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'Ishq and the Literary: Exploring Rūmī's Mathnawī As a Sufi Text

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'Ishq and the Literary: Exploring Rūmī's Mathnawī As a Sufi Text ‘Ishq and the Literary: Exploring Rūmī’s Mathnawī as a Sufi Text Sirin Yasar Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2016 Asia Institute The University of Melbourne ! i! Thesis Abstract: Although there has been a bourgeoning corpus of studies on Rūmī in terms of his mystical ideas, there has been till present, very little attention paid to the literary aspects of his works – especially the Mathnawī as his narrative magnum opus. This thesis explores Rūmī’s Mathnawī to understand how it functions in the broader context of Sufism and literary production. Its approach is twofold: first, it provides a close literary reading of select passages from the Mathnawī through generic, rhetorical and narrative constructs; and second, delineates its broader theological/epistemological contexts. Therefore, through its emphasis on literary form, this thesis identifies how the Mathnawī’s literary structures both relate to, and are informed by Rūmī’s Sufi thought – specifically his ontology of ‘ishq (passionate love). Thus, adopting a literary approach to Rūmī’s works, the present study explores questions relating to the literary form of Rūmī’s Mathnawī such as: genre, function, the Mathnawī’s intertextuality with the Qur’ān, the complexities surrounding the Sufi notion of authorship, meaning and hermeneutics, as well as Rūmī’s specific notion of the “ideal reader” as a potential wayfarer on the Sufi path of ‘ishq. Finally, this thesis employs close-analysis to a specific tale from the Mathnawī (The King and the Handmaiden) in order to explore how Rūmī attempts to transform his readers through specific narrative structures. This thesis concludes that by the very act of producing the Mathnawī, Rūmī was effectively participating in the textualisation of his Sufi path of ‘ishq. In this sense, the present thesis addresses the kinds of strategies employed in Sufi writing to convey mystical ethos and content, to shape religious subjectivity in distinctive ways, or even to influence the cosmos through specialised acts of reading and writing such as the act of consuming and producing literature. The present study does not simply contribute to the niche field of Rūmī studies, but also draws attention to how consideration of its topics may change the way we think about Sufism and literary studies more broadly. As well as contributing to the broader field of world literature, a study of this kind is not only valuable in its contribution to a deeper understanding of Sufism within the field of Islamic studies, but also because analysing Rūmī’s particular works through an explicitly literary scheme may help in developing more nuanced and relevant descriptions of mystical or sacred literatures. ! ii! Declaration This is to certify that: (i) The thesis comprises only my original work toward the PhD except where indicated in the Preface; (ii) Due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used; (iii) The thesis is less than 100,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Sirin Yasar ! iii! Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Muhammad Kamal, and my co-supervisor, Dr Christina Mayer, for their continuous support throughout my PhD study. Their patience, dedication and insight made my journey one that I can only describe in positive terms. The genuine interest they showed for my research created an atmosphere in which I was able to pursue my studies not as tasks to be fulfilled, but as a sincere pursuit of my passions. I would also like to thank my honours supervisor, Redha Ameur, for having first sparked my interest in exploring how studies in Sufism can contribute to the field of literary criticism. My sincere gratitude also extends to two invaluable educators, Fülya, whose last name I no longer know and Jann Keegan – the former because she was first to introduce me to Rūmī, Sufism and the literary, and the latter because she truly made me believe “the world is your oyster”. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratefulness to my friends and family, they know who they are. When I was most riddled with self-doubt, you gave me the courage and motivation to continue, you were my constant source of hope and comfort throughout this long and sometimes grueling process. Finally, I would like to thank my parents. My interests may have guided the decisions that brought me to this point, but I was only able to pursue them through your support and sacrifices. ! iv! Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1 1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MATHNAWĪ’S LITERARY FORM 4 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES 15 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH 17 1.4 METHODOLOGY 17 1.5 ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS 20 1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS 24 Part I: Rūmī’s Sufi Path Of ‘Ishq Chapter Two: The Primacy of ‘Ishq in Rūmī’s Sufism 28 2.1 RŪMĪ AND THE MADHHAB-I ‘ISHQ 28 2.2 THE HUMAN BEING AS LOVER 33 2.3 ‘ISHQ IN RŪMĪ’S THOUGHT 35 2.4 ‘ISHQ AND THE MYSTICAL ANNIHILATION OF SELF 41 2.5 CONCLUSION 46 Chapter Three: The Metaphysical Self and its Journey to the Beloved 48 3.1 THE SELF IN SUFISM 48 3.2 GOD’S INVESTITURE: THE RŪḤ AS BELOVED 50 3.3 EGO-EXISTENCE: THE ENMITY OF THE CARNAL SELF 51 3.4 THE LIMITATIONS OF THE ‘AQL 56 3.5 THE QALB: THE VESTIBULE OF GOD’S LOVE 60 3.6 THE HEEDLESS LOVER OF THE WORLD 62 3.7 CONCLUSION 67 Chapter Four: ‘Ishq, Knowledge and Experience 66 4.1 THE LIMITATIONS OF THE ‘AQL IN THE REALM OF ‘ISHQ 66 4.2 ‘ISHQ AND THE EXPERIENTIAL NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE 70 4.3 MAʿRIFA: THE INTUITIVE KNOWLEDGE OF LOVERS 73 4.4 CONCLUSION 79 Chapter Five: The Need for the Guide on the Path of ‘Ishq 80 5.1 THE FUNCTION OF THE PĪR IN RŪMĪ’S SUFI PATH OF ‘ISHQ 83 5.2 THE LOVERS OF GOD: WALĀYAH IN THE THOUGHT OF RŪMĪ 87 5.3 CONCLUSION 91 ! v! Part II: The Mathnawī As A Sufi Text Chapter Six: Exploring the Mathnawī through Genre 96 6.1 THE MATHNAWĪ AS PERSIAN SUFI LITERATURE 97 6.2 THE MATHNAWĪ AS QUR’ĀNIC LITERATURE 106 6.3 THE MATHNAWĪ AS SACRED LITERATURE 111 6.4 COCNLCUSION 116 Chapter Seven: The Mathnawī And Rūmī’s Hermeneutics Of ‘Ishq 118 7.1 THE HERMENEUTICS OF ‘ISHQ 118 7.2 MEANING IN THE MATHNAWĪ 122 7.3 THE HERMENEUTIC AUTHORITY OF LOVERS 128 7.4 THE READER ACCORDING TO RŪMĪ 134 7.5 CONCLUSION 146 Chapter Eight: Rūmī’s Sufi Path Of Narrative 148 8.1 RŪMĪ AND AUTHORSHIP 148 8.2 THE PATH OF NARRATIVE: THE KING AND THE HANDMAIDEN 156 8.3 RŪMĪ AS AUTHOR-GUIDE 178 8.4 CONCLUSION 184 Chapter Nine: The Function of the Mathnawī as a Sufi Text of ‘Ishq 186 9.1 ART FOR THE SOUL’S SAKE 186 9.2 THE MATHNAWĪ AS A MANUAL FOR TRAVELLERS ON THE SUFI PATH OF ‘ISHQ 190 9.3 INTERIORISATION OF THE QUR’ĀN 194 9.4 CONCEALING AND REVEALING MYSTICAL SECRETS 196 9.5 LITERARY REPRESENTATION OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE 199 9.6 CONCLUSION 206 Chapter Ten: Summary and Conclusions 208 Bibliography 221 ! vi! A Note on Citations From the Mathnawī, the Qur’ān and Transliteration All citations from the Mathnawī are indicated in the footnotes by the Book number in Roman numerals followed by the line number, separated by a colon. Citations from the Qur’ān are indicated by the number of the sūrah (chapter), followed by number of the ’āya (verse), separated by a colon. In transliterating Persian and Arabic words, the following system has been followed: ء ʼ ش sh آ ʼā ص ṣ ا ā ض ḍ ب b ط ṭ ! p ظ ẓ ت t ع ʻ ث th غ gh ج j ف f ! ch ق q ح ḥ ك k g ! kh خ د d ل l ذ dh م m ر r ن n ز h ! z ! zh و v (Persian) / w (Arabic); ū س s ي y; ī ! vii! Where Western publications of Arabic or Persian works are cited, the authors’ names and the titles are transliterated as in the publications used. As the terms “Sufi” and “Sufism” are treated in modern English dictionaries as English words of Arabic origin1, the above transliteration rules were not applied to them. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1!E.g.!Brown,!Lesley!(ed.),!Shorter'Oxford'English'Dictionary'on'Historical'Principles'(5th!edn.).! Oxford!University!Press,!Oxford!and!New!York,!2004,!p.!3100.! ! viii! Definition of Key Terms Baqāʾ (Subsistence): Arabic term for one of many important concepts developed to describe subtle aspects of mystical experience, typically paired with its polar opposite fanā’ (annihilation). Baqāʾ also refers to the paradoxical experience of surviving or abiding within an encounter with the Divine, a meeting that, according to some theorists, means the destruction of the “self” or individual personality and at the very least means the cessation of self-awareness. Dīwān (A collection of poetry): Often including two or more genres, such as the love lyric or ghazal, the lengthier ode or qaṣīdah, and the brief quatrain or rubāʿī form. Fanāʼ (Annihilation): The verb faniya means, among other things, “to pass away”, “to perish”, “to cease to exist”, whereas fanāʾ refers to a fundamental aspect of spiritual experience and has been used by the Sufis in the sense of passing-away with one’s own will to have union with God. Ḥāl (State): Along with various stations, there are also what are known as temporary states, or aḥwāl, that the Sufi can experience.
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