Persian mysticism, or the Persian love tradition, is a traditional interpretation of existence, life and love, reliant upon revelatory and heart-felt principles in reasoning. Though partially sourced from the mystical
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic on ...
traditions of the
Persian Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...
, in its contemporary practical aspects it is now synonymous with
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
in contemporary
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
Thought
Persian mystical thought has been analysed critically by
Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub
Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub ( Luri/ Persian: , also Romanized as ''Zarrinkoob'', ''Zarrinkub'', ) (March 17, 1923 – September 15, 1999) was a scholar and professor of Iranian literature, history of literature, Persian culture and history.
He was ...
,
Abdolkarim Soroush
Abdolkarim Soroush ( ; born Hossein Haj Faraj Dabbagh (born 1945; fa, حسين حاج فرج دباغ), is an Iranian Islamic thinker, reformer, Rumi scholar, public intellectual, and a former professor of phil ...
, and
Dariush Shayegan
Dariush Shayegan ( fa, داریوش شایگان; 24 January 1935 – 22 March 2018) was one of the most consequential thinkers of contemporary Iran and the Near East.
Life and career
He was born in Tabriz from an Shia Iranian Azeri father ...
. In
Rumi
Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلالالدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...
, one can find love-based mysticism; in
Hafiz the pleasure-based mysticism. Under Rumi's influences, Abdolkarim Soroush is currently working on power-based or epic mysticism.
[Smith, Huston. ''The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions.'' Harper: San Francisco, 1991. ]
Medieval Persian mystical figures
Modern art and the Persian mystical tradition
Persian mysticism has a significant impact on Iranian modern art.
See also
*
Persian poetry
Persian literature ( fa, ادبیات فارسی, Adabiyâte fârsi, ) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources h ...
*
Persian traditional music
Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the classical music of Iran (also known as ''Persia''). It consists of characteristics developed through the coun ...
*
Persianate society
A Persianate society is a society that is based on or strongly influenced by the Persian language, culture, literature, art and/or identity.
The term "Persianate" is a neologism credited to Marshall Hodgson. In his 1974 book, ''The Venture of Is ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persian Mysticism
Persian philosophy
Persian culture
The culture of Iran () or culture of PersiaYarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) is among the most influential in the world. Iran, also known as Persia, is widely considered to be one of the cradles of civilization. Due t ...
Esoteric interpretation of the Quran