conference of the bird attar's epic masnavi

7/29/2019 Conference of the Bird Attar's epic Masnavi'

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4/10/13 Eric Gilston

Professor Oliver

Islam 470-001

The Conference of the Birds

Farid ud-Din Attar, the renown 12th

century mystic-poet, and author ofThe Conference of

the Birds conveys, allegorically, to his reader the mythical tradition ofSufisms oral and written

interpretation of the Quran. Whereby, Attar reveals these hidden meanings of his hearts

interpretation within this mythic story of which this epic-poem (masnavi) describes the extent of

his personal voyage upon the mystic path (Tariq). A journey that ultimately leads a seeker (Salik)

to the ontological revelation that God is one (al-Tawhid).1

Seemingly, Conference of the Birds

begins with a meeting of all the Birds in the world, an assembly called to discuss the matter of

their quarrels to which they all agree among themselves that they ought to elect a Shah to rule

over them.

However, no of them had attained the spiritual purity and wisdom to ascend the throne

and rule justly, and so all the birds, as Attar writes, Their tunes were mournful, as the crisis

weighed heavy on their hearts. They began to suffer like half slaughtered birds.2

Along comes

the Hoopoe, who suggests they visit the Semergh, and with the Hoopoe as their guide, the thirty-

birds decide to journey through the perils and tormenting sorrows of the Seven Valleys, which

one must endure to reach the doorstep of the Semergh. This is a journey of inner spiritual

cultivation or knowledge that one draws from reading and reciting, and personifying both the

Qurans revelation, and syllogistically God word and/or instruction to humankind. Thus, the

seeker, by and through metaphysically internalizing the Qurans divine laws and revelations,

learns the truth behind their existence.

1 Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam ( p. 98-99)2


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As these metaphysical modes of reasoning of perspectival relations might suggest, that

during the age of Antiquity there indeed existed an innate connection between the

material/human and divine planes, which has since, become philosophically splintered, the cause

being pedagogical opposition of viewing the two as separate, and distinct entities from each

other. In any case an, the point here is that Human modes were characterized by rationale,

theoretical and analytical attempts to grasp the world of nature through the observation and

deduction of sense-perception, whereas divine modes embodied a deep intuitive sense of

transcendent principles governing an emanating throughout creation, apprehended only through

the highest intellectual principle in the soul which recognized the images of its divine source.

The former entailed the separation of the observer from the object observed, the latter direct

participation in it in working out of cause and effect. It is these contrasting modes that viewed

syncretically, suggests, as Angela Voss reiterates Henry Corbins idea concerning this

angelic/third-level of the Active Intelligence that, as Angela Voss states, in her dissertation paper

(given to the Jupiter Trust of Oxford, Nov. 10th

2009), the active Imagination is not a theory, it

is an initiation to vision.3

Before this happens the entire ego/self must be scorched in the flames of the love of the

Beloved. In this way, when Arch Angel Gabriel descended upon Muhammad, while he meditated

in the cave and said, Recite! to which Mohammed asked Recite what?the formers response

was, Recite in the name of your Lord, that which what is written in your heart. In this fashion

the Prophet said, Thesharia are my words [aqwali], the tariqa are my actions [amali], and

the haqiqa is my interiorstates [ahwali]. The several degrees of which the seeker or adept must

learn in order to reach the inexplicably painful and daunting task of travelling through the Seven

3 Angela Voss,Becoming an Angel: the Mundus imaginalis of Henry Corbin and the Platonic path of self-

knowledge (paper given at the Jupiter Trust, Oxford, Nov. 10th 2007) (p. 1-2)


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Valleys to reach the dwelling of the Semergh; who is king of the birds and the Islamic mystical

equivalent of the Phoenix of western mythology.4

According to a report by mystic-poet Jami, in it, he claims that the Angel (ruhaniya) of

Mansur Hallaj (d. 309/922) was Fariduddin Attar of Nishapur (d.617/1220) spiritual guide and

master, or being-of-Light, in which therein lies the existential crisis of humankind and their

relation to the divine.5

In this report by Jami, he reveals something much more interesting in

Poetic tradition of Sufism that which is referred to as the Active Intelligence, by Sufi-French

scholar and intiate, Henry Corbin, as he suggests the predisposition of, each human being is

oriented toward a quest for his personal invisible guide, or that he entrusts himself to the

collective, magisterial authority as the intermediary between himself and Revelation. The

spiritual autonomy of an Ibn Arabi goes hand in hand with the characteristic trait of the Fedeli

damore, referred to above.6

If we take Annemarie Schimmels notion that Religionconsists of giving good advice,

and for the mystic this entails the tradition of a teacher (murid) assisting his/her disciples on the

narrow path of (tarqia) by which the mystical guide becomes a conditio sine qua non of the

evolutionary state that the human spirit must undergo in its realization of Gods perfection and

humankinds imperfection, and that in the case of latter one is able to refine those imperfect

qualities in the realization of Gods perfection- that subsumes or entire ontological status;

whether one realizes this or not.7

Here we can see the role of the Hoopoe as a prophetic guide

and perhaps even mythical hero (in Joesph Campbell sense of the definition) to help the thirty-

4 Angela Voss, Becoming an Angel: theMundus Imaginalis ofHenry Corbin and the Platonic path of self-knowledge (p. 1) See Henry Corbins,Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn

Arabi5Henry Corbin, Alone with the Alone: The Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn Arabi: (p. 33)

6 Ibid. (p. 33)7Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical dimensions of Islam (p. 100)


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three Bird on their journey up the Mountain of Qaf. And so, we also find that the mystical

tradition of Sufism is passed down to the believers through the vision of intiation, which is

guided by the Angel (Ruhaniya).

Thus we shall not be surprised to find that Henry Corbins doctrine of Sufi faith and

belief is similar to theirs [Attar and Hallaj], and it is not surprise that Ibn Arabi was influence

heavily by Attar and Hallaj. In other words, the figure of the Angel-Intelligence-as Holy Spirit,

Angel of Knowledge and of Revelation commands all orientations, all the Approaches and

withdrawals which occur in the spiritual topography here outlined, accordingly as we accept or

as we sidestep the personal relation it suggests, the corresponsibility for personal destiny

assumed by the along with the Alone.8

In this manner, the Arabic word friend (Wali;plural

awilya) implies a certain existential relationship expressed in the Angel Intelligence, which

alludes to one of the names of God, revealed in the Quran (3:68) as the friend of the faithful.9

Taking this, in context of Fariduddin Attars Conference of the Birds, the correlation

therein being the relationship between the Hoopoe Bird, who acts as a spiritual guide, for the

other thirty-three birds on their journey towards the Semergh dwelling. This dialectical

relationship reveals how the Qurans revelatory message is transubstantiated from Gods word

unto the believers heart, upon reading its divine language, that of which is embedded upon each

individuals heart. Similarly, this might help explain the didactic stories that are told to us by the

Hoopoe, as he helps the Birds on their journey. So between these allegories, one sees the teacher

and student just as the subjective and objective relations between the audience and the author,

perhaps even explaining Attars own existential quandary, as is presented by the Hoopoewho

has met the Smirghand the other thirty-three birds. Thus, the Hoopoe allegorical significance,

8 Ibid (p. 33)9 Carl W. Ernst, Sufism: An Introduction to the Mytiscal Tradition of Islam


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as the spiritual guide suggests the Active-Intelligence, which is, again, alluded to, as by Jami, as

Mansur al-Hallaj being-of-light, to which has been Attars spiritual guide on his personal

mystic path.10

This, of course, is a purely speculative conjecture, but in any case, it still tells us

something about the ways in which Farriduddin Attar may have interpreted the Quranic

revelatory message in Gods word, as revealed in the Quran, by means of his epic poem

(Masnavi). Through which he conveys the essence of his Sufi faith and belief; an their mystical

interpretation of the Quran. As such, his Islamic epic-poem (Masnavi) reveals the spiritual

keysto understanding the hidden messages of Gods revelations and message to humankind.

And so, there is a certain congruency to which each persons journey is to find their Gaurdian

Angel or Simurgh, watching over every individual, and to this effect, one finds the Quran surah,

entitled The Nightly Visitant, says,

By the heaven, and by the nightly visitant! Would that you knew what the nightly

visitant is! It is the star of piercing brightness. For every soul there is a guardian watching it. Let

man reflect from what he is created. He is created from an ejaculated fluid that issues from

between the loins and the ribs. Surely He has power to bring him back to life, on the day when

mens consciences are searched. Helpless shall he be, with none to succor him. By the heaven

with its recurring cycles, and by the earth, ever bursting with new growth; this is a discerning

utterance, no flippant jest. They scheme and scheme: and I, too, scheme and scheme. Therefore

bear with the unbelievers, and let them be awhile. (Quran: 86:1-11)

Speaking directly to this issue of interpretation, a literary dilemma arises that which is the

distance from the initiates hearts to that of Attars interpretation of the Quran. This is to say that

10 Quran (3:68)


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there may indeed be something lost in the translation of Islamic sacred-texts in so far as

interpretations are not up for questioning, and as far as reader, in is his/her own interpretation of

the Quran, is not in touch with the divine, and has not been intiated to its secret meanings. This

notion, of course, presents a translative as well as a sense-perspectival paradox in Islamic literary

tradition that goes back, as far as the Shiite and Sunni divide in the seventh century, and that

which also lies within the hidden meanings of the Qurans revelations. That which, can also be

viewed, as an expression of Attars hearts longing for Tawhid within the literary boundaries of

his epic-poem ofThe Conference of the Birds, and so, hisMasnavi isa personal interpretive

proclamation of his souls unique Sufi mystical interpretation of the Quran and the oneness of

God.

Taken in this context we must consider the very way in which Attars interpretive

imagination and/or poetic inspiration has helped to transubstantiate the Quran into the allegorical

story of, The Conference of the Birds. This notion may be an example of the functioning of the

Angelic/Active intelligence, which plays a critical role in the Sufi mystical poetic tradition

(tawil). In lieu of the subject it might be wise to end an analysis of Attars work, with in his own

words, and to this effect,

Gods essence creates the seas waves. What damage can the waves do to the sea? The

sea is consider to be a sea whether its water has waves or not, but there is no wave without water.

The existence of the wave depends on the sea. If you mediate on this or loves secrets you will be

mingling with Gods qualities and with your awareness you will dare to say that main aim of

creation is you! There is nothing but you! You are a perfect description and one who understands

the difficulties of existence! That is why you ponder your existence and whatever you want you

search for in yourself! You are an amazing attractive bird in the garden of Paradise and you are


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pure in the flower garden of glory. However, the flock that sought Semergh found the way

traveling under hardship. They were devoted to this road and from this seeking union resulted.

You also have a chance. If you fix your bad qualities, you will attain the goal! If you are not

devoured in this way, and speak lowly or embellished words, you are sure to be hung, This is to

say, that, just as a moth endlessly floats around the light of a candle-flame, and is eventually

killed in its desire for the flame; so too is the Sufi mystic-poet intoxicated to the point of their

utter extinction of his/her soul(s) in their love for God, a journey that the mystic takes to, once

again, be reunited with their creator.

conference of the bird attar's epic masnavi

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