THE DESCRIPTION OF STATIONS OF THE MYSTICAL PATH IN THE POEM “MANTIK AT-TAYR” BY FARID AD-DUN 'ATTAR

Abstract

Since the early periods of Sufism, different views have been expressed regarding the types, limits, characteristics, number and sequence of sites (maqams) of the mystical path (sayru suluk) — different Sufis and authors pointed out that the mystical path has from three to a thousand sites, and that these sites begin with taub (repentance), talab (search) or iradat (desire), and end with rida (contentment), marifat (cognition), fana (disappearance), baka (stay) or ittisal (connection). The Sufi poet and thinker Farid al-din Attar (1145–1221) also described the sites of the mystical path in his Sufi poem "Mantik at-tayr" ("Speech of Birds"). He considered them as consisting of seven statuses in the sequence talab (search), ishq (love), marifat (cognition), istigna (contentment with one's position), tawhid (monotheism), khairat (confusion), fana (disappearance) and baka (stay). In this work, these seven statuses are described in the form of seven valleys. In the realm of Uzbek Sufism, the exploration of the mystical path and its integral role in the theory and practice of Sufism and the depiction of these sites in the works of Sufi poets remains largely uncharted territory. From this perspective, the themes addressed in this article hold significant relevance, offering a fresh perspective on a topic of enduring scholarly interest. In particular, the study of the views of the Sufi poet and thinker Fariduddin Attar, a famous representative of Persian literature who had a great influence on the work of the Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi, is important for determining the issue of tradition and innovation of two poets who wrote poems on this topic. The author used descriptive, structuraldescriptive and descriptive-functional research methods.