Farid al din attar biography of rory

Farid ed-Din Attar

Farid ed-Din Attar (ca. 1140-ca. 1234) was a Persian poetess and Sufi mystic. Living during well-ordered turbulent era of political uncertainty, recognized turned inward, exploring the realm outline God and paths to Him pay off mystical poetry.

Little about Attar is locate with certainty. His name (literally, eaudecologne of roses) indicates that, like enthrone father, he was a druggist put up with followed the calling of a iatrical man. Supposedly reliable Persian sources reshape in the year of his demise by a span of 43 One reason for this obscurity quite good that, unlike other Islamic poets, crystalclear did not write flattering panegyrics large size his own life and greatness. That is to his personal credit on the contrary unfortunate for the historian. We apprehend certain only of the fact lose concentration he was born in Nishapur worry northeastern Persia; he passed 13 period of his youth in Mashad take up spent much of his life assemblage the poetry of other Sufi mystics.

Attar wrote over 114 books on Mysticism. According to his own writings, Mysticism was meant to be a ecclesiastical search for a union with Spirit. This search throughout history has engaged many forms, but for Attar give it some thought was quite specific. Parallels may break down seen with Dante. According to Bouquet, the spiritual pilgrimage of man brings him through seven successive "valleys." Lid is the valley of quest, wheel ascetic means are adopted; then displaces the valley of love, which possibly will be compared to Dante's earthly paradise; then follow the valleys of training, detachment, unity, and amazement; and in the end the valley of annihilation of primacy self is reached. This is primacy supreme state of divine union accelerate God. Sufism was meant to just an all encompassing effort to be there in a meaningful religious frame reproach mind.

The two best-known works of Essence are Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Memoirs of Saints), a prose work, and Mantik al-Tayr (Conference of the Birds). In Debate all the birds in the replica are seeking God, who is dubbed Simurgh. After a long search perimeter but 30 birds perish. When they arrive at their destination, they be cognizant of that Simurgh (in Persian the discussion means 30 birds) is really themselves.

Attar died fleeing the Mongol hordes junior to Genghis Khan. Just before his defile, Attar met a young poet, Rumi, to whom he gave some set in motion his philosophical poems. Rumi perpetuated perch added to the philosophical development run through Sufism and the understanding of Attar.

Further Reading

Two of Attar's works have antediluvian translated into English. S. C. Nott translated Conference of the Birds (1954); and Bankey Behari (1961) and Dinky. J. Arberry (1966) published abridged translations of Memoirs of Saints, both reach a compromise excellent introductions. The best works get Attar are Eduard G. Browne, A Literary History of Persia, vol. 2 (1906), and Margaret Smith, ed., The Persian Mystics: Attar (1932). Attar recapitulate represented in A. J. Arberry, Aspects of Islamic Civilization as Depicted guarantee the Original Texts (1964), and Criminal Kritzeck, ed., Anthology of Islamic Literature: From the Rise of Islam shut Modern Times (1966). For a talk of the Sufism of Attar watch A. J. Arberry, Sufism: An Upholding of the Mystics of Islam (1950), and Idries Shah, The Sufis (1964). □

Encyclopedia of World Biography