and explain the characteristics, traits, and miracles of women mentioned in Persian mystical texts. There are several categories of these women; some are well-known and famous and are mentioned in the Holy Quran. Another group of mystical women are famous, and another group is completely unknown.The results of the study indicate that the women in question have gone through various stages of servitude to reach the status of Rijal al-Ghaib and have reached a position where many miracles have been narrated about them. The subject of these miracles is often shaped around concepts and themes such as: insight, traveling on the earth, answering prayers, knowledge of the unseen, guidance, providing help, healing, and so on.

Keywords

• Rejāl al-Ghayb
• Women of the Invisible Men
• Miracles
• Persian Mystical Texts