https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/ Mystical Studies en daily 1 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115764.html Bayazid Bastami was one of the Sukri mystics of the second and third centuries and a member of the Jonban dynasty of the Khorasan school. Critical discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary theory and Its attempt is to discover the hidden meaning of the text. Theon Van Dyke Is one of the famous theorists of this theory. In his approach, he mentioned the ideology square and interpreted and decoded the text by contrasting Individuals into two groups of Insiders and outsiders. The attempt of this research was to analyze Bayazid's tales In Attar's Tazkirat al-Awliya' based on Theon Van Dyke's theory of critical discourse analysis and using a descriptive-analytical method. This research concludes that Bayazid, despite his mystical background and concern for intoxication and mystical annihilation, was firmly committed to the Sharia and tradition, and also considered himself responsible for important issues, especially the Sharia and the guidance of people and society. On this basis, Bayazid Bastami, In his stories, criticized the great men of the time, the deceivers and the untouchables of the court of Oneness, those who have only understood the appearance of the Sharia and have sometimes used religion as a means to achieve worldly goals, by using more Ideologies such as negative attributes, negative representation, debate,Certification, etc., In order to separate the head from the tail and to familiarize the people of society with the lives of true mystics and scholars and the true foundations of the Sharia https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115780.html The unity of existence is a theory of interest in mysticism and philosophy, which has diverse and different views. Some of these views are wrong and not compatible with religious principles and lead to harmful results, but among these views there are correct views that the unity of existence is one of the most famous and attention-grabbing of these views.and since, from the point of view of many commentators, the ultimate view of mysticism and also the transcendental wisdom is the unity of existence, this article shows that the other correct perceptions of the unity of existence, which are the unity of the existence, the unity of the divine, the unity of intuition, and the unity of the mind, can be referred to in a kind of way. They have personal unity. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115766.html This study examines the mystical experience from the perspectives of Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī and Meister Eckhart, focusing on the three key concepts of jadhbah (divine attraction), juhd (spiritual striving), and tawakkul (trust in God). Employing a qualitative content analysis of primary texts—including Rūmī’s Mathnawī and Dīwān-e Shams and Eckhart’s Sermons and Treatises—the research elucidates the structure of the mystical experience within Islamic and Christian mystical traditions. The study’s originality lies in interpreting juhd as the mediating link between divine attraction and trust in divine will—a dimension largely overlooked in comparative mystical studies. Findings indicate that while both mystics regard jadhbah as the initiating moment of mystical experience, they diverge significantly in their understanding of juhd and tawakkul: Rūmī conceives jadhbah as an expression of divine mercy, juhd as active love, and tawakkul as hopeful reliance on the path to proximity with God; whereas Eckhart views jadhbah as union with the Divine Essence, juhd as the complete abandonment of the self-will, and tawakkul as annihilation into the absolute “Nothingness.” This comparison not only reveals fundamental similarities in the origin of mystical experience but also highlights profound differences in the existential structure of the spiritual path, offering a comparative framework for understanding mystical experience within theistic traditions of East and West. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115767.html The increasing prevalence of digital technologies, especially Augmented Reality (AR), has sparked questions about the possibility of recreating mystical experiences, particularly the vision of God (Ru'yat Allah) in Islamic mysticism. This research offers an epistemological and ontological comparison, highlighting the fundamental differences between the vision of God – an intuitive, transformative experience rooted in self-purification and divine unveiling – and AR experiences, which are essentially sensory and material simulations. The core issue investigated is digital technology's inability to reproduce the spiritual elements of divine vision, such as heartfelt intuition and divine manifestation, when contrasted with AR's digital characteristics like sensory immersion and visual simulation. By analyzing mystical texts (from Ibn Arabi, Qushayri, and Ruzbihan Baqli) through the lenses of Baudrillard's simulation theory and Heidegger's phenomenology, the study concludes that the vision of God, due to its direct and transcendent nature in the realm of authentic presence, cannot be simulated by AR, which is limited to artificial simulation. This pioneering comparative study proposes the theoretical framework of "the distinction between the realm of authentic presence and artificial simulation" to explain digital technology's limitations in replicating mystical experiences, offering insights for designing spiritual educational tools and understanding technology's impact on spirituality, with future research suggested on the psychological effects of digital experiences on the mystical path. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115768.html Love is one of the fundamental themes of Islamic mysticism, and this word is completely intertwined with Persian literature, especially mystical literature. Poets and mystics have used this word extensively and have sanctified it. Sheikh Ahmad Sirhandi, who is considered one of the famous mystics of the tenth and eleventh centuries AH, has also addressed this fundamental keyword in his writings. This article aims to examine the subject of love and affection in Sheikh Sirhandi’s writings using the method of text analysis and to answer the question of what place love has in his mystical system and what characteristics he has listed for love in his writings. The results of the data show that Sheikh Sirhandi, while considering love as one of the pillars of conduct, like other mystics, has also identified and expressed its significant characteristics in an innovative way. He considers love and affection to be a subset of the Khallat, and in his opinion, Khallat is created both by the Supreme Creator (=God), the cause of creation, and by the existent (=creatures); even non-existence is in its own solitude thanks to Khallat, which has been created by its own nothingness and has become the medium of the existence of beings. He also believes that love and affection are a means of separation from others, and worship without love is the same as self-worship. He also believes that ecstasy and dancing are for beginners and that those who have attained perfection are not people of commotion and excitement. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115769.html Islamic mysticism, as it can be divided theoretically and practically, can also be categorized into individual and social mysticism. In individual mysticism, the discussion is about the purification and training of the soul through discovery and intuition, but social mysticism also considers the interaction of humans, which has led to the construction of different discourses. The present study has examined the social mysticism of the Qajar period using a descriptive-analytical method. The results of the study of the performance of mystical and Sufi movements show that all Sufi sects have benefited more or less from the developments of this period. However, in some Sufi branches, including Munis Alishahi, Safi Alishahi, and the Brotherhood Association, the social mysticism branch has found a much more prominent appearance. On the eve of Iran's entry into modernity, they have adopted more progressive approaches, while maintaining the identity and teachings of classical mysticism, in accordance with the needs of society, and have had extensive and significant activities in providing new areas of education, awakening, empathy, and social participation. The most important example of these actions has been in aligning with intellectual and freedom-loving currents, through the formation of parties, the publication of modern-style publications, the establishment of new schools, and the like. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115770.html The concept of Wahdat al-Wujud has long been a subject of contention among Muslim philosophers. Ever since its introduction by Ibn Arabi, it sparked a wave of opposition and accusations of heresy. This intricate philosophical-mystical idea, challenging to translate and interpret into languages other than Arabic and Persian, gradually matured through the efforts of Sheikh al-Akbar. From the 7th AH onward, it was introduced into Persian literature through the intermediary role of Qunawi, paving the way for its influence on the works of luminaries such as Rumi and Hafiz. One key focus of the current research is examining the link between Wahdat al-Wujud and Persian painting. By concentrating on creation phenomena from Ibn Arabi's perspective, it seeks to map these philosophical concepts onto the visual elements of Iranian art, revealing their connections. The central question driving this study revolves around how Iranian painters absorbed and reflected Ibn Arabi’s mystical teachings on the Unity of Existence in their artistic creations. Employing a qualitative methodology with descriptive-analytical and interpretative approaches. This research was conducted qualitatively and with a descriptive-analytical and interpretive approach. Overall, it seems that Ibn Arabi's principles are depicted in the cover of a painting inspired by literature that the seemingly simple visual elements have deep meanings that are in harmony with Ibn Arabi's views on the unity of existence. Majnun is a sincere lover who has reached the love of God and during the Hajj season his heart has the capacity for the almighty and he speaks of divine love and oneness with Laila, and is occupied with secrets and needs in the crowd of pilgrims. The four-sided Kaaba is a symbol of God's encompassing of existence, and by depicting the story of Majnun's Hobb (love) and his pilgrimage to the four-sided Kaaba, the artist refers to the Quranic verse, "He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden" (57:3), which means that the beginning and end of everything goes back to the Truth, which is aware of the appearances and inwardness of everyone, and that the various affairs and multiple determinations of the world are all different manifestations of a single truth. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115771.html This article examines the epistemological and behavioral framework of Sayyid Hossein Yaghoubi Qaini, a prominent Shia mystic rooted in the Najaf school. His intellectual system combines a path of love-based spiritual practice with complete and unwavering adherence to Islamic law (Sharia), rejecting mystical paths not based on the Quran and Sunnah, as well as organized discipleship. Relying on his works – especially Safinat al-Sadiqin – biographical sources, and comparative analysis with contemporary mystical movements, this research re-examines his epistemological and educational system and its distinguishing elements. It presents a qualitative study with a documentary-analytical approach, examining data from his works, biographies, reports of meetings, conversations, and audio files. The research utilizes thematic and comparative analysis with certain mystical currents. It explains his five-level ontology, categorization of mystical experiences, and critical stance towards other mystical schools. The findings suggest that Yaghoubi's model offers a balanced model of Shia mysticism that safeguards against deviation while opening the path to spiritual growth. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115772.html This study examines the transformative role of artificial intelligence in revitalizing and applying classical mystical texts to the social life of modern humans. The research method is analytical-descriptive, based on the theoretical framework of computational hermeneutics and machine learning, with sampling focused on Rumi's FihMa Fih . The research demonstrates that AI, through four main mechanisms, is capable of bridging the gap between the abstract and intuitive concepts of the mystical world and the tangible issues of contemporary life. It can emerge as an intelligent intermediary for understanding texts, facilitating access and application of concepts, creating multi-sensory interactions, and fostering the formation of learning communities based on the intellectual framework of today's user.Finally, it is argued that AI, not as a replacement but in the role of an interpretive interface, can transfer texts such as "Fihi Ma Fihi" from a purely academic standing to the realm of individuals' everyday lives, transforming them into powerful tools for enhancing individual and social resilience in facing the challenges of the modern world. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115773.html The narrations concerning the creation of Eve from Adam’s left rib have persistently posed challenges due to their apparent contradiction with the Qur’an and reason, and have consequently been approached predominantly through a critical lens.Departing from such literal readings, this study seeks to uncover and analyze the underlying pattern of symbolism embedded in these narrations, employing thematic analysis within the framework of theoretical mysticism, with particular emphasis on the school of Transcendent Philosophy(al-Ḥikmah al-Muta‘āliyah).The novelty of this research lies in offering a systematic analysis of this symbolic reading and articulating its practical-spiritual(sulūkī) implications. These implications are twofold: first, the philosophical justification of the concept of tawassul(intercession) through the saints of God(awliyā’ Allāh) as channels of the perfect intellect; and second, delineating the relationship between intellect(‘aql) and soul(nafs) in terms of a "spiritual guide" and "wayfarer," thereby emphasizing the soul’s inherent need for intellectual guidance in order to attain perfection and proximity to the Divine.This analysis offers a rationally grounded response, rooted in Transcendent Philosophy, to the questions raised around this class of narrations. In this mystical reading, Adam symbolizes the "level of the Intellect," Eve symbolizes the "level of the Soul," and the "left rib" serves as an allusion to the material and emotional dimensions of human existence. The fundamental finding of this study is that these narrations, in their esoteric depth, speak of the genesis of the soul from the intellect and its intrinsic dependence upon the intellect's guidance for the fulfillment of its perfection and nearness to God. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115774.html The problem of the infinitude of the Necessary Being is one of the most fundamental issues in philosophical and mystical theology within Islamic thought. Philosophers from Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) to Mullā Ṣadrā have considered divine infinitude as a direct consequence of the Necessary Being’s essential necessity and absolute simplicity, whereas the mystics have interpreted it in terms of the personal and absolute unity of existence. This study aims to provide a comparative explanation of these two approaches and to analyze their logical implications, focusing on the relationship between the infinite nature of the Necessary Being and the unity of existence. The research employs an analytical–comparative methodology, based on textual and conceptual analysis of philosophical and mystical sources, in order to compare the epistemological and ontological foundations of both traditions. The findings show that once the actual infinitude of God—which is equivalent to the simplicity of the Necessary Being—is accepted, the personal and absolute unity of existence must logically follow, since within the presence of an infinite and boundless Being, no independent reality can remain. Consequently, theories such as existential interpenetration or dual-layered reality are inconsistent with the premises of divine infinitude. The study concludes that the infinitude of the Necessary Being, both logically and ontologically, entails the personal unity of existence and the system of manifestation (tashʾun), wherein Islamic philosophy and mysticism ultimately converge upon the same truth. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115775.html As modern human beings face numerous psychological pressures and existential challenges, revisiting the relationship between the two concepts of psychological self-confidence and mystical reliance (tawakkul) becomes increasingly necessary.This study aims to explain and compare the concept of self-confidence in contemporary psychology with the notion of tawakkul in Ibn ʿArabi’s theoretical mysticism, to clarify whether these two are in conflict or can, in fact, complement each other in the path of human perfection.Employing an analytical-comparative approach and based on documentary research, this paper examines Ibn ʿArabi’s major works—such as al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya and Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam—and compares them with the theories of psychologists, including Rogers, Adler, Maslow, and Bandura.The findings indicate that Ibn ʿArabi, at the early stages of spiritual wayfaring, considers tawakkul to be in harmony with self-confidence, since reliance is placed on the self connected to God, not on an independent self. At higher levels, as the wayfarer annihilates in the Divine will, tawakkul becomes absolute.Therefore, from a mystical perspective, self-confidence is not to be absolutely negated but rather signifies the spiritual elevation and transcendence of the human self. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115776.html Since the fourth century, Sufis have collected the sayings of Sufi elders in the style of hadith books, the reason for which was fear of innovations, confrontation with accusations, or education of disciples. The result of this was the creation of important books in Sufism such as: Al-Lama, Al-Ta’raf, Tabaqat al-Sufiya Salmi, Risalat al-Qushayriyyah, etc. in Arabic and works such as: Kashf al-Mahjoob, Asrar al-Tawhid, Tazkirat al-Awliya, Nafhat al-Ans, etc. in Persian. These works have mostly recorded the sayings of Sufi elders in a thematic classification, and some others, such as Tabaqat al-Sufiya Salmi and Ansari, have tried to narrate the important sayings of each of the elders in a section dedicated to him. By researching these sources, we find that there are many mistakes in them. In this article, we have attempted to point out and examine two common and important errors in the attribution of sayings to Sufi sheikhs. These two errors include: visual and auditory errors in recording the name of the speaker of a saying, and also attributing a saying to its narrator instead of the original speaker. Omitting the chain of narrators is the root of all these errors, as this has led to a lack of accuracy in the transmission of the sheikhs' sayings. This article will also examine the manner in which these errors occur, along with giving examples of them. https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115777.html "Divine Accompaniment" is one of the fundamental theological, philosophical, and mystical concepts. Relying on an analytical-comparative method, this article examines the perceptions of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi regarding the concept of “Divine Accompaniment” and identifies the points of convergence and divergence in their perspectives. Al-Ghazali elucidates the concept of God’s “Subsistent Accompaniment” in his works, including Ihya’ Ulum al-Din, Al-Radd al-Jamil li-Ilahiyyat 'Isa bi-Sarih al-Injil, Kimiya-yi Sa’adat, Mizan al-'Amal, Mishkat al-Anwar, Fada’il al-Anam (from his Rasail), and Jawahir al-Qur’an. Similarly, Ibn Arabi explains the concept of “Divine Accompaniment” through his theory of “Oneness of Being” (Wahdat al-Wujud) in works such as Fusus al-Hikam, Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya, and Kashf al-Ma’na ‘an Sirr Asma’ Allah al-Husna. The findings of this research indicate that both thinkers affirm the permanent accompaniment of God with His creation; however, each approaches the issue from a different perspective and utilizes distinct terminology. In al-Ghazali’s thought, “Divine Accompaniment” is closely linked to the concepts of “purification of the soul” (tazkiyat al-nafs), “meditation/watchfulness” (muraqaba), and the presence of God in the heart of the believer, reflecting the relationship between divine accompaniment, obedience, servitude ('ubudiyya), and practical mysticism. In contrast, for Ibn Arabi, “Divine Accompaniment” is explained from the perspective of Wahdat al-Wujud and the presence of God through the very essence of beingness ('ayn al-'ayniyya) with creatures. Therefore, “accompaniment” in al-Ghazali’s thought is centered on the connection between the Creator and the created within the realm of spiritual journeying (suluk) and righteous action, whereas in Ibn Arabi’s thought, it is centered on the manifestation (tajalli) of Divine Names and Attributes within the framework of both transcendence (tanzih) and immanence (tashbih). https://s-erfani.kashanu.ac.ir/article_115778.html Abstract:Explaining the position of asceticism among moral virtues is one of the issues that, despite its importance in introducing Islamic heritage and reviving moral theories in Islamic tradition, has received less attention in moral research. This article attempts to critically examine the relationship between asceticism and morality in the thought of one of the ascetic writers using an analytical method. The findings of the research show that Ibn al-Arabi, as one of the ascetic writers of the third century AH, considered asceticism as the whole of morality and by writing a book titled "Al-Zuhd", he sought to write a book on morality in a way that could fully cover the theory of moral values and virtues. At the same time, he gave an incomplete explanation of ethics and did not address some of the key components of asceticism, such as wisdom (which underlies the components of certainty and sincerity), justice (which underlies the components of self-balance and humility, etc.), sacrifice (which underlies the components of patience, trust, contentment, etc.), and chastity (which underlies the components of contentment, piety, generosity, etc.), despite their centrality in his explanation of ethics. For this reason, Ibn al-Arabi was unable to explain ethics as a coherent network of virtues and vices in the context of describing asceticism as the whole of ethics.