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Transcendent Philosophy an International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism Editor Transcendent Philosophy Is a Publication of the Seyed G Volume 9. December 2008 Transcendent Philosophy An International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism Editor Transcendent Philosophy is a publication of the Seyed G. Safavi London Academy of Iranian Studies and aims to SOAS, University of London, UK create a dialogue between Eastern, Western and Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism is published in Book Review Editor December. Contributions to Transcendent Sajjad H. Rizvi Philosophy do not necessarily reflect the views of the Exeter University, UK editorial board or the London Academy of Iranian Editorial Board Studies. Contributors are invited to submit papers on the G. A’awani, Iranian Institue of Philosophy, Iran following topics: Comparative studies on Islamic, A. Acikgenc, Fatih University, Turkey Eastern and Western schools of Philosophy, M. Araki, Islamic Centre England, UK Philosophical issues in history of Philosophy, Issues in contemporary Philosophy, Epistemology, S. Chan, SOAS University of London, UK Philosophy of mind and cognitive science, W. Chittick, State University of New York, USA Philosophy of science (physics, mathematics, R. Davari, Tehran University, Iran biology, psychology, etc), Logic and philosophical logic, Philosophy of language, Ethics and moral G. Dinani, Tehran University, Iran philosophy, Theology and philosophy of religion, P.S. Fosl, Transylvania University, USA Sufism and mysticism, Eschatology, Political M. Khamenei, SIPRIn, Iran Philosophy, Philosophy of Art and Metaphysics. B. Kuspinar, McGill University, Canada The mailing address of the Transcendent Philosophy is: H. Landolt, McGill University, Canada Dr S.G. Safavi O. Leaman, University of Kentucky, USA Journal of Transcendent Philosophy Y. Michot, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, UK 121 Royal Langford 2 Greville Road M. Mohaghegh-Damad, Beheshti University, Iran London NW6 5HT J. Morris, University of Exeter, UK UK S.H. Nasr, The George Washington University, Tel: (+44) 020 7692 2491 Fax: (+44) 020 7209 4727 USA Email: [email protected] S. Pazouki, Iranian Institue of Philosophy, Iran C. Turner, University of Durham, UK Submissions should be sent to the Editor. Books for review and completed reviews should be sent to H. Ziai, UCLA, USA the Book Review Editor. All other communication should be directed to the coordinator. Assistant Editor: Transcendent Philosophy is published in Shahideh Safavi, University of London December. Annual subscription rates are: Coordinator: Institutions, £60.00; individuals, £30.00. Please add Seyed Sadreddin Safavi, University of London £6.00 for addresses outside the UK. The Journal is also accessible online at: www.iranianstudies.org. Layout & Design Mohamad A. Alavi, www.mediatics.net © London Academy of Iranian Studies ISSN 1471-3217 Volume 9. December 2008 Transcendent Philosophy An International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism Articles Book Reviews The Structure and Hermeneutics of the Anthony J. Steinbock, Third Book of Rumi’s Mathnawi Phenomenology and Mysticism Seyed G Safavi [5-34] Janet Borgerson 331 Soul and its becoming in the Transcendent Philosophy Hossain Kalbasi Ashtari [35-54] Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr, Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making Sociological Relevance of Primordial of State Power, School of Social Theory Kemal Argon M. Khaliji-Oskoui & J. Miri [55-76] 335 Defining Mysticism, A Survey of Main Definitions Stan W. Wallace ed. Saeed Zarrabizadeh [77-92] Does God Exist? The Craig–Flew Debate, The Unity of the Knower and the Known Andy C. Yu in Mulla Sadra … 340 Zailan Moris [93-100] Seal of prophet hood, Religion and Mark Andrew Evans ed. Pluralism from Mulla Sadra and Tillich Just War Theory: A Reappraisal, Ala Toorani [101-112] Andy C. Yu 344 Science and Religion in the thought of Imam Musa Sadr Seyed Javad Miri [113-140] William Stoddart, Remembering in a World of Forgetting: Outlines of a Universal Theodicy Thoughts on Tradition and Muhammad Maroof Shah [141-190] Postmodernism, Samuel Bendeck Sotillos Zamakhsharī’s Hermeneutical Approach 347 to the Qur’an Abdul Rahim Afaki [191-204] Anthony Levi, Renaissance and Reformation: The Sufism: A Syncretic Path For Peace Intellectual Genesis Mohammed Yamin [205-224] Andy C. Yu 351 Ibn Sina's Views on Ethics Richard Sorabji, Seyyed Hamid Reza Alavi [225-236] Self: Ancient and Modern Insights about Individuality, Life, and Death, Derrida's Philosophical Deconstruction Sajjad H. Rizvi Manas Roy [237-246] 354 The Structure and Hermeneutics of the Simo Knuuttila, Sixth Book of Mathnawi Emotions in Ancient and Medieval Seyed G Safavi & Mahvash Alavi Philosophy, [247-290] Alan Perreiah 358 Existential Theory of knowledge Reza Akbarian [291-330] Simon Swain (ed.), Seeing the Face, Seeing the Soul Siam Bhayro 365 Transcendent Philosophy 5-34 © London Academy of Iranian Studies The Structure and Hermeneutics of the Third Book of Rumi’s Mathnawi as a Whole Seyed G Safavi SOAS, University of London Abstract Mathnawi is the masterpiece of Mawlana Jalaliddin Mohammad Balkhi Rumi Khorasani (1207-1273 CE), the greatest Persian mystic and poet who composed the Mathnawi around seven hundred years ago in Konya. Hitherto the most important criticism in regards with Mathnawi is its apparent lack of structure and plan. However, in this paper, the author aims to illustrate the structure, hermeneutics and synoptic view of the third book of Rumi’s Mathnawi, which hitherto has never been attempted before. The main theme of the third book is ‘Intellect’ and ‘Wisdom’ which has been presented in twelve parallel discourses. The sections within each discourse were not planned linearly but synoptically using the literary principles of parallelism, chiasmus and hermeneutics. The structure of the third book, which is comprised of 220 sections and 53 stories, is constituted of 12 discourses in 3 blocks. The third book of the Mathnawi of Mawlana Jalaliddin Mohammad Balkhi Rumi Khorasani (1207-1273 CE) known as Mawlawi in Iran, Mevlana in Turkey and Rumi in the west, is composed of an Arabic introduction in prose , 4810 verses and 220 sections, which are written in the form of stories and gnostic teachings. The study of the structure of the third book of Mathnawi is in continuation of research I carried out on the first book and Dr Mahvash al-Sadat Alavi carried out on the second book with the help of Simon Wightman, in the years 1997 to 2003 CE in the University of London1. 6 Seyed G Safavi The accepted theory among the specialists of Mathnawi in the east and west is that it has no structure, design, or specific order2. However 700 years after the creation of Mathnawi, through our research we discovered that the Mathnawi has a structure and a specific design, which has been created based on the holy Quran and Islamic ontological principles such as the ‘visible and the unseen world’ (‘alam qaib wa shahadat), ‘arc of ascent and descent’ (qous so’ud wa nozul), ‘we are from God and we return to God’ (Inna lillah wa inna ilayhe raje’un)3, the six directions of nature (north, south, east, west, up and down), the seven heavens, the six days of creation, the theory of holy numbers (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 18, 40), ‘Shari’at, tariqat and haqiqat’, ‘the states of the Spirit (ruh) and the Soul (nafs)’, ‘Divine spiritual journey (seiro solouk Ilahi)’, and ‘the principle of love and the current of love in the whole of existence’. The importance of discovering the structure in understanding the text Structure is the frame which determines the relationship between the elements or sections of a story, work or creation and which shows the organic relationship between the different elements or sections of the work. In the philosophical approach of analysing and understanding a text, discovering the structure of the text for understanding it, is of utter importance. The recognised method of interpreting the text line by line is not sufficient for gaining a deep understanding of the text. For the interpretation of the text must be based on the analysis of the different elements of the structure. From the structures present within a whole, which are a product of the special inner relationship between the different parts of the whole structure, new meanings which are above the exoteric dimension of the text are discovered, and therefore the hidden meaning which is the essence of the text is revealed. Based on the principles of structural analysis, the relationships, differences and contrasts of the elements of the text give meaning and form to the different signs within the text, and relate the formal elements to one another, creating the possibility of creating terms with a new meaning through the comparison of the different The Structure and Hermeneutics of the Third Book … 7 textual elements. By analysing the relationship between the different paragraphs and sections of a work, the essential meaning of a story or the whole work can be discovered. Structural analysis helps in portraying the verses and textual phenomenon above their exoteric dimension, and reveals that the meaning of an element (verse, paragraph, section and story) is discovered in its relationship with other elements. All these relationships which are the building blocks of the final structure or system of the work help in discovering the essential and hidden content and meaning of the text. In this method, the relationship between the indicator and indicated is not very important, for example in the first story of the first book, it is not only important that the king is the symbol of the spirit, and the slave girl is the symbol of the soul, but it is the relationship between one indicator with another indicator which is important. An indicator gains its meaning and importance within the chain of indicators, the context that it is placed within and the different textual elements. The context is of utter importance for understanding the meaning of the indicator. For example the meaning of love, differs in the first book, the context of which is the soul and the sixth book, the context of which is monotheism.
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