Celebrating ASUFI MASTER

A Collectionof Works on the Occasionof the SecondInternational Symposium on Shah Nematollah Vali

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Celebrating A Sufi Master AIsoPttblished hy SimorghSufi Society The Teachingsof A Sufi Master By Dr. SeyedMostafa Azmayesh

CelebratingA Sufi Master A Collectionof Works On the Occasionof the First InternationalSymposium on Shah Nematollah VaIi Celebrating A Sufi Master

A Collectionof Works on the Occasionof the SecondInternational Symposium on ShahNematollah Vali

Sponsoredby: University of Leiden The Netherlands October 2003

Contents

Preface 9

Another Remembranceof ShahNematollah Vali . .. I I Dr. Nour 'AliTobondeh

A Quatrain Attributed to Abu SaoidAbu al-Khayr Interpreted by ShahNematollah . 19 Dr. Seyed MostofoAzmoyesh

ShahNematollah Vali on Rind and Rindi ...... 26 Dr.Jonis Eshots ShahNematollah Vali in Turkish Literature and the Appearanceof Nematollahisamong Ottoman Qalandaris . . ..35 Dr.Mohmud Erol Kilig

Principles:An Epistle by Shah NematollahVali 53 Tronslotionond commentsby Dr.Muhommod Legenhousen

Hazrat Sultan'AliShahGonabadi T'heRenewer of the NematollahiOrder in lran . 69 Dr. ShohromPazouki

ShahNematollah Vali: An Heir to two Mystical Literary Traditions . 84 Dr. Nosro//ohPouriovody ThreeNematollahi Shrines: An ArchitecturalStudv ...... 92 Dr. Mehrdod Qayyoomi

On Sufismand the "Social" I 13 Motthiisvon den Bos Comment a 6t6 gErEle Sanctuairede Shah-eVali? ...... 120 Dr. BostaniPorizi

Preface

The SecondIntemational Symposium, on the doctrine,writings, and the life of the greatIranian Sufi masterShah Nematollah Vali (d. 834/ 1431)was held in October2003 at theUniversity of Leiden,The Nether- lands. The first Symposiumtook placein2002 at SanJose State University, Califbrnia;despite many difficulties, such as obtaining entry visas for the scholarstraveling to the US to participatein the event. Howeverthe secondSymposium hosted a greaternumber of world scholarswith vari- ousareas of expertisewho presentedtheir valuable research on the sub- ject. Onceagain, the nameof the greatmaster was revivedin the West anddifferent aspects of his spiritualteachings and his collectionof works werereintroduced. Rescarchers,who study the developmentof the Islamic schoolof thoughtsin Iran,often agreethat Sufismsignifies the essenceand hearl of Islam. It has alwaysbeen a part of the lranianway of lif-eand has influencedthe philosophy, arts, cultural events, and specially, the Persian language(Farsi). Sufism represents not only a theoreticalschool of thought,but alsoa way of life immersedin loveof God asthe originator of all things.For this reason,in lran, ShahNematollah Vali, is not only knorvnas a gnosticor a poet,but alsoa Sufi master. Today'sNematollahi Order is the continuationof the Ma'rufi Order. datingback to the founderof theorder Shah Nematollah Vali, who holds prominencein thehistory of Sufism.The Ma'rufiyya Silsileh (Ma'rufiyya Order)came to be knownas SilsilehNernatollahi (Nematollahi Order), towardsthe end of thethirteenth century (AH) fapproximatelyearly twen- tiethcenfuryl. Along the same line, the late Hajj SultanAli ShahGonabadi helda specialsocial. spiritual, and scholarly position among his followers. Thus, the silsileh(order) after him was nalled "Nematollalii Gonabadi"and the Center of theorder was relocated frorn Mahan. Kerman 10 The Sccondlnternational Sunrposinttron ShshNenntollah Vali to Gonabad,Khorasan. At present,Silsileh Nematollahi Gonabadi is the mostwidely recognizedorder in lran. However,it must be noted that the esotericteachings and mystical doctrineof ShahNematollah Vali is not limited to Islam and [ran. Any- onewho seeksspiritual growth can use his wisdomand teachings to illu- rninatea path towardsenlightenment. In an age of greatspiritual defi- ciency,I hopethe following collection of works,which is theresult of the SecondSymposium, can bring about more positiveattention to Shah Nematollah'sschool of thoughtand his vast spiritualknowledge. The ef1brtto revive Shah Nematollah'steachings in the West was leadby Dr. Azmayeshwho organizedand arranged the Symposiums.The eventswere madepossible by the cooperationand assistanceof the following individualsand organizations; Quintessence Sufi, Paris;Stichting SimoergNetherland; Bonyad Erfan Nematollahi, Canada;Inter Cultural Center,USA; ICC, UK; and Simorgh Sufi Society,USA. Other disting- uishedscholars and organizationsparticipated and cooperatedin many aspects.We offer our gratitudeto many peoplewho contributedto this effort. Foremostamong them is Dr. Legenhousenfor his invaluable scholarlycontributions to makethis publicationpossible.

Shahram Pazouki 1l

Another Remembranceof ShahNematollah Vali

Haii Dr. Nour 'Ali Tabandeht

I am indeeclvery gratelulfor anotheropportunity to speakatrout Shah NematollahVali. and as a result I arn thankful to all those who rnade efforts towardsthis end and havemade this seminarpossible. I am sure thatnone of thosein attendancewill be disappointed.Of course,with the presenceof the many esteemedprofessors who will be speakinS,You will be privy to much interestinginformation, and thereforeI will not takeup too muchof your tirne. The luminosity of this glowing star of IrartianSufism has shone throughoutthe world and he is amongthe imporlant figures who have attractedthe attentionof poets,philosophers, Sufis and socialthinkers' Mentionwill definitelybe made of ShahNematollah's biography, ofwhich you areaware and have studied, although his earlylife, andin otherwords his normallife, is not whatwe wantto focuson becauseeveryday occur- renceshappen to everyoneand influencethe lives of all in the sameway. As the placeof his birth,Kooh-banAn is wherethis greatpersonality embarkedupon his travelsin searchof the Truth, suchas is mentionedin theDivdn-e Shams'. "Those in searchofAllah, find yourselves!"He found himself and he undertookjourneys and travels towards reaching his goal until he eventuallyreached the presenceof Shaykh'Abdullah Ydf i in Meccaand surrenderedhimself to his guidanceand training.After that HazratShah made many journeysto all cornersof the Islamic world of that time until he arrivedat Kooh-banin and thereat the city of Mahan, he built a zawiyyah2for his spiritualwayfaring and for the training of his novices,remaining there until the endof his days. On thepath of his spiritualjourney, he himselfis an exampleof what he hasmentioned in his epistlesabout the priority of knowledge(nta'ri/at) 72 Tlrc SccttrtdIrLtcrutrtiornl Surrrttositnn orr Slnlr Nertrntollnh\,'sli over mysticalstates (.Hol).FIe says that this issueis depenclenton the sourceof theklowledge. Whenever the knowledge is fiori-rthe sourceof knowledge,it is more honorablethan a mysticalstate. [Je adds that ac- quiredknowledge is of'a lowerrank than niystical states and in this case statesare more definite. But if the knowledge.that is, the relationthat is calledknorvledge, becomes manifest in theworld ofunveiling, this knowledgeis rrore importantthan mysticalstates. This is rvhatis meantby knowledgeobtained through unveiling. He himselfwas in searchof Allah, and as was usual,he beganhis pursuitof it in the exotericsciences. Alierthis searchand realizing that this knowledgealone could not guideman, he tunredto spiritualstates and armedwith the weaponof the acquiredsciences" discovered many sciences.He rvrotemanli epistles, some sixty odd of rvhichare available, andit is saidthat there were about three hundred of them.At any rateof thesesixty odd epistles,his acquiledancl revealed knowledge thrclugh mysticalstates is show.n. In orderthat we can undcrstanda small exampleof his knorvledge throughunveiling, we will refer to an interestingstory utentioned by the mysticDdrdshuk0h in his bookSaftin ut al-Awlit,ri'conceming the biography of his shaykjr.rHe saysevery morning he went to be at theservice of his guide,and others who weredevoted to him u,oulclalso attend to ben- efit from what he might happento say.Onc morninghe noticedthat his shaykhr,vas feeling physically unwell. as if he hada fbver.He askedthe shaykhabout his health.I-le replied tliat the previousnight he liad not slept,ran a f-ever,and had a pimpleon liis eyelidthat bothered him much. In short.therc was somesuch discussion as this. One of thosedevoted to him becamevery upset,and because of beingso upsethe becamewith- drawnand cut off from this world. After a periodwhen the novicehad returnedto his normalstate, he askedhis shaykhto ordera cucumberand to put the seedsorr his eye.The shaykhaccepted his prescriptionand carriedit out.Fortunately. his illnesswas alleviated. Afterward, someone askedthe shaykh, "l{ow is it thatyou arethe shaykh and he is thenovice, yet you did not understandthe matter, but he did?"The shaykhreplied, "l considerillness and good healthto be guestsfrom God. So, althoughI was aboutto seeka curein the usualway', I wasnot upset.But this Sufi becameso upset because of rny illnessthat he wastaken to a world where he saw the realitiesof things.the very world wherethe Prophetasked Arnther Rcnrt'rttbrnrtt'cof Shnlt !,lcmttttlltth Vttli 13

God,'O my God! Showme thingsas they arel'r In thatworld, where one cansee the realities of all creaturesof God.he alsofound that attribute of the cucumber.Afler he returnedfrom that spiritualjourney, he brought backthat souvenir.": This is knowledgetlirough unveiling. in which thereis no doubtand it is moreelevatetl than the rlystical state.Shah Nematollah himself also hadpassed through all of the stagesof whicli he makesmention. Aside from this, Ifazrat ShahNematollah also held spiritualinflu- encewithin the society and he trained and spread his benevolettce to people of all sociallevels, and many of therulers benefited fiom him. It is even well knownthat Tamerlane6 held him in greatrespect. 'fhe point mustbe madehere that unfbrtunatelywe havethe habitof seeingthings only in black and wirite. and sincewe know Tamerlaneto havebeen a blood- tliirstyman. some of us do not consideranything he may havedone to be good.This is the fault of pasthistorians, but all of the detailsabout a personor a societyneed to be explained.The goodmust be seenas good andthe bad seenas bad. Tlie prophetLot did not cursethe peoplein his society,but says:(Verily, I am one v,ho abhors),our deed.s),7meaning that he was averseto tlieir deeds,not to them aspersons. It was not by carnagealone that Tamerlanetook over the world. He showedgreat re- spectand couftesy toward religious leaders and those in whomthe people placedtheir trust and to rvhornthey were devoted. He wasalso a friendof the Islamicsciences. It is well knownthat he donatedthe procceds from six hundredvillages in trustto ShaykhSaf-iuddin Ardibili. Likeu'ise,he alsoheld ShahNematollah Vali in greatesteem. Once because of some occasion.Shah Nematollah Vali saidto him:

My lringdontis a v,orld v'ithrtul end. Yottrkingtlom is f|om Khstct to Shiruz.

Also Shaiirukh"the son of Tamerlane,who afterhis fatherbecame the ruler of Khorasan,witnessed his fathersrespect for Hazrat Shah Nematollahand he hirnselffbllowed this pattern.It is obviousthat this respectprovided a reasonforjealousy and even at oneofthe gatherings whereHaz.rat Shah Burhhnuddin Khalilulldh. the eldestson and successorof ShahNematollah Vali paidthe same Shahrukh a visit,he roderight up to the buildingdoor and, as was his custom,sat right next to theAmir. 14 TlrcSccond Internationgl SvntLtsiurtr on ShahNenntollah VaIi

Oneof thosepresent at thegathering, out of his ownjealousy said: "How much betterit would havebeen if llazrat Burhdnuddinhad observedthe necessaryetiquette towarcl the ruler and because the king is theleader, he shouldnot haveridden right up to thedoor of thebuilding, nor satnext to theking, because all paytheir respects standing," also adding other things of this sort. In rcply. Burhhnuddinsaid: "My fathervisited the king's fatherin the very samemanner and also it is not properin rny rankthat I shouldstand. I heardmy fathersay, 'If someoneexpects that I standin his or herpresence that person is illegitinlate."' This in actualitywas also a metaphor.Tlie king saidto thecourtier: "Do not interfere.This doesnot concernyou." -fhis shor.r'si,vhat grcat respect was paid to HazratShah NematollahVali. As a resultof the greatrespect aud interest that the IndianKings had for Shi'ism,Haz,ratShah Nematollah Vali wasrepeatedly invited to that country.He sentShah tsurhdnuddin Khalilulldh there, where he stayed fbr sometime, and because liis brothersand other members of his family marriedindian princesses and formed relationships, they practically be- cameresidents of that land.Even afterHazrat Shah. they remainedthere and for sometime the NematollahiOrder spreadthroughout India. ln many writingsand booksit hasbeen mentioned that the founder and originatorof the NematollahiOrder is ShahNematollah Vali. This statementmight be somewhatdubious to thosenot acquaintedrvith mat- tersof mysticism.Tliis is becausethe words 'fbunder'and 'originator' are usually usedfor foundersor originatorsof new schoolsof thought, sectsor religions.A principletenet of Sufismand 'ifidn is that the permissionfor trainingmust be receivedfrom an authorizedreligious leader and it is not sufficient if attainedonly from books,otherwise if it r'vas sufficientto attainthis from books,the Qur'an which is themost sublime of books,would havebeen able to guideall people.In thatcase, all those who readthe Qur'an,including the Khawirrij,whose foreheads bore the marks of prolongedprostrations in prayer,should have beenreformed. Therefore,one must be trairiedby a guideand a leader.Who is this leader? Accordingto Mou,lanafRumi]:

Sincetnony a devil hus the /ace of'a man, Onemust not give oneishand to just ett_t'one.8 Another Renrcntbrsnceof ShahNematollah VnIi 15

Towardsthe end of the Prophet's(ce) era and after him at the time of- Abu Bakr,Musailimdh Kadhdhdb had created a religion,and Aswad 'Ansi alsodid the same,but thesesoon disappeared because there was no spiritual,social or scientificbase behind it. Our Wali 'Ali ('a) is knownas the leaderof the Sufis and leaderof the Shi'ia becausehe receiveddirect trainingfrom the Prophet(ce). and'Ali ('a) is calledImam becausethe Prophet(re) specified this. In the sameway. after 'Ali ('a) we know his son Hasanto be lmam, becausehe was explicitly appointedby Imam 'Ali. Fromthis it canbe reasoned that every leader must be chosenby the previousone. In the sameway thatthe Prophet and Imams were not chosenby thepeople, rather by Allah, the leadersthat follow mustindirectly be chosenthrough divine inspiration,meaning that every leadermust choosehis successorafter him, andthis is thevery situationthat occurred in the periodof the twelve Shi'iteImams. After theoccultation of thetwelfth lmam. the issuesof educationand trainingin lslamic law (shar{'ah) andthe spiritualpath(tariqah)became separated.The Imam dispatchedthe work of shar['ah to the jurispru- dents,such as is narratedfiom lmam Sddiq('a): "It is a resportsibilityof the peopleto follow any jurisprudentwho has self-control,protects his religion,opposes his carnaldesires and follows the ordersof his Mowla (Master)."Therefore, it is obligatoryon every religiouslyduty-bound personto searchfor and follow any of the jurisprudentswho possess thesecharacteristics. This of courseconcerns action and not belief.But in the periodof occultationof the Imam the permissionfor spiritualini- tiation (bay'ah) and guidancewas given to JunaydBaghdadi and he was giventhe permission to choosehis successorand that successor to do the sameand so on until the day of Resurrection.This connectionof the continuouspresence of the spiritualleader is called'silsilah' (chainor order) in Sufism. Thereforewhen silsila/r Nematollahi is mentionedit refersto thechain or permission,which ShahSeyed Nematollah Vali had at the time,him beingpart of a chain.Other than tlris, Shah Nernatollah Vali wasno differentas concems religious leadership to his shaykh.Hazrat ShaykhAbdullah Ydfi'i or his successorHazrat Shah Burhdnuddin Khalilulldh,and they were all equal.According to variouscircumstances andsituations, the greatmystics and religious leaders, excelled over others,e.g. socially,or when the periodcalled fbr specificchanges in the orderor in rulingsgiven. Because of this,the order was thereafter named 16 The Secoudlnternotittrtnl Svrnttosiwn on ShnhNernntollnh Vnli afterthat particular leader, e.g. Suhrawardiyyah order, meaning the order afterShaykh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi or Nernatollahiwhich meansthe sameorder where ShahNematollah was one of the shaykhsand then becamethe spiritual pillar (qutb) and after HazratShali Nematollah Vali becamefamous under the nameof this greatpersonalit,v. Now the reasonsfor the uniquenessof HazratShah, which led to the orderbeing named after him. aremost present in the outstandingcharac- teristicsof the order and for further information we must refer to the relevantdetailed books, but hereI will mentionsome of the important issues.One is thematter of beingoccupied witli work, whilebeing idle is unacceptablein thisorder. Another matter is observinga balancebetween spiritualstates of sobriety(rcahv,) and intoxication(sukr), and yet an- otherbeing the elimination of sanld'. Of coursethere are other issues, but for now they arenot part ofthe presentdiscussion. The matterwhich we will discusshere, is thatof samii'andmusic. Music comesfrom the order and hartnonyof soundsand voices.e.g. when you sit down next to a mountainriver, the soundsof the small waterfalls,of the river and the leavesof the treesas they makecontact with oneanother, together form a specialmusic which moves the mystic. an inner movement.mcaning attention to Allah and His remembrance. Therefore,it canbe saidthat music itself cannot be generallyprohibited. In oneof hispoems, Sa'di tells the follorving story:

Lastnight a /bwl c:riedal lhe morning. Reasonand ptttience were c'anied awav vvith tolerance aud c:ottst:iorl.v?c'.s.t. One of'ntysincere fi'iends. Whenmy voice reac'heclhis ears, Saitl, "l clic{not believethat.vou Couldbe so confu.sedat the noiseof a /owl!" I said, "This is rtotu condition./brhumunit,v: Thatthe fbv,l ,gittgs praise, and I he silent."'

This itselfis a typeof musicor in otherwords samd'. Following this, Sa'disays:

Thecamel, by the song of its driver, r'eachesa stateand dances. ArtLtthcrRcnrcrnltrtutce of Sltnlt l'',lcntatollah\,'ali 17

ln this line thereis an allusionroHuda. I{udd was a specificmusic sungby the camelherdsmen which excitedthe camelsand they in turn would be stirredto nrovement.[t hasbeen namated that there once was a caravanthat was destinedto leaveBaghdad and travelto Isfahan.The camelfrerdsman sang a verv attractivesong, (Huda). They movedfor- ward all night andhe sangall niglit.The carnelsran the wholeway suclt that they arrivedin Isfahanin the motning,but all of the camelsdied from exhaustionand increasecl hearlbeats. The principleeff-ect of music is undeniable.The obviouseffect that musichas on man may be usedin the pathof drawingman near to Allah and to the remembranceof humanand spiritualresponsibilities; but it may alsolead to the pathaway fiom God andto sunenderto camalde- sires. Thus,music can be considered in two ways:firstly, music which draws man towardsGod, e.g.the rcadingof Sufi booksin a rnelodiousvoice which is now the practicein Sufi gatherings,or what Sa'di expresses aboutthe cock'scrorv which is at the time of the rnorningprayer. This is music,which drawsman close to God;and. of course,this typeof music cannotbe prohibited.In contraslto this,tliere is musicwhich pulls man awayfrom God. Much of the musicof todayis of this lattertype. meaning thata necessaryconscquence of thismusic is thatit causesthe incite- mentof feelings,instincts and lusts. In sucha caseit is obviousthat mu- sicis prohibitedand this is thevery music which is ref-erredto in lslamas ghind. In actuality.ghina is musicwhich drau,sman awayfrom God. With sucha distinction.hor,v is it that somewould placea universal prohibitionon music?fhis is becausethere is an ambiguousdistinction betweendivine music and ghinti, and it is impossibleto forntulatea criterion by which to specitythe boundarybetween them. In reality,those who view themselvesas respottsible for protectingman's morality generally prohibitmusic so that thesc deviations do not occur.Flowever, if the music is of di'u'inctype, it is acceptable;but this also dependson the personinrrolved. Because of this,many past Sufis, such as Ghazali, have at tirnesallowed and at othertin-res banned music and the samd'. What hasbeen left behindfor us frornthose gone by is thattoday, at the gatheringsof the sincerefollowers of ShahNematollah Vali, poems of the greatSufi poetsare read in melodiousvoices so thatthe attention of thoselistening is drawnboth to the musiccreated and to the meaning 18 TlrcSecond lilte rtrfitionnl Svrttuosiunr on ShahNentatttlhth Vnli of the poerns,resulting in their -spiritualelevation. Thus. the music of sanlit'.which in additionto music alsoinvolves ceftain movements, is prohibitedby the NematollahiOrder. The good of this prohibitioncan probablybe seenand understood more clearly today. But ShahNematollah Vali neverhimself prohibited music. In the biographyof Hazrat Sultan 'Alishah, one of Hazrat Shah NematollahVali's successorswho wasmartyred in A.H. 1327, it is written thatone of his followersasked of him: "Do you give me permission to play an instrument?"He wasanswered in thenegative. In explanation of his request,the pupil saidthat the lateHazratMushthq (referring to the famousSufi masterof theQdjdr period Mushtdq 'Alishah) played the tdr (aneastern string instrument). He wastold: "You become(like) Mushtdq andthen do asyou like." The famousstatenrent "Do whateveryou like," of the Sufi mastersis interpretedas "Gain faith. and then you may do as you like." Thismeans that if you gainfaith and, for example,become like Mushtdq,then you will not want anythingother than Allah, andso, then you can do what you like; not that you can do any improperact that you may like. In conclusion,I would againlike to thankall thoseinvolved in this Seminar.and Dr. SeyedMostafa Azrnayesh in particular,who initiatedit; andI hopethat experts in thefleld benefitfrom thisseminar and that such seminarsare held fbr other great scholarsand mystics of lran, so that peoplein generaland those of our countrycan be proudof their society andreligion.

Notes:

I FIaii Dr. Nour 'Ali l-abandeh is thc currcnt Ourb of the Nernatollahi Sultan 'Alishahi(Gonabadi)Order. l This is a placcfbr the gatheringof Sufis.also serving irs a placeof retreat. Sakinutal-.1*'liyi '. ecl.-l'arachandand Jalali Na'ini (Tchtan:Elmi, 1965). 4 A similarhadith is narratcdit 'Awdliul-Li 'dli.cd. Ibn Abu Jumhnrat-Ahsd'i, Vol. 4, p. I 32. Tlris story is a summary r'atherthan a direot quotation fi'om the one told in Sakinat al- Au,lit'ti',pp. I 38-139. Tartarconqucror in southcrnand r.vcstcrn Asia: ruler of Sarnarqand1369 1405.[Tr.l Qnr'an(26:168). lvlathnavi.Bk. I. 316. Sa'di,Golistt)n. ed. Gholam Flusayn Yusufi (Tehran: 1368i1989), 97. 19

A QuatrainAttributed to Abu Sa'idAbu al-Khayr Interpretedby ShahNematollah

Dr. SeyedMostafa Azmayeshl

J)\-;-a p;l-.(-j o1[-.Ja-iqt,* c_;.5r,r Cp sr5.-*-*; ) alys .:; irJa-o OLt; OIt 4+- Jtt.5J- Jj \-r-tE-40;.:.fua F.*.|j JlJit

Thehura hasqueued up to visitm), Beloved Rezwantapped on his hand in astonishment A black beauh,spotput ttp a tent aroundhis cheeks Abda! in.fbcrr-has takenthe ntusha.fbetweenhi,g hands.

This quatrainis attributedto ShaykhAbuSa'idAbu al-Khayr,a great Sufi masterof the fourth centuryof the hegira(between A.H. 357 and 440),of Khorasanin the norlh regionof Iran.It is not to be foundin the two booksabout this famousmystic written by his followerssome tirne afterhis death.r Wetake notice of this quatrainin an independentbook underthe name of Kalamdt-eManium-e Shat kh Abu Sa'fd, copiedbya calligrapherabout A.H. 950,existing today in the libraryof the museumof Kabul. One of the more fantasticfeatures of this book is that eachquatrain hascome to havea specificpractical use as an invocation,if one com- plies with the necessaryconditions for its recitation.For example,the purposeof the twentiethquatrain is to bring rain, the sixtiethserves to cureillnesses, and so on. In this way,these poems are invocations, used TltaScccrtd httcrrntirtturl Sttittttositrnr orr Sltnh lrlarnntollilr Vnli by healersand seersfor a positiveand white magic. ln thisbook hor,vever, one cannot find any indicationthat the Shaykli himsclf usedhis poctry for this sofi of purpose.Consequently, one can concludethat the Shaykh'sfbllorvers and adc'pts discovered this usage of theirmaster's poems in the courseof tir-ne.through personal and collcc- tive experience. On the otirerhand, researchers have had tlie opposingopinioris about the attributionof the quatrainsto ShaykhAbu Sa'icl.llow ever.even if the Shaykhwas not the realauthor of all of thesequatrains, his disciples hearclsome of themrccitcd by their nlasterin the Sufi reunions. Now,we areinterested in only oneof thesequatrains, rvhich, because of its mysticalcharacter and henneneuticlanguage, u,as intetpreted b-v someSufi masters.There are at leastsix of thesecotrmentaries. The authorof oneof themis unknorvn.Another commentary was by Shaykh 'UbaydAllahAhrar,a Naqshbandimasterof the ninth century (fiom 806- to 895).rAnother commentarywas written by ShaykhMuharnmad Maghribi anotherNaqshbandi master of the ninth century.Three other commentarieswere written by ShahNernatollah Vali, (from 731to 834), two belongingto the library of the NationalMuseum of Afghanistanin Kabul,and a third oneto a privatelibrary in Iran.a Accordingto Sa'id Nafisi. one of the two manuscriptsof Kabul's museumis namedRisaltth Hurit'ivah, and the nameof anotherone is Risc)lah.

Now we will havea look at the third commentaryedited by Nafisi.

The hura has queuedup to visit my Bebved

Hura meansthe soulsthat havethe ability to contemplatethe beauty of God. Beautyis the epiphanyor divine appearanceof the divine es- senceto thedivine essence. At this stagethe blackness of theink of being had not yet beenwritten on the pageof the book of the worlds,and the nameof existencewas still deniedto beings.The sultanof the curtainof the tentof "Allah was,and there was nothingwith Him"-about which someverifiers said, "Now it is the sameas then"- wantedto bring His perfectionsbefore His gazelaccording to the Hadithl^"1 was a hidden treasureand I wantedto beknown. so I createdthe creation to be known". A Quntrtirt Attributedto Abi Ss'idAbu Al-Kltoyr 21

He saw Himselfby Himself. Everythingin tlie worldsthat exists now in a developedway, appearedduring this manifestationby a way of con- traction.So, all of the entitiesof contingentthings that in this time are witnessedby God in the aspectof their realization,in that timc were witnessed in tlreaspect of divineknowledge. The advancedSufls call the one who sees"existence," FIis seeing,"light," what is seen,"the witnessed,"the perceptionof what is witnessed,"knowledge," and the appearanceof the Truth iri His beauty,"Beauty". But that is the magnificenceof the beauty;and beauty has its ranknear the Light.This refersto the appearanceto the worlds of the Light of the Trutli tlrroughall the particles,as the Qur'an states:(Allah is the Light of'theheavens and the earth. Thepat'able of'His Light is a nichewherein is a lantp)(24:35). For this reasonthe perception of theprophets and of the awliydis not ableto perceivethe magnificenceof thc Beauty,as the Prophetof Allah saidin answerto a questionofAbu Zar Ghafdri."I sawa liglit." In thesame way. Allah says:(rfte eyes cannot ,see Him, and He seesthe eyes)(6:103). However,the I-ight of Beauty,being the manifestationof God through everything,might be visible afterlong periodsof solitudefor the companionsof the Unity, by following the Prophet.As the Prophetsaid: "I haveseen my Lord in theguise of a youngman dressed in green."So, all thesesouls who reachedthe stateof the God'sBeauty by following the Prophet,are namedHura. May God allow this to us as well as to our companions.

Rezwsn tappedon his ltand in astonishment

Rezwc)nsignifies the intellectssupported by the t-lolySpirit. The in- tellecthas two divisions. [First,]the intellect is used in thejargon of themystics and the learned for a lucid substancethat God createdin the brainsand that shinesits light in the heart.By this light the heartsees the invisibleworld. The invisibleworlds are composedof six layers.First, the invisibleof the soul; second,the invisibleof the heart;third, the invisibleof the spirit; fourth,the invisibleof the secret;fifth, the invisibleof the hidden;and sixth,the invisible of the invisibles.tsut the invisible of theinvisibles is hiddenfrom all creatures.The otherinvisibles are revealed to theperiect verifiersand mature precise ones by way of insight.Insight is a facultyof 22 TheSecttnd hiarnntionttl Syrnposittrrtort Shnh Nenntollah Vsli theheart; in the sameway asthe eyeperceives ob.jects, insight perceives the interiorsof things.Insight cannot be acquiredexcept by illumination of that substancein the brain.which was saidto be the intellect. [The seconddivision of intellectis] the intellectin the languageof the sages(philosophers) is the soul'sknowledge of its essence,that is, the soul perceivesthings, but it falls shorlof the perceptionof its own essence.Whenever, by divine graceand by following the sharf'ah of Muhammad,constant obedience and much spiritualdiscipline, the soul knowsits own essence.Frorn that momentonward, the sagescall it "intellect".Where the Lord God,may IJismagnificence be magnified,said, (O soulat peoce ! Returnto vourLord, pleased, pleasing!) (89:27 -28),by soulHe meansthis kind of intellect.So, pleasing(Rezwan) signifies the intellectsthat have been mentioned.

A bluck beautyspot put up a tent uround his cheeks

The beautyspot signifies the existenceof the travellerwho acquired the stateof unity (/hrq) fbllowing the stateof distinctionQarn '), that is, whenthe traveller becomes cut off from all carnalpleasures and material desiresin orderto attainreal desires,. He closesfirst his eyesfrom the multiplicityof the rvorldswith the hopeof tlie unity of the E,ssenceand appfiesthe kohl of beingnotlring (sav'cid al+rah.i,lit. black face)to his eyes.The real applier of kohlilluminates his eyesby hisowu lights,and his eyeswitness thc liglrtsof lrnity.In his viervno more thauone light appears,and at lastire sees himself and all thingsas one light. The interpretationof his stateis this:

O Youbv ,r-homthe universeund thesoul are illuntinoted! In the e1,eso/-all it is YoLrWho is /igurcd. Besidethe surto/-Your /ace Thehrtrizons are like buseparticles.

When at lasthe seeshimself and all tlringsas one light, he imagines that the one who illuminatesand the one illuminatedare both missing, andthe worshipper and the object of worshipare annulled. The magnificenceof unity dominateshis heart,and he imaginesthat aside from him, thereis nothingelse. He beginsto boastof hrsbeing and claims to adore A QutrtrainAttriltutcd to Alti Sn'idAbtr AI-Khayr himself.The blackbeauty spot is this being.

Abdul-in.fear-has taken the muslruJ'betw'eenhis hands.

Abdalis saidof the essenceof the travellerandmusha.f is saidof the religion of Muhamrriad.The travelleris a personwho has abandoned himselfand rnixed with nothingness.When the traveller is overwhelmed by thebeing of unity,as was said with regardto thefirst line of thepoem, so that he sawhimself, and took regardof nothingelse, and when he is broughtback from drunkennessto sobriety,from dreamingto wakeful- ness,he seeshis own pastbeing and unreal self-adoration. I{e finds his own way, andtakes hold of the skirt of the religionof Muhammad,and occupieshimself at the stationof servitude.The endof the epistle.

Remarksof the Translator

ShahNematollah explained in someof histreatises, such as Lawd'ah, Nukdtand Jcimi' al-Latd'ifthat everything can be seenby light,and light is perceivableby light. But, objectsbecome invisible due to proximity and distanceto light. Allah is light, light on light, and the light of the heavensand the earth.He is presenteverywhere, and is nearerto us than ourjugular veins. So, it is dueto proximitythat one cannot see God. Shah explainsthat a humanbeing is eitherperfect or imperfect.The imperfec- tion is describedin the follorvingphrase of the Qur'an: (Their evesat'e not blind, but their heartslack insight.)(24'.46). To the contrary,the per- f'ectman is onewhose inner eyes in his heartare open. It is necessalyto developinner vision to understandthe reality of unity.lnner vision is a heart'sfaculty for perceivingthe esoteric aspect of things. Shahexplarns that if one perceivesthe hiddendimensions by ones innervision during his dreams,tlris case is namedrult), an6if thehearl's energyreaches the brain,one can seethe divine light and the invisible worldseven by the ordinaryeyes, and this caseis namedruyat. Accordingto Shah,what leadsthe seekertoachieve this kind of vision-to find the Divinemanifestation and the faceof God-is the kohl of wisdom.Thus, the Suf-rteacher instructs the studentsto the path of developinginner vision, andto discoverunity. The beautictan(kahhiil) 24 TlrcSecond Intentationnl Stnnpttsiunr on ShnhNerfi{ttollnh Vnlt applieskohl to the seekerseyes to openthem. The studentis thenable to beholdthe f-ace of God in all things,including himself. He who seessays:

In our e.ve,sthe seersees the Truth In ear:hatom, the sun rppears.

In this state.the kohl applieror the Sufi teacherdevelops the hidden capacitiesof the student,gives him wisdom and hurnbleness,protects him from the dangersof self-adoration,and inviteshim to hold on to servitude.In that momentthe studenthas a placebetween richness and poornessand while amidstthe plurality of creatures.he is at eachrno- mentin contactr.l'ith unity. Shahsaid that a personasked 'Ali if he couldsee God. He repliedthat hewould never pray to a Lord thathe could not see.He said,"l havenever seena thingwithout seeing Allah beforeit. afterit, with it andin it."

ln conclusion,according to Shah'sexplanafion, unity is thebasic secretof creation,and cliscovering this secretdepends on the development of the inner sensesand hiddenfaculties. The spirituallessons of a Sufr teaclierare like alchemickohl, which pennitsto the studentsto obsetve God'spresence everywhere in themirror of everything,and consequently to leamto love all things.The principlemessage of Sufismis this Love. This messageis celebratedby mysticssuch as Shah Nematollah and MowlanaJalal al-Din Rumi whenthe lattersays:

O Muslims,v'hat c'ouldI do I ctntncither a Muslint.nor a Hindu Irleithera Christion,nor a Jev,, Nor a Zoroastrian. Neitherfront the East, nor.fhnt the Wrest. I elintinated clttct I i4, I disc'overedUnit1, Linit.vis w-hatI see Unitltis v:hatLseek Unity is tvhat I speak Unitr i.twhat Lsirtg. A QuntrnirtAttribute d to Alti Ss'idAItu Al-Khntlr 25

The Sufismis the applicationof kohl.A Sufi teacheris onewho ap- plieskolrl (kahhiil),capable of curingthe blind. ShahNematollah intro- duceshimself with this characterization:

O seeker,O seeker! I have the Coal d'Wisdom fbr your ill et,es I give .sightto the born blind.

Notes:

Dr. Scy'cdMostalh Azmayesh has a doctoratcin Islamic Law from Sorbonnc.Paris and "ComparativcReligious Studics" fionr theUniversity of Lyonnc.I{e is a scholar.rcscarchcr and lecturer. Jamiilal-Din Abu Ruh.Htildt vaSulthantrn-e Shuvhh Ahu Su'idAbu ul-Khu;,t',ed. Irai Afshir (Tchrarr:I 34I ); MuharnmaclMunavar. .4.trdr o l-Tov'hid li Muqdnuit-eShar kh Abi Su'id, ed. Shaf i Kadkani(l"chran: ll75). FirsteditcdbyValcntin.lokofskyundcrthcnarleRi,id/a/rlluri'i.t'uh (St.Pctersburg: 1899): latcrcditcd by Bahrnanvar(Tehran: 13 I 3). '\hn.rad The first conlnentaryof ShdhNcrnatollah can be founclin thc fbr.rrthvolumc of Rasi'il-e ShcihNemutolluh L'ali (Tchran: Khaniqah. I -1.18),9- I 5. His third comrncntarywith thc in- tcrpretationsofAhrAr and Maghribi arc cluotcd in tlrcvolunre ofAbu Sa'id'spoctry by Sa'id Nafisi,(-lchran: Sanir'i. 1323).,,\s far asI knolv.the seoond intcrprctation by ShiihNernatollah Vali hasnot yct beenedited. 26

ShahNematollah Vali on Rind and Rindi

Dr. lanisEshotsl

It is no secretto the peopleof tastingthat the term rincl,like most otherkey ternrsof Persianmysticism, does not translatesatisfactorily into any modernWestem language, and I shallmake no effort to translate it. Instead,in orderto give someinitial notionof the rind andrindi (the stateof being a rind),1shall qr.tote here the definition given by Muhammad Ldhrji,the commentatorof M. Shabistari'sRose Garden rt A,\tsteru:"The rind is onewho hasgot rid of lall] descriptions (attsdfl. attributes (nu'et) andproperties (ahkant) of multiplicityof entifications(ta'ttlt.ytutat) and hasshaven off everythir,g(i.e., all particularcharacteristics) by theplane (rantlah)of annihilation,wherefore he is trot delimitedby any limita- tion".2 As we see,the tennrind generallymealls mystic who hasfreed himself from all bounds.Etymologically, the word is supposedlyrelated to randah-a carpenter'splane (a tool usedfor smoothingthe surfaceof wood):the ideais that,like a carpentershaves an unevenpiece of wood, therind shal'esofTfrom his selfall particularcharacteristics (limitations), thusbecoming the "shavenone." Rind (alongwith love, wine, kharubatand saqi)is one of the key termsof ShahNematollah's mystical lexicon. The word appearsin at leastone quafter of his poems.Besides, Shah has a specialtreatise on the rindsand their states and stations, entitled Maratib-e Rindan (The levels of rinds).llou'ever,throughout the treatise ntartabah is usedin the sense of "section"or "division"rather than in themeaning of Ispiritual]level". Thetreatise (which is probablya conciseversion of Sliah'soral discourses) containsa brief expositionof the key mysticalideas of Ibn al-'Arabi or ShahNentLttollttlt VaI! LtnRind and Rindi what is commonlyknown as the principlesof the schoolof wahdatrtl- wujud(e.g., particular existents as entifications (1a'a1,yunar) of the Abso- luteBeing; five levelsof the entificationof Being;themost holy andthe holy effusions;the fixed entities,etc.). it appearsthat Shahregards Ibn al-'Arabi'steachings to be the mostadequate tl.reoretical explanation of the practicalmystical experienceof an accomplishedgnostic ('arifl (Hence,if we want to undcrstandIbn al-'Arabi properly,some kind of mysticalexperience on our own partis a must.r)However, apparently not all of Shah'sdisciples knew Arabic well enoughto readIbn al-'Arabi's own works.Besides, since they were Persians. their native language and its poetrywith its elaboratedmystical symbolism was, in all likelihood, much more appealingto them thanhighly sophisticatedtheoretical dis- coursesin Arabic. (I would l,entureto say that this has somethingto do with the Persiannational characterand its predominantlyaesthetic (zawqi)-may be even sybaritic-attitude to life, due to which the imagesof wine,saqi andkharabat appeal to it muchmore than those of the "greaterrising" (al-qiyamahal-kubra) or the "self-disclosureof the Es- sence"(ta.jalli-1,e zati) of the Reat.) I shallnow quotethe ghazal with the radiJ-"rind'from the fifth chap- ter of the treatiseMaratib-e Rindan,which containsa sketchyportrait of the rind, and then examineevery ba1'tin detail.

The rind is alwa-vsin the compan))q/-a cup of'u'ine. The rind is perntanentlyin love,drunk and deva";tated. The veil o.fthe wretchedrenouncer is his [acts ofl obedience, But, in our path, the rind has no veil. Sincethe rind drinks countlesscttps o.f wine, How can the intellectcount hint [/br anythingJ. Hislips are./ull of'thewater oflife, andvethe has broughtwater to his lips- Isn't the rind is like a cup o/ /bam.full o.fwater. On whichetterpath the rind./indsa companion,he goesthat way, He doesnot rentainat a v,tttersource, nor stayswit/t a mirage. This unboundone i.snot boundby anything. How can he be botutdby knowledgeand a book?! Seekthe Seveds path o.f'rindi.frornNematollah, Becausethe rind makesno mistakesand is [alv'ays] right.a 'l'lrc \',rlt 28 Stcortl IrLlt,rrrLtiic;titl-it11111to5i1ttir o:t ltitth ilcttrntolioir

Thc rneaningof thc f\rst ltuvt is outrvardl\,'cjuitcplain: thc sole busr- whcrclirrc ire is alu'ays dntttk anciiti- nessof Lherind is drinking 'l'it'tc. toxicatedto thc dcgrce that hc is unableto nccourttfor liis acttons--itt oneword. he is a hopclcssclruniiard. ()n thr:oihe r liancl.sinc.: he savstirat he is perrnanentll,inlove. we crursupposrl that probabll'his "ra nrr-" nti:lht bc understooclas thc wituessing,rf titc bcautv of his t-'clrtvccl.[-ct tts. horvevcr,clrcck the tn;,,stlcltlntrrittting oJ'tlrc kcy rvorcls- "r'r'inc"(,tltnrab). "a cup of 'uvinc"(f ru:r-t,.sltrtruh'1- "drurriishq),accotlpiinicd bv aciiortsuhir,'li ciir.rsc ircoltlc's retltroacit; it is pc- culiar to thc fblk of pcrf'cctroir(irl;l-i' ltu;itu!1.""'Iltc "cr.tp" \lutn.t" itt lttl"ti" is a receptacleof this s;rrrituaiu'iitc" i.c." thc h,:ario1'tlrc tl-tvr;tic. -kr llowcver, Ithinl

Bct;trttse oI thc jcuIous.t' of t!ri.; dt'turkett I11'1'1'Ig.1:;v'iIttc.s,s i',lo-onelclseJ lit.t in thc alxicla of khurulruf .'

ln tunr. "drunk anrl dcr''astated"(ira.rr o kittrrilt) alludes to subt-ucr- sion in the intorication (rstr{a/irtttldar.sulir).r i.t-'.,1o reaching the uftrrost 'fliis degreeof the lattcr. intoxicaiion.alain. inclicates"leaving the outer and inner bourrdsiind turning thc fhcc q,ith urrdivrdcdattentiott tor.vilrds the Rcal"')and. henci:. taking no heeciolrvhat is otherthanthc R-cal. Tlre secondbayt is bascdon a contrurstbctlveen the renouncer(:oltid) and the rind.'Thc tlrst is veilcd tl'ornthe Rcal by his r'vitne.csingof iris o\\in pioLrsdeecis. f Ic takcs pricle in thcm ancihopes to rcceivc a re\\ertl for thcm rn the lrcleralier.I le ltasrcnounc cd (:uhmta) this r.vorld(ul-dunvu] fbr thc sake o1'the otltcr onc tul-ui;hiroh\. h't turn. lhe rincl bas no busi- nesslvitlt tliis world atttltltc otltcr ouc: hc is:;o absorkreclbl,wittiusstttg Shahllcnrcttolltth Vsli orr Rirul trrd Rir:/'t the Realin everyform andimage that hc doesnot carefbr anythingelse- or rather,since he knowsfor surethat there is nothingbut theReal, he has lifted theveils of the two worlds.This takesus to theproblern of himnnt (aspiration).A Sufraxiom says: "you areworth what you aspireto fthere- fore do not spendyour hinntcl on trifles]." Let us rememberthat the Prophetcould approachhis Lord "at a distanceof two bows' lengthor closer(53:9)r(tonly because "his sightnever swerved nor wentwrong" (53:I 7).rr The third ba.y11sbased on a wordplay,which is elegantand witty by its form, but perhapsnot exceptionallydeep in its meaning.We aretold that,since being a rind presupposesperrnanent intoxication, rindi is in- compatiblewith the intellect('aqt).None of the counterparts(the 'aql and the rind) takethe other seriously.By doing so, the rind showshis perspicacity(ziraki), but the intellect-its arroganceand wilfulness.rz In the fourlh bavt Shahplays with his favorite imagesof foam and water,indicating tliat they representa singlereality of water,though the differencein the intensityof thesetwo pafticularlevels of existencecre- atesan illusion of duality (imaginethat you are drinkingwater from a cupthat is madeof ice!). It may be r,vorlhmentioning that in Shah'sDivan the imagesof water and foam and wine and cup appearmore than a hundredtimes and that Shahis alwayskeeu to pointto theironeness and the illusory character of the differenceand otherness.

Fill with w'aterthe c'up[that is madeJ('.fbam, Find the c'upand the v:ine by nteanso.f each other. In reali4:they are one,[butJ the nante:;are tw'o. "tt'ine".t3 U),ou like,call it "cup"; i/ t-ou like,call it

The actualmessage, hidden in the imageryof foam andwater. is grave andtremendous and difficult to bearfor our vanity:

Weare the/bam that hasbuilt a tentof'wind on thev'ater.ll

In this sea,w'e ar€ w-av€s,antl we are our ow'nveil. Whenthc wave.lall.r.out't'gos go.t: TJrcSecond lntcrnstionsl Samposirttrt on ShahNematollalr Vali

The "wind" is apparentlyour caprice(hawa): the "wave" is our soul or self(na/s), the "foam" might be the soulas well asthe body.Both the foam and the wave are illusory and do not possessa real existence.The secretof rindi, hence,is removingthe illusionof I-nessand otherness. Beyondthis illusion("wave" or "foam") liesthe ocean of non-entification. Whenthe Real lifts theveil of illusion,the mystic sees everything as Him and Him as everything. In the fifth bayt. Shahtells us that the rind is not at all particularas regardsthe itineraryof his travelsand traveling companions. Besides, he is a restlesscreature who never remainsat one place for a considerable periodof tirne.This laxity andrestlessness reminds us of theqalandars. I think the followers of suchqalandari shaykhs as Jamal al-Din Savajiand Quib al-Din Haydartried to imitateoutwardly the innerstates of therinds: shavingthe hair and beardsand wanderingfrom placeto place symbol- ized separationand breaking attachments. They believedthat imitation (taqliil gradually changesinto realizarion(tahqiq) and that frequently repeatedactions form acquiredqualities (malakat). But the "traveling companion"also can be understoodas anything that belongsto any of the three domains.--sensory.psychic or spiritual: whatever form the rind encounters,it instantlytakes him to theReal. I{owever, he never becomes a captiveof any particularmanif'estation of the Real ("water source")- much lessof an illusion of "what is otherthan He" (i.e..a form or an imagewitnessed as possessingsome sort of beingof its own, different from the beingof the Real). In the sixthba1,t, Shah explicitly confirmsthe implicit messageof the first five ba1,ts:

This unbotmd(mutlaq) one i,snot bound (muqa.vyad)b1t anything.

Thus,the deepermeaning of "breakingattachments" and "removing illusory images"is the lifting of all sortsof limitations.Having lifted them, the rind seesthat:

A neighbor;an intintate.friendand a traveling companion,all is He. In pauper'.srags and in kingissatin, all is I{e. In theussernbly of separationand in the closetof gathering,all is He. B.r-God, all is He, then[again], hy God, all is He!t6 a1 ShahI'lemrttollah Vsli on Rind snd Rirtdr JI

In f'act,this experience can be expressed in onewotd"h6". i.e.,"He". Knowledge mentionedin the secondhemistich, is definitely the discoursive(bahthi) or formal(ra,smi) one, not God'sknowledge or that of a perfectmystic. Likewise, the book is thebook of formalknowledge, i.e.,the book of 'Lrlanla'and.fbqaha ', not the book of God-or perhaps Shahwants to say that, due to the unboundednessof the rindlg mashrah ("drinkingplace"), the very notionsof "knowledge"and "book" aretoo narrowto conveyhis expericnce. Turning to the final baltt of the ghazal,Iassume that, in the first line, we shouldunderstand "Seyed" as the Prophet,i.e., that Shah regards the Prophetas an exemplaryrintl andviews his path asthe mostperf'ect path of rindi evertraveled, while claiminghimself to be an inheritorof this path.Another way to interpretthe hemistich is to supposethat "Seyed" is Shahhimself and to read"Nematollah" literally as "God's blessing".In this case,the messageis that,in orderto find the pathof rindi, traveledby Shah,one needs to obtainGod's blessing (which, however, can only be given by God himself,not obtainedby one'sown efforts).The second hemistichexplains why it is necessaryto (try to) find this path:"the rind makesno mistakesand is [always]right". i.e.,he is the "preservedone" (ma'sum)-preservedexactly by his unboundednessand knowledge that "all is He". In brief, one comesto the conclusionthat, accordingto Shah Nematollah,the key characteristicsof the rind are his lofty aspiration (himmat'1,separation (tajric{) from the illusory existenceof "what is other thanGod" and ability (i.e.,perspicacity (ziraki)) to seethe true stateof the things,that is, to seethe Realin all things,or rather,to seethe Real with the light of the Real.The spiritualstation possessed by the rindis thatof essentialoneness, also known as kharabat. Kharabar literally means the lawlesspart of town,where all sorlsof illegalbusinesses(in particular w,ineselling. gambling and prostitution)prosper and where the ri.ncls (read:the lawlesspeople and vagabonds) dwell. In the mysticalsense, to becomea kharabati(a habitudof the kharabat)means to becomefree from the boundsof the illusory self. thus reachingthe stationof oneness-the proces s, succinctly chancterizedas "dropping ascription s". I 7 Shahis carefulto underlinethat the stationof a perfectrind is above thestation of thebadal("the changed one, the substitute", pl. abdal).The 32 7'irt'Sr,r'orlrJ lrrlt:rttttir:ttn! Srttttltt.t:;irrtnttit ShttltNt'rttoiollnir \t'rt,'i latter mcans a m./stic rr'ho hits cxpcrienceritltc "cltangc of bell-lll''or thc "changeo1'character". i-e.- God har repiacedlris evrl tritit:;u'ttir goorJ and beautifuloncs. Thu-.in a pocm clcvotedto Shnviiltr\hnrad.larrr. hc savs:

Thc Sltaykhol l,slant,ll:ttuttl .Jr.trn, Llho,sehru:cllt nrtrtle u deud itatrl ulit't: - It ts suid llnt "ltis ttittr ht:tcnt( /totlt)"'. Don'l ha d titttit't',tiott'!,{il_l'. [L'hui r{itl tltit ltrrpltt:rt'l' Htsweyer,Iknol' lltul iltt'rr i,sfortolhcr t'inrl, x'lto.trburrtl l'tc<'tttttt' Contplelel.t,aittltlv r;f v'itrt'lltntrr;tit tt .sing!t'rtllt'tit'tittrt- hueithtt'tvine, not' hortt'.t'i,\ l4i iil hi.shci'ra!: Hi,s.suSiarhrr:; gort<: ttntl ttt hrt.sqrttlt:rt i'itl ts!tlrt't'atta. Althortgh thc cltuirgt:of rhurttr'let' is gootl. It is hetter lo itt't't:tmenofliittg (ln sltu-t"). iVetnutollahv'ho is tha t'ttmtnant:!erol tha intnk, Ha.spu.ssctl ,,11'q1'.fi'onr hint,:ell uttd gainctl suit,si.gtt'ttt'clhxtu54h Hittt.''

Ilence. to becomea pcrf"ectrincl nrcans to becomcnothing (and.tiicre- fbre, evcrything).'{lrus,it ts ttot cluitcproper to spcakof tlre "llcw cie- ation" or "substantialrnotion" in caseo1'thc i'ind, though thcse concepts aremost hclpfLrlin explarnmgthc chatrgeoi being;and citaractcr.I rvoulcl proposetwo clues that mi.qhtbc of sorne use in orclerlo cxplain fhe clif-- ference betwecn tlte rind and the boctul(both takcn fion-rthe Marutih-e Rindun) . First, I tlrrnkthat thc rind can bc dcscribctlils one wlro irasrcachecl nearnessto God by obligatory',vorks (qrtrh ul-/hrrr'id) and the budui as trnewho has reachcclncat'ness to God bv sttpct-crogatotryu'orks (.qurbul- naw'a/il).ln tlrc flrst casc.tirc scrvaritbccome s thc hcaring anclthc sight of God. God is hiddenand thc si:r\"iurt is nrarrillst.ln tlrc sccoutlcase. it is God who becomcsthe irearingancl the sight of ltis servant.fiod is nlanl- festand the servantis hiclden.r"Thc scctttrtlcluc is basedon tltc gradatior-l of manifestations(self-disclosurcs) of'the Rcal. Sliali adntilslhat somc rind.sare only able to r'vittrcsstlie ntanifbstatiotlof I Iis acts(.tt/"alJ, son)e experiencethe nranif'estationof Ilis attributcs(ti/ht). Thc pe-rl'ectrintl,s. how'cvcr.kntl.l. that the ncts arc cuncomitants of tlte attrihutesand lhc attributesare companiotisof thc l:.ssence.It might nttt bc ittlprrlpctto dcscribethc abclulsas thc mvsticsr.vlro havc expuricncedtlrc mani{bsta- SluthNenntolloh Vsli on Ritrti gntl Rirrdi tion of attributesand the perfectrinds asthose who haveexperienced the manifestationof the E,ssence-themanifestation which is saidto destroy its locusof manif-estation:r('

Therei,s neithet'a level, nor a loars of'ntani/bstation,nor [are thercJmitrors. Thereis no name. Whatare the attributes?2|

"The essentialmanifestation is receivedby a realizerwho is com- pletelyvoid of thenecessary and contingent descriptions, states and prop- ertiesof names.This emptinessis not totallydifferent from theemptiness of the Real,but it is flike a] flashof lightning,which appears,but does not last,as our Prophetsaid: 'l havea time with God,when no prophet sentout or angelbrought near embraces me',22 and the reasonwhy this manifestationdoes not last is the propertyof all-comprehensivenessof the realityof humanbeing".2l In otherwords, the realityof a humanbeing is tike a mirror which reflectsGod's names in theirtotalrty. By virtueof beinga mirror,it cannot be void of imagessave for a moment.Hence, rvhat distinguishes a perfectrind from other mysticsis his ability to recognizethe Real in everyimage and to know Him by everyname. In this sense,he is the possessorof the stationof Adam.to whom God(taught ... thenames, all of rhem)(2:31).24 That said,I would like to coticludewith the assertionthat, like qalandar,'ashiq (lover) andmast (drunk), rind is a symbolby meansof whichwe attemptto qualifywhat is abovequalities and to namewhat has no name.In practicalteffns, to bea rind means,first of all,to presenrethe loftinessof one'shimntctt.

Thednmk lover dor:snot seekafi.lang except the Friend. Nematollahdoes not seekawone exceDtHint.:'

Notes

I Universityof Latvia.Latvia 2 M.Lahij. Mclitth al-i .iu:.l .shurhgolshune ra:.5'r'cd.. Tehran, 1992. p.636. I One shouldmind thc lr'ordsof Aqa SayyidRae Larian(d.185i or 1854):"Thc tcachingof thc "Fr-raie"is the work of a qalandar"(M. SadughiSoha" "A Bio-Bibliogtaphyof Post 34 The Second International Syntpositutt on Shah Nemstollah VnIi

Sadr-pl-Muta'allihnMystics and Philosophels".Tehran: Iranian Academy of Philosophy, 1980.p. 47). ' ShalrNematollah, Rusu'i1, v. l, Tehran.1978,p.232. : "Sharh-emokhtctstrr-e es(eluhttt" in: R. M. Khomeini,Divttn-e Imant, 35'r'ed., Tehran' 2002, p. 3-ll. n "Mo,slulihtttx'u lo'bit'at-e Dit,un-e 'ShahNi'motullah Wali", in ShahNematollah, Divan' with the introductionof S. Nafisi.2'"r ed., Tehran, 1999, p. 726. r ShahNematollah, Divort. p.37. i ShahNematollal"r, Divun, p. 732. ' ShahNematollah, Divan. p. i26. t,' 'rsr, TheIIolt' Qur' translatedby AbdullahYusuf Ali. London:Wordsworth Editions 2000, p. 455" tt 'an, TheLIol.t' Qur p. 455. rr Cf'.the ball (uhich is sometimeswrongly attributedto Hafiz): If rou see lhe intellet't,iakt' hin ond bring hin quickfi'to trs, Bet'ctusehe has desertedlhe .servicelo the king o/ rinds. (ShahNematolTah. Divan. p. 105). l1 ShahNernatollah.Divctn,p. 542. rr ShahNematollah, Divan,p. 114. 15 ShahNcmatollah. Divan. p. 51. l6 'Abd al-RahrranJarn, "Lar.vah", in: M. M. T. Majlis, Risale-vetashv'q ttl-salifrr, with the attachmentof A. Janr'sLuv,u.vih and F. 'lraq's Luu,curri',Tehran: t'r*r-e Fatima Publishers 1996,p.62. We have consultcdW. Chittick'stranslation, (W. Chittick' Stiism; A Short Introtluction,Oxfbrd: Onewcill

ShahNematollah Vali in Turkish Literature and the Appearanceof Nematollahisamong Ottoman Qalandaris

Dr. Mahmud ErolKilicl

Whereverthere is a city, that is my dominion. SometimesI go to lran sometimesto Turan. I havea hundredthousand Turks within me. WhereverI want to go, I go like a king.2

Introduction The aim of this researchis to look for the footprintsof Sufi master ShahNematollah Yali (73011330I 83411431)from classicalTurkish sourcesin general,and the re-appearance of theNematollahi Order (Tariq- i Nematollahi)amongthe Ottoman dervish groups such as Qalandaris in particular.I will be very happy if I am ableto contributeanything to the world-wide "Nematollahi Studies".

I have divided my researchinto three chronologicalperiods. In the first period, I will investigatethe place of "Turk" or "Turkish" in Shah Nematollah'slife and the nameof ShahNematollah in "Turkish" literature in return. Since the figure of "NematollahVali" was Seenamong thosewho playeda role in transferringso-called Qalandari, Haydari and Batini thoughtsinto Anatolian Sufi groups,the secondperiod of my researchis somehowprovocative. In the lastpart I will distinguishthe true "Sliah Nematollah" from other "shaykh Nematollahs"who are always confusedin Turkish historicalstudies. Jtr 'l'lrt St,rtrttilrriintnliitt(rl:llltirltosirun rttt SlrnlrNlttntrtllnlr l/rtli l. Shah Nematollah V'ali's'lurkish F'riendsand Follolvers (Jl'coursr-bcrng a "Sc.1'-cd".a dcsccntlant of titc ProphctMultatrttlad, tlrcrecan be no cJiscussir.lraboi-ri Slrah Ncrnatollah's ethnic origin. Apart tiorn that point. let rnc rcrnindvou {.)r1ccrnorc abouttlre mcaningo1'the tcrrn rrl-/n.r'itntl-Kintil in Isianrrctlreosoplrv rvhiclr is being translalcil into Wcslcnr lanuuagcsns "Univcrsal Mar-.,".As Rurrti clcarll, pointcd out."-l-hc LJniversal Marr" is a man rvhosits lvith scventytrvo naliilns ancl rvlrosecs cvcl',y crcatirxr of'(iod as a particullirrnanilestatiort of [{is at- tritlutcs.LJccausc of heing such a t-lrtiversal\4an, I bclicr,'ctlrat in thc nrantlcol'1hc rlrercv cf ShahNr,:nratollah lnany tiifl-erent clrarracters. r'accs irndcolours must hirvc bccrrgathcrcd. too. And I atn surethat many 1:rcoplc. Aralrs.I'crsrilLrs, lndrans,'l-urks c1c.. knockt--d at thc door of his kltuniqulr ir,ordcr to ask hirn fo slrou'the nr holv to firrgettheir accidcrttal anti divid- ing botliiv sc!r,csarrci frrr<1 thcil inrnrorlalanci uniflrrng inncr sclvcs.This rrrctaphoricitlsirying cxpliiins cractlv what I rvantto mctttiotthcre : rrilrr'n thc Kur-dishSufi Abri'l-Wafil al-Kuruii(d. -s01i1108), after spcnciinga longtrnrc sceking :r spiritual nrastcr'. met SlraykliMa.jd al-Din al-Baghdadi. an Arab" lrr,:said: "/ rr'.r,r'u Kui'tllill lo.s'tniqlti l',utbccunte un Aruh tltis'nrrtrtting''. So in his lil'cShalr Ncnratollalr Vaii was a unifying figureamong pcople, aricl firr centuricsalicl his clclth lris tonrl-;,like Rumi's tonrb in Konya. ltas beenr centrco1'pilgriinagc foi' drvine lovers.These verses. engravecl on the porial of Rumi's tor-nl"r.rn firctmight havebcen erivisaged rn thc portal of ail tlre iornbs o1'the,quths (lil.erally.pole,s, masters) rvltcthcr in Konya or irr Mtrhan:"/1r.r' Stlrtt't'bt'cunte u ka'hu.fitt'divirtelovct's'- So the inr- ". ltcrli'ct nritn ('orn( ht'rc lo l',acotrtcpt:t'/i't'l

We will in','cs;tigatchis rcliitionshipwith this cthno-culturalgroup called "'l'urk" fitirrr an anll'rropologicalpoint clf vtew. Whor Shah NcmatollaliVrli rvaslroin irr Alcppo. Syria. in 730 (1330) the city was politic:allyunder the control u1'thelVlanrlr,rks of Egypt. wlro werc f'urrda- mcntaily of 'furkish Kiilemcn trihes.At that time wc knor,vtltat a very largepopulation of Turl'r'rrnanscallcd "l-iirkrnan-iSham" werc living itt Aleppo's tcn'itorv.who rvcre basicailyo1'the Shanrlu. Alihar. Br:gdilrr. lnallu. Khiidaberrcleliland Nar'ekiyyatribes.'Amons thosetribcs wc sec) especiaillltlrat sc;rnc tirnc laterthc'"Shrnrlu" tribe would plav a vcrv ittt- portantnrle in llre tirrrnationo1'tlrc Salirvid state in lran, as well. It lri:ls ShaltNerruttolltth Vnli in TurkishLiterature J/ beensaid that most of theAleppo's Turkomans were followers of Shaykh usaynal-Akhlati, with whomwe will deallater.s Also manyIranian Sufis, specificallyfiom Khorasanand Transoxiana, had alreadyimmigrated to this land,mainly during the Fatimidperiod.6 In the sameyear as Shah Nematollah'sbifth, further nofih, on theway to establishinga newworld order,we seeOttomans under Sultan Orhan Ghazi (d.75911357) defeated the Byzantinesat Philokrene,a hundredkilometres away from Istanbul. His father,the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Othman Ghazi and his Sufi masterShaykh Edebali both had diedjust four yearsago in 7261 1326. And five yearsafter ShahNematollah's birth, a KhorasaniSufl calledHajji BaktashVali died two hundredkilometres to the nofth, in CentralAnatolia.Neither saw each other but sometime latertheir tariqas met andmixed with eachother in Anotoliaand shared a commondestiny in the historyof Sufismwhich we rvill seein more detailin the second part of our research.In the sameyear as Nematollah's birth (730/1330) anotherfamous Anatolian Sufi and the khali/-ahhof ShaykhAlauddin 'Ali who was the khali/ahhof ShaykhSadraddin al-Ardabili, Shaykh Hamidtiddinal-Aqsarayi fSomuncu Baba] was born in Qaysari.His fa- mouskhalifLtft was ShaykhHajji BayramVali (d.833/1430)who might havemet with Nematollahin Azerbaijan.

Around the age of twenty the young Nematollahwas in a cave for threeyears on retreatin a tnountaincalled Jabal al-Muqattarrin Qasral- 'Ayn whichwas near to Cairo.TThis cave actually was aJalali-Qalctndari Khaniqah(later BaktashiTekia) where ShahNernatollah Vali entered severaltimes of fbrty days retreat.According to historianssuch as al- Maqrizi,al-Safadi, al-Hatib and Ibn Battutathere were someQalandari khaniqahsin Aleppo,Damascus, Cairo and Fustat area since 600/1200.* A famousNematollahi author Ma'sum 'Ali Shirazisays this in iarayiq ctl-Haqiiyiqand adds that his retreatexperience was written in Arabic calligraphyand fixed on the portalof this cave-tekia. Accordingto samesource Shah Nematollah also met there Hajji 'Ali Baba and Hajji Lotfullah Baba who were the guardiansof this cave at that time and upon witnessingsome miracles of him they both become hismurids. Either Ma'sum 'Ali Shirazior someTurkish historians shared the sameidea that KayghusuzBaba's tomb was in that cave.But some otherhistorians believed that Kayghusuz Abdal was alivein Cairomost Thc SecontlInternntiornl SvmrtLtsiurn ort ShslrNenotolldh Vali probablyaround sameyears of ShahNematollah was there.eWho was KayghusuzBaba then? This Turkish Sufi who was known amongEgyp- tian peopleas 'Abdulldh al-Maghdravior Shaykhal-Maghdravi was born in the town calledTekc in Antalya,a seeside town of today'ssouthem Turkey.It hasbeen said that he was a sonof the govemorof this province. Whenhe initiatedinto to turiqa he gaveup all rvorldly thingsand went to Carrothen Mecca,Aleppo, Damascus and Cairo again.FIe was a khalifah of Abdal Musa who was a famousQalandari fiom Antalya. Kayghusuz Abdal haswritten somesmall treatises on Sufismwhich eventheir names werein samestyle of ShahNematollah Vali's works, such as-/awharnanta, Manharnuma,Budulananta, Vuiuclnanta, Sara.wlatna, etc... We do not have any historicalproof whetherShah Nematollah Vali and 'Abdullirh al- Maglraravior KayghusuzAbdalmet each other either in thiscave-khaniqah or somewhereelse. But the fact that ShahNematollah Vali's residingat leasttlrrec years in thisHa1:dttri-.lalali-Qalandari khaniqah would be very importarrtpoint of his furtherre-appearance in AnatolianSufi circlesas a Qalandari/l{aydariShaykh. We may thrnk that before "al-Tariqa al- Yd/i'iv1,a," ShahNematollah might havebeen initiated into this tariqa and presenredsorne of their moodseven when he laterbecame al-Ydrf i's disciple. I believethat at that time the relationshipsarnong dervish orders- evenalnong far ends--wereltot asstrict as modem categorizing historialrs thought.In many casesit is not so easyto distinguishsome orders from others.Otherwise the question of why ShahNematollah chose this Qalandari placefor his retreatcould not be answeredso easily.

We saw,at the ageof twenty fbur, SeyedNematollah was taking bal,'a from the hand of Shaykh'Abdullah Ydfl'i (d.768/1367)and spending nearlyseven years with him in Mecca,training in spiritualsciences under his guidance.An Ottoman historian of Sufism, Haririzadha Kemaluddin(d.129911882), who wrotea hugeencyclopaedic work on all turuq al-St4/iyyacalled Tibyanu Vesuilal-Haqaiq .fi Bayani Salasil al- Taraiq considered"al-Tariqa al-Yir/i'iy),o" to be an offshoot of the Akbariyya branchof the Qadiriyya (YaJi'iyya-iAkbarillta-i Qadiriyya) and meeting point of "Qadiriyyv", "Akbariyya", "Sohrawardiyya", "Rifai'iyya", "shazliyya" and "Madyaniyya"orders.r(' After spending sometime r,vithhis Shaykhal-Yafi'i he went to Cairo again.We don't knor,r'exactlywhether he met KayghusuzAbdal this time in Cairo or not. ShahNemstollah Vali in TurkishLitersttre 39

SomeNematollahi sources show ShahNematollah Vali as a follower of SeyedMuhammad Afitabi in Cairo, too, without giving any information abouthim.rr We don't know whetherthis man was the sameman that Kdtib Chelebinames as Afitabi-i Marzifuni from Merzifon in NorthernAnatolia or not.12What we definitelyknow is thatat this time he met anotherAnatolian Sufi; SeyedHusayn al-Akhlati. It has been said that SeyedNematollah studiedoccultism ('ulum al-ghar[ba)and numerology('ilm al-huru./)under the guidanceof this master.13Who was this SeyedHusayn al-Akhlati then?According to some written Sufi chains (silsilenamelhe was the khalifith of SeyedAbu'l-Fath al-Saidi,the khalifah of Abu Madyan al- Magribi,'awhich wasfrom the samechain as Shaykh 'Abdullah Ydf i. He was born in Ahklat, Bitlis in EastemAnatolia and had many disciplesall over the Middle East,mainly in Aleppo,Damascus and Cairo.According to the book, Sharafinnta,he foresawthe Timur's occupationof Iran and Anatoliaand left his homelandwith 12,000mur[ds and went to Cairo via Damascus.l5Among his discipleswe seealso anotherfamous Anatolian Sufi and contemporaryof ShahNematollah, Shaykh Badraddin Mahmud al-simavnavi(76011359 - 82011417)who would later on be executedby OttomanGrand-Mufti because of his hereticalideas. Badraddin too, after he studiedthe scienceof logic in Cairowith SeyedSharif al-Jurjani (d.816) he came to Aleppo. According to some legendarynarratives in a Manaqibnamaon him, on that occasion"a thousandof Turkomanwel- comedhint in Aleppo" andwhat is more,the jurist of Aleppo who previ- ouslyhad announced the death sentence of SeyedNasimibecamehis mur{d too.What is interestingis that somesources consider the abovementioned famousTurkish hurufi poetSeyed Nasimi-who waskilled in a very tragic way in Aleppo in 807/1404-as Nematollah'smur{ds rather than Fadzlullah's.r6Hiisayn al-Akhlati sentShaykh Badraddin toTabi'z as his khaldah where he met Timur and he wanted to take him to Samarqandas his mtiii, as well as to marry him with his daughter.According to his Manaqibnamaherefused it andescaped in dervishclothes from Tabrizto Egypt via Akhlat. What is interestingis that someschclars points the si- multaneityand similarity betweenthe lives of ShahNematollah and Shaykh Badraddin.'7In Anatolia tariq-i Badraddiniyyar8and tariq-i Nematollahi didn't continueunder their names but wereassimilated to the Baktashiyya, Futuwwatiyyaand Golshaniyyaorders. re We sawthat Shah Nematollah came East around 76311362 to Ardabil 40 '1'lt,' ii r or t,l l rt tcr tr o t iot t nl Svt rr ltosi t ttrto tt Slnh N t trto lt:i l rtl r \,'ol i rncctir.rgwith ShaykhSarlr al-Din 1\4usa(d.794i1392). the sottolthc pro- gcnilor of'the Saiavicls.Shaykh Safiyr-uddinal-Arclabili, and Qasin-r-i Anwar. llc saidlirat tlLri'ing his shorlstay irt Ardabrl he tastedthc stageof "lot'e litr thr'sakr d Grxl" (ul-huitit li'llrth) fionr the Sufl tnastcrs of Ardatril.11e praiscs Shaykh lbrahinTZalricl-i Gilani who u'asin tlrcposr- tion of lbLrntlcro1'Safar.vi5rya and Khalvatiyyitorclcrs in liis poetry (Di- t'cut^1't.75).And alter a short stay ilt Azerbaijanwe san'him rn (lcrrtrirl Asra,lirstrn Sarnarclandlvhrrrc hc spenthis timc mostly in retreatlkhnlvu) in the cavcst-rf Sanrarqanil.'fhis intcnsivc spiritual lif'c car-rsed sitch ex- traordiriarythings (l,urumtt)liont liirn that althoughhc was in a statcof isolalionliom pcoplc,da-o" by day some'furkishttomads started to gathcr around lrrm. llc gaincd a largc nunrber o1'nturicls frorn among thcm. I think that in ordcr lo gain tltc syrtrpathyof ltomirdicper:ple speaking thcir langueigenriglrt be att intpttrtatttiltstrumenl. So rne can think that Shah 'furk Nentatollah\/ali u as speakingtirc is;hlanguagc or clialectas wcll. lr-r his poetry we-lvittrcsscd iris using sumc "furkish tvortls likc "Yasak", "'Yarlig:'",'"liry". ancl"l:.ncu" ctc. But we arc not surewltethcr hc learnecl it rvhcn he was a r:hilclin Aleppo. or alnong thc KJlenrensin (latro or latcr in Azcrbaii.janor J'urkistan.ljor cxamplehe saysin his pocn'r;

W'ho Ic bt:i tt51 t.\ .t'()t tt' {t'(!.r'4' l'tttttt .l'rtttt' !l Lt('L' i.: olll'(:\'/.vl('/1('(' Diirt't tall tttt' unt' ntt)ra Ttrrl;i,gh n'ot'rl.s Till t,ott l;tttttt'.t'ourse!/ b.,,,knov'inq v'ho "1" und "Thotr". (l)ivcn.p. tr0.1).

Wesee that besrclcs tirc irtrplicatron of a vcry liigh t-ncaningo1'ur-rity of being(rr,rrlrclut ul-ultiurl/ he also nrirkes some slylistic ar1in this tttltcltt'onic pttcn't(tnulu;nruu) usirrg threc languages (Arabtc, l'et'sian. Ttrrkish), and nt tlrcsarrrc tirne irtclLrclcs a ridclle (muununo). 'Ihe firstline is in r\rabic, thcnthe seconcl !inc starts rvith Pcrsian but cnds iri TLrrkish.But in Turk- ishlrc qurrtes a pailol a lamouscant phras; "Scn.seni hil ,sen,vcli"which mcans"Knor,v yoursclf'. ltr otherpoct"n he sa-vs[hat;

"lf .t,otrrt'ttnl lo lLtslc'oltt'lrtslclolia lhe v'a.r'ollhc tr|/inc-ltearer [)ntnkt,n 7 Lrr/.! lot,t' ilc.tprtil.s tltc souis" lDivun.p. I 72) Shlh Nemrtollah Vnli irr TurkishLiterature 47

Mowlana SedidtiddinNasrollah reported very importantnews from his Turkistanlife. I{e said that only in a day nearly 900 Turkic nomads had taken from him a bay'a hand in hand on an open plain (sahra) and initiatedinto his tariqo in a singleceremony. But accordingto Nernatollahi sourcesShaykh Amir Kulal (d.77211370)-whowas either the master of BahauddinNaqshband or Amir Timur- jealouslyinformed Timur of this ceremonyand warnedhim that thoseTurks were all fully armedat that ceremony.It has beensaid that he told Timur that if he would claim the kingdom,nobody could stophim.20 But it is very strangethat neither in Manaqib ol-Amir Kiilal nor in otherNaqshbandi sources we could not find anyproof fbr this claim,there is no mentionof it.2rWhat is more,it has been reportedthat ShahNematollab recited the versesbelow afler this ceremonialgathering with local Turks;

Whereverthere is u city, thcttis my dominion SometimesI go to lran sometimesto Turan I havea hundredthousand TLrrks within nte WhereverI vtant to go, I go like a king. (Divon.p. 579).

So,these metaphorical verses were being interpreted by Timur's ser- vantsas Shah Nematollah Vali's challenging him andclaiming a worldly sultanate,so that Timur begunsuspecting him. And unfortunately,at the end this kind of counter-propagandaresulted Shah Nematollah Vali's expulsionfrom Transoxiana.But it seemsthat his Turkistanlife left an unforgettableeffect on him. He neverforgot this land andits peopleeven when he was far away from them in Kerman.He sentmany lettersto his adherentsthere. Once he sadlysaid:

O gentle east wind, tJ-),o,go towards Turkistan Sendour greetingsto.friends In spirit we are in with our dear fbllov,s Hor,-evermuch our body is in Kerman. (Divan.p. 601.)

At aroundthe year 775 he went to Heratwhere he rnarriedthe daughter of Amir Htiseyn al-Harawi. We knorv that for some reasons 42 Thc SccondInttnrationnl SvnwLtsittrtr on ShnhNenwtollah Vali

AbdurrahmanJami (d.898/1493)who was famousNaqshbandi didn't includehis namein his lamousPersian Sufi hagiography NaJithat al-Uns completedat aroundyear of 8U3/1478(ed. by Abidi, Tehran1996). In that book he sometimesaccuses some Sufis of "having/allen into the valleya/ di,;helief(baha) and of'neglec:tingthe shari'a and the sunnaof' the Prophet"(p. l0). But his'furkishstudent'Ali Shir Nawai(d.9071 l50i) translatedthis book into ChaghatayiTurkish in 901 with some coffectionsand additionsunder the title of Nasaltimal-mahnbba min shamn):imal-.futuu,wa. Nawai saysthat becauseJami neglectedsome Turkishand lndian Sufis in his book,he addednearly 170 Sufisto his translationmainly from thoselands. What is interestingis that he in- cludesrhe name of "SeyedNematollah" among them too. Seventyyears afterNematollah's death Nawai saysabout him: "SeyedNematollah- mayGod sanctifyhis soul-was residingin thecity <-l114taanin Kerman pro'iince. [{e wasperl'ect in the exoteric(zahiri) and in the esoteric(batini) sciencesand dressed with piety andascetism. The emperorsof his time, especiallythe kings of India were his mtrr[dsand believers. And many giftsand endless vows had being sent to his ser-vicefiom thisland. Seyed rvasinterested in poetrytoo and had a Divan. For examplethis was his couplet; "We c'cuneinto tha wnrid so - w'ecould shov,God His crea' tures."Fiis tomb is in thatcity.":: A few yearslater after Nawai, an Otto- rnarrNaqsbandi, Lami'i Chelebi(d.9391532) translated Nafahat into AnatolianTurkish rn'hich is theOttornan language under the nameof Futuh al-Mujahidin(ed. by S. LJluda- M. Kara,Istanbul 1995) but he alsoomit- tedthe name of Nernatollahbecause lie translatedit directlyfrom Jami's Persianwork withoutconsultating Narvai's work.

In his later lifc, ShahNernatollah Vali settleddown in Mahannear Kermanwhere he spentthe restof his lif-etor almost25 yearsuntil he passedaway in 83411431.IAfter his dcathhrs tariqa, at the handof his sonand his successorShah Khalil Allah, spreadflrst towardsto the East, up to Inclia.For manygeneratiolts this orderwas controlled by themem- bersof thefamily in Deccan.But afterMir ShahShams al-Din Muhammad tll theleadership of theNematollahi Order passed out of thefamily to Mir MahrnudDakkani. In thatperiod the very natureof the NematollahiOrder startedto changetowards Qutb-Shahis" which we will focuson later. Aa ShahNenutolloh Vali in TurkishLiternture LiJ

On the otherhand, the Nematollahiswho decidednot to go to India andpreferred to stayin Persiafirst hadgood relations with Turkishorigin Safavids.Shah Ismail Hatayi-who was the semi-mythic Sufi master accordingto Anatolian Qizilbashs-appointed Mir Nizameddin Abdulbaqi,a son of SeyedNematollah Thani, as sadr (primeminister) first and thenwakil-i nafis-ihumayun (vice president)who was killed by the Ottomansat the battleof Chaldiranin920.2a ln the yearsaround960l 1555there were even some marriages betweetl Nematollah's descendants and the Safavidhouse. By the middle of the eleventh/seventeenthcentury the membersof the family held the postsof naqib andkaldntari in Yazd.Furthermore we seeeven Some Nematollahis were trying to inter- pret someof the versesfrom the Divan of ShahNematollah Vali as fore- seeingShah lsmail's government.In the book of Mahdawi-va(which was attributedto him) it hasbeen reported that he saidthat beforethe appearanceof Imam Mahdi the city of Constantinoplewill be conqueredby Muslimswith the Mahdi's singleshouting of Allaho Akbar.2sAnd then we see the changing Sufi characterof Iranian Nernatollahisgradually towardsa social fratemity (iiwanmardi) and sometimeseven to a gang group.26For exampleby the ageof ShahAbbas | (1587-1629) the sponta- neousSports performances like wrestling "were transformedinto ritual- " ize d /i ghts be hv e e n t *^o .filtuww a t .fac t io ns : N ema t o I I ah i s and Hut, d an s . The Venetiantraveller Mncentio d'Allessandri "who visited Tabrizand Qazvin during Shah Thhmasbisreign, says that the city qfQazvin was divided into two factions:.five wards w*ereNematollahi and four were Haydari... Neither the King nor anv one else could put a stop to it".27 Somehistorians said that the NematollahiOrder became Shi'ite in those claysin the fifteenthcentury and then graduallydied out in lran.28But at thehand of Ma'sum'Ali ShahDeccani (d.121111796) we sawthe revival of the NematollahiOrder, who broughtthis orderback againto its home- land in Iran. After that we witnessthe division of the NematollahiOrder into different subdivisions,such as Kawsariyya,Safi 'Ali-Shahiyya, Gonabadiyya,Shamsiyya, Munis'Ali-Shahiyya.2e From this bdef history of the Nematollahiswe understoodthat there aredifferent intellectual and spiritualperiods of this order,too. As a matter of fact. this is a common fact of all Sufi orders.There is a proverb amongTurkish Sufis summarizingthis fact very well: "The colour o/'the tariqa is determinedby the tasteo.f'the present master". ,i4 '/'irr'liler,ir,/ Ittltt'rtit!it,t:rti5ytrt1tp.;i11111 rtt' SirLilr Nr'llofrr.1.itl; I ',i

At thc clrii ol.our llrrit historical pcnocl wliich starls \vrlll !liiirlr Ncnutolhh Vrli's ironrin A lcirpoanrj r:nrls u/ith his passinglt\\'irv in \4;ilrir; wc cnn sa),'asra sunrlnarylhirt irr ltis in Syril lutclin Lre-r,ptwL: sr.ii'. -rut'ufh hir-nin closc cont:rctrvith sonrc-lirrkish Srrfls. Arirl in ltis ('crilrlii A5riur dayshe haclnrany'l'urkislr irrlkxvcr:; \i.'rth \\,iro11r it sccrtis tiiat lrc {;i)rrtinir{'(i t() corrcsponclrr'hilc irc wlll; rn K.{:rnralr.Wet rnirsl. keep in rrtirtiltltrt:-^cr lriq- tolrcaliinccrkilcs iiunr lirs pcrst;nallrlb hopingtilat tlrcy nrigirtlre lp u., irr tl'rcunricrstiurdrnq erl'Shalr Nt-rnltollail's lc-lrppciu'ance itt AttaIrliitnii;rll lilcrahl'e u,hich rl,cr,r'ill tical it,ith in tlle scctitrdperiod itl'tturrcscari:l:

II. l'he Nematollalri Order and AnzrtolianQalanrlaris: ln tlrissucolrrlpart rl1-nry r-cscirrclr I rvill artall,seilre lurthcr intpurI ll the Nentutollttititxdtl on,\rratrrili;.rnSlitr grr)ups.lt s,.:cntst() r')r.-:tit;ti liti:' prot-ricrnaticisctrc i:. sorncltttw ll scpal.aldcasc tl'tlnr thut tll'3iii:'h l,lcnrifol lalr irimsel l. Ac,:irrrlirtqt,.r:;ort-tc hrslorrcaltlocun-ir:nt;l trttltc c,trlyda-vs ol'"rlrc {ittr; l'niiltsihurc wcr'c s()mc Strf i iiqLrrcsiir A rrato!iau,lto iit :;rJnlc(l*{rc,.)ii \,". i'i i. in closccon{act w;th thc nrlirrgr.;l:tss. ln s{)inesoul'ct:s cxti';rut-tiltiiri"y \t{i rics havi: l"recnnttribrrtcci 1o thern as hclpilril thc r'.tlct-s.'l'hciulr','s trc iicvcclin tlrcir"s;piritua! itt:lp and hitstnttr"Aceortliiill io flrtl:;clcs,. tttlttt'i, solll'ccsailriic sr,rilanswcrc tntl'ir/.s'ol'cr:rtainSrrll tnasl,.rrts.So \t'lrc\\,r:ir' tlicy'/ Irrgcnrfiri. '1\ ir can catcqorisc: thcrr, iutrl t$'0 lrasic!iroilpli: lrr sl rUlr|r Sulis u'irriv;crc s()i;b-servrlnl o1'rc-ligiotr:; c1iltie.s thitt thcv !v*rc vr-r'v\, ! cofficrlb1'thc urajorilyol'tlrc rcligiousconinrunify in<;{ur-litt:r tlrt rulct:. Anll sccortelrvr:t'e Sufl:; u,i;ri wcrc ntalginrl rlcni:;hcs rvho nri)sll'\''-'\ capcclti'onr casti:;l larrclsr,l'lrclc it lvasunsrritablc l'br tltr:tn to !ive. "' S(',rrr: of thcln r:arnc ll'our llaghilaii, sonrc fj'oni (lentral Asia" s,r)rr';cii{l{i: Klrorasanand sonrc ll'oin Azcrbai.jirntrl Asiir N4iuoran{l s()nte:rrl'lit*:rl w'cre

As far as we know, the earliestOttoman source that mentionedShah Nematollahi'sname was Nav'izade 'Atai's (d.104511635)Hadaiq al- Haqaiq.He says:"The NematollahiOrder comes from SeyedKhalil from NematollahVali from 'Abdullah Ydf i from Ahmad Ghazali.Seyed [Nematollah]died in 867 and was buried at Mahan,one of the towns of Kerman. He has a khaniqahand a ziyaratqah.Fuqara [of his khaniqah] are mostly traveller-dervishes.Shaykhs fof this khaniqah]are descen- dantsof the Prophet'shousehold."ra The famoussixteenth cenfury Otto- man traveller,Awliya Chelebi(d.1095/1684), in his Sayahatnamamen- tions the NematollahiOrder threetimes. ln the first placehe countsthe Nematollahi Order by name among f-amousSufi orders.In the second place he quotesa "Futuwwatnama" including a Persianpoem of Shah Nematollahon the symbolismof the dervishheaddress (Taj).It hasbeen reportedthat ShahNematollah was wearing a greendervish hat of twelve parts(on iki terkli).In the third placehe reportsthe meetingof a Golshani Shaykh('Ashik Vali) with a NematollahiShaykh called Shaykh Saib in Cairo.rsThen historian JalalzadaMustafa reports in his Tabaqatal- mamalik that in 1542when Sultan Kanuni Stilaimanreturned from his Budin battle a big crowd were meeting in Edirne to greet him. Among them there were groups of dervishessuch as Haydariyan,Cavlakiyan, '[ha Sccotdhrtcrnstiorutl SurtnLtsitmr on ShalrNcmtttollttlr Vnli

Qalanderan,Jamiyan and Nematollahiyan.r6Who were those "Nematollahiyan"?Paul Ricaut, a L)uropeantraveller in Ottomanlands in the seventeenthcentury says that the NematollahiOrder came to the land of the Ottomansat fic tirneof ChelebiMehmed I (d.l42l) andhe gives somedetails of their zikr ceremony.rTVon Hammersaid that thosenames of aruq werethe den'ishgroups ofAnatolia in the earlydays of the Otto- nranEmpire NematollaArs,[layderis, tsektashis, Babayis, Wefayis. Hindilar Tekkcsiin Istanbulwas the placeof refugefor al! thosewandering der- vishesfrom Indiarvl'ro visited lstanbul. A frierrdof secretaryand dragoman of tire legationof the Unitcd StatesofAmerica at istanbul,John P. Brolvn, hactrsaid to him (at aroundI tt67)that the greaterpart of thattekiya belong to theorder of Naqhbandis.Qadiris. Chistis, Kubrawis, Ne matollahrs and Qalandaris.rsln moderntirnes Profbssor Fuad Kopriilii (d.1966) mentions ShahNematollah's namc alnong the constructivefigures of the Safavid religiousunderstandinEl in Anat

In thefirsl partof our re-*earchwt: sawalready that in his youthShah NematollalrVali rvasamong the so-calleclQalandari-llaydari groups in Cairo,studied the scicnce of lettersfrom I{usaynal-Akhlati and ideas of lbn al-Arabifrorn Yafi'i. As Il. G. Brownepointed out clearlythat he has a tcndencytowards "hurufi1,va" and "nuqtaviyya"in his poetry:"Most irf Nenratollahisvcrscs illustrat? the doctrirtc of v,ahdatal-wuiud while a certainproportion use the favouriteillustration of the 'point' (nuqta)of which the circleis only a manifcstation.."arIn his Divan we seethat ShahNematollah Vali praisesShaykh Qutbuddin t{aydar who was the founderof theHaydari-Qalandari sect and his followcrswith theseinitial words:"l lovethat Qutbuddin l{aydar . . . andthose fi iendsof Qutbuddin Haydar."(Divutr, p. 326) QutbuddinI laydardied in I 201which is almosttwo centuriesbefore ShahNematollah's birth. So ShahNematollah must have known hirn throughhis followcrso1'that time whetherin Cairo or in Iran. In that poemlre also uses some Haydari symbols such as: taj, halqa-gush,narnad, etc.So, it is clearthat he inusthave been in closecontact with Haydari groupsafter Shaykh Qutbuddin Flaydar. Like }laflz, his poetryalso has many "rendi", "lauhuli", "kharabati" metaphoricmeanings.a2 But at ShahNemstolloh Vali in TurkishLiternture 47 the beginningof two pagesof a Persiantreatise called Risale-i Qalandariyyarvhich was found in Cairo National Library (Tal'at, Per- sian.nu: 1174),4rthis treatisewas attributedto ShahNematollah Vali. Now if-thissmall treatise is reallya work of ShahNematollah, he might havewritten it while he was in Cairo amongthose kinds of dervishes.He startswith the interpretationof the word qalandarin five differentquali- ties which were equivalentto the numberof the lettersof qalandarin the Arabic alphabet.What is important in that treatiseis that the author's criticismof so-calledQalandars of thattime who werewandering around asbeggars. He saysthat they wereinfidels who destroyedthe very pillars of the religionof Islam.This point,it seemsto me. is very importantfbr differentiatinghis understandingof qalandar from malahida.

Four Qalandaritreatises were written in 1079 at the time of Shah SiilaymanSafawi (published in the book of lyin-i Qalandari, ed.by Mir Abidini - MehranAfshari, Tehran 1376). We seemany inter-diffusionsof Nematollahi,Haltdari andSa/awi motifs again.aaThe first treatisewas on the mannersof the Order (khurde-i tariq) where ShahNematollah's name is countedamong the namesof SultanQutbuddin Haydar, Ahmad-i Jam, Mir Ghiyasuddin,Seyed Jamal etc. lt is very interestingthat also in the genealogicaltrees of ShahNematollah Yali (nasabnama),Seyed Jalaluddin Haydarand Shah Abbas were included (p. 183-184). In the secondtreatise, thereis anothersilsila composedby a poetcalled Husami where the names of ShahNematollah Vali, HaydarTuni, I-lajjiBaktash Vali andShah Ismail Safawi rvereplaced on the sameline (p. 223-230).In anotherplace QutbuddinHaydar became Shah Nematollah's khali/hh (p. 239).[n thethird treatisewe sawthe samesilsila (p. 279) andpoems of ShahNematollah on "seven valleys" (hq/i vadi) (p.306). And I saw the sameFutuwwati I Qalandari/ Nematollahisynthesis in a fifty pagePersian manuscript titled Kitabu tariqati./i adab al-sulukal-filqara wa arkanuhamin al-ibtida' ila. al-intiha on the credo and mannersof Nematollahidervishes written in 10331 1624 by someonecalled al-Faqir'Abdullah al-Husayni.a5

III. Others called"Shaykh NematollahVali' in Turkish Sufi Literature: On the other hand we saw that in Turkish Sufi literaturethere are someothers called "Nematollah Vali" who havebeen confused with each 48 fftr'.-{cr-trrt,tItrl:rttittttrtil! S;1ilt1ta:-iitrttatr SItLtltNcrrlrlirr//rili l'iilr rtrherlbl solld lilnc.-i lie fir:;t \.r/asthc lbuntlct ()i'tllc ltrllJtl'r1'(1(,1{fu-':r r:.r 'l'he ''Ntlt:riilitilrt:i Anatoli,,r.Ahi tir,'rcnl..lenuttollair Mahntud"t" :icconi! V'irli"was th,-^khalifahI of thc fanrous()ttotnan Ktr[rayi ]ih'r'v!:ir'''rilti (]t!(]': Sultiinal-iJukhari vulto clieti rr1 lJ-t3i l'tr1.9 in fJtirsa,'rAnd tll,-'[l]it1l narncatrcl v,'orl.:s; $ (.)fC eVC'll lll()l'c collfiist:d r,.'ith Slrillt Ncltliit0ll;tlt's illr nanlewrrl llabil jrlc:ntl,tollahb. Sl'::rykliMalttnttil;ri-Nakh.ii''lttir. llt- rt'lrs bpnr ln Nekhchiya:r.strrtlicrl in lahri;ratrci r-iri-'il trr Aclshclirr lle'i'r k{ill!'.i in 920i li l.i" llrr \i'ilsa l.rafir'ihhartriiurd '..vroi.o1u/r) \olull'lc:; tll'Slt ii rrrl''i' rn Arabrc ;rnrllt []crsii.riter']lnu)L'lrt.ri-y ()ti {t'ulsh tri'i lla:."iiLit iit :tiitttl:ll ltrarycltlli)iJLtcs rls ivcllas itl ,.;!.,r.t1fr"onlt:tt-lprtratv stLI(iiL's ncai l1' lrll'r':il- jl'L: ir:icSwL-'tLt licirr!i tt"tis;1ak,:ltlV llfiritiuleri ts'r ltitn r''i;it:li\\ iil titel i:li:'i: i:' !ctt-lainli;tit Vll i's r,!'.il'k:-l-

i!'. ( onclusicn: ,'' Irriitrrlii frl.c t3 sli;rr,.:rirrih ,/orith()sc t'ipriillgi, i',lts,.:t! (rl) lllr l'rtir. l scrtrc!r0Il tllr st;b1lct: , i\s corlntl)ll tlritcfi-cat lli.tttitnc, Slrah Ncttratrllialt Vali titiclr{ltrl"''': bccnilrti;rtutl ililrr arril cxpcrrcnc*tl tttot'c litiut r:nc t{tt'itiQ in lris i:ie 1',o-llril .shrit'i'uortctrtt:il an;rrtlnci.; iri' ;rl-\'if i. tit,: occttlti:;ttalc-rtts ol' :rl-4klrl:rti lnd thc rlaltnrltrinii;odsci1'l Iirvilarrs wctr- c()rnl]incd irr hitti. yct !i :ilri'illi' thatlrc lu,llla.!'cdt1ltccp thr.:rrrt:rtd,:t'it kinrltlt tlrtliothrrVin irislil.' in ihc suo(rnLlpe-ri,rii uf-Ncrnlit.rlllhi hrstoi'r,'.ultich ! tltLritgitt':, iirirly indcpcndclttlrorn ShirhNctlririolillir Vali's l"f:rsol!'rltv' lhi: ftrct't- ogsstructul'c starlud to clrrrngc'.transicr"ring supcriiirilv fionl tlic t't'iiyirtt:', approachto thc.r"c!ati'rel,v indiflcrt:nt bchnviours. [)itfi:rcni sttbtJ:r'islott:r wcre brtrn tlonr the nrain body. And rri the dttc c(tursL'of'titrrr':titis lt.tt' rlcncy.structurciib-y thr: politic:rl and iileologtcitittt;lrtitlge'; uitli S iirr',i'i pO\ /er, gaVit l-ril'tirtu S()-ciilltrclttcu' ilcrvish gr()tlllri Ltntlrr'Sh;lll Ncrnrttcl i.rh's ttll:ltc. - irurthcrstructrtre o!'1hc \rrmatrlllahi was all amalgatl;rtjonol',ffn,nrrrr ittrtlif i'r;ii':li A4ttlcttitnti.()ir!rtuilttri, l'ltt.t'i/rit'i,,iu!tili, Huruli, !t'trtqlu*'i, 'lcr:- trincsu'rth thc Shi-i:;rlof ilrcSiafar,r.'ls, ot'cvcn rvitlr llieg/lirlrl rif lihi'i:;rrr .*, Becauscpovcrfy (/itqt'),trai'cIlrng arrdprcacltitlg r"cru thcir lrit:,ir' sitcialchirractcrisfics^ anr,;ng thc rlany wcstr'v;rrdcletvislt ctllllpitlgnr. irilrr *ri'thenrcmbcrs of tlrisr;r

Notes

Professorof IslamicMysticism at MarmaraUniversity in Istanbul. ShahNematollah Vali, Divan, p. 579. Ttictt'l-drifin Menkiheleri (Manaqib tt4jal-ari.fin Seyed Abu'l-Wu.fa), translatcd into Turkish by EyiipAsik, Istanbul2000, p. 10. Ibn al-Adim.Ziibde al-haleh fi rarikhul-Halab, ed. by S. Dehhan,Damascus 1954, Vol.ll. p 3l SeeMichel Balivet, Islan Mystiqueet Rivolulion .4rnie Dans Les Balkans Otlornuns: Vie du CheikhBedreddin le "Hallni des Turcs"(1 358-1416), Istanbul 1995, p. 53. R. StephenHumphreys. Tov,ardsA Historl, of Aleppo und DamascLrsIn the Eurly Middle Ages,63 5- | 260 C.f., Islamic Arca StudicsWorking PapcrScries No. 2, Tokyo I 998, p. I 3- 14. Ma'suinr 'Ali Shirazi notes this montain as "Jabul-i Cu1,71s1r".Turuiq al-Huquiq,Tehran 1901,Vol. III, p. 3. al-Makrizi,el-Hitcrt, Vol. 2, Bulak 1270,p.433; al-Safadi,ul-VaJi bi al-v,u.l-oy,ur,Vol. 2, p. 443;M. al-Hatib,Fustut ol-Adulc, ed. by O. Turan,Istanbul 1953, p.559; Ibn Battuta,a/- Rihla,vol. I, p.63. Ahmad Sirri Baba. al-Ri:;alutti'l-ahnaditta /i tarihi'l-tarikati'l-riliweri'l-baktashiyu bi- Misri'l-nrtthru.sa,Cairo 1934,p. l3; FuadKoprLili.i, Misir'da Bekrasilik.Istanbul193 l. p. l2; Hamid Algar, "Nematullahiyya", Encylopediactf Islan2, Vol. VIII. pp. 44-48. SiilaymaniyaLib. IbrahimEf., nu. 430-432,Vol. III. fol. 263b-265a.Although llaririzadhe listedaproximatly 193 Sufi order in this wolk including"al-Yti/i'itt'n" it seemsthat he forgot"Nematollahiyya". But SadikVijdani(d. 1938) who nradca complcmcnton it callcd Tbntttr-ituruq-i 'alin,qi (lstanbul,l34l/1922) include"Nematollahiyya" as a branchof Yo/i'irva-i Mudt:eniyya.Then he gaves'Abdulldh Ydf i's silsi/a like this:Sat'ed .,lbdiilqadir ul-Jilani, ShaykhJamaluddin Yunusel-Qassar, Sha-,,kh ul-Akbur lrfttht,iddin al-Arabi, Sha.vkh 'Izuddin Ahmad al-Va.siti,Shavkh Nainuddin al-lslhhani, ShaykhRodhit't,iidtlin Ibrtthim 'fhe 50 Stcontl InterrratiLtnsl Svmttosiunt on Sltilt Ncttrttttillah Vali

ul-MukAi,Shur'lih lmun .lbduliah ul-Yili'i Hamitllrarzarn, ibid, p. 15 tl KritibC'hclctri. Kushfir':-:unur, ed. by G. Fluegcl.Vol.3. p. 262 tl Hanritl[rarzam , Shrrh N<:nutttlluh I ali, pp. 67-68.Tchran 1995. rf > 'Abdulldh ScycdAbu'l-F ath al-Saidi > Kar.naluddin al-Kuii ' SalehBcrhcri Shavkh Yatl'r. Sr'eIlarnid Farzarn,ibid" p.56. t5 Fol theSufi groups in Syriaand Ilgypt at thr:timc of ShahNematolluh Vali ser'Eric Geoftioy, [,t'soufisne ert Egtyttee t (n Svric;^Srrrrsr'r,.r- Dcrnier.s ]l,lumeloul't el lcs PretniersOttornans. Duritas1995. l-atiil (tl.99011582)quotes this intbnlation from Manaqibal-\\'asilin which was attributed toShahNcrrratollah.l-atifi says;".lnrrraerbuh-lturikultenbuzilurclitli ki NesimiFazlullohi degiiltliir hclki l,lcmutoiluhitliir.Gert,i fra:l'o irisnri,tt't ilm-i hunrfi andan gilrtni';idi. Illtt ir,ianuiolluhL'li ;;ikkesinIekcnli t,eilm il .srlitidt:t'let'erniiot-kes-i trbdulu t'hrar olupt'iirinli". Lzrtitl,1i':l:iretii's-,st.r'uru, ed. bv Ridvan('anirn, Artkara 2000, p. 524. lt secrnsthat some ot|cl soulccsin ordcrto solvcthis problornthcy cornbincdihose tlr'o figurcs in oneperson- alityrlithgiringhisnanteas"F'u:/ulluh.Ycntti".F'orexan-rplcsccShchbcnrlang>c. Ankara 2001, p. 172, SltshNernutollslr Vsli irt TurkishLitersture 51

IJarnidIrarzam. ib i d., pp. 378-380. l6 I{arnid Algar, ibirl., Ahmad Tan.rirndari,Ir/un u uduh dur usri so[av'i,Vol. I, pp. 64-67. Kathryn Babayan.,l.1t,s;ics,Monarch tnd llessiuhs; Culturul Landscapaso/ I:urll lv[otlern /r'arr.Boston 2002, pp. 224-5. Alan A. Godlas,"Ni'nratullahiyah". The Enq'c'lopediao./'rhe Nfodern Islunic ll'ory'ri,Ncw Ytrrk 1995.Vol. 3, p. 252. MassorrdIlornayouni. Tarilihi .silsiluhari turiqi Ni'matulluhiy.t'udur lrun, Tchran1979. Fol thosckind o1'dcn'ishessee, Colin Lnbcr,"l-he \L/anderingDervishcs", Ma":hriq,Lini- vcrsityof Manchester,1980. pp. 36-50. SccAhnretT.l(ararnustaf'a. "lrarly Sufisrnin EastcrnAnatolia",in ('ktssicolPersiurrSufi.snt: liron !t's Origin.rto Runli,ed. by l-conardLewisohn. i.ondon 1993.pp. 175-198;Same atrthor.Gr.rrlis (.inruly l:rictrds: Dervi.shGroups in thc Islunic Later A,[iddlePt:riod ]100- 1-5-50,Utah 1994;Ahmct Yaflar Ocak, Las I'Iilieux SoLtfisDuns Le.skrritories Du Beylicut Ottontune t Lc PrcltlemeDe"s Abdulun-i Rum ( I300- I3891,in TheErnirote. ed. by Elizabcth Zacharidou,Cretc University Prcss, 1993. AhrrretYasar Ocak,0snunli liltpdrolorlugunduMurjinul Sufilik.Kale nderift'r', Ankara 1992, n 15 | Togcthcrr.vith the Prophet.frxrrtccn innocents irnams (chardah Ma'sum) rvas being consid- crcdas epiphanics of God in commonby Nematollahis,Shabak, IJur-ufis and Baktashis. Sce l\,fatti Nloosa,Iirtrenti,rt Shiites, New York 1987.p. 108. '"Ttrriq-iNi'natulluhi: Ahmutl Ghuz:trli, 'Abtlulldh Yu/i'i, Netnatollnh Vali, Sel'ei y1rn,,t. Se.iedmule.sen<:867. Kirmun e'nrulitulen lVcihrtnnttm kan,gll. mt'dfundur.Khaniqah ve :iyaretguh suhihidir. Fukorasi ekser.sev.t'uhtir.Setcacieni.sini Seyedzudt'!erlzri'. Nev'izade 'Atai, Haluiq al-lIuquiq.cd. by AhdiilkadirOzcan. Istanbul 1985, p. 64. EvliyaCclcbi. Scvthutnune . ctl.ht'.Orhun ,tuik Gdloay,l stanbul 1 996, Vol. I , pp. I 65. 2 I 7; Vol. 2, p. 268. "Sadatvc ahfiyasi,ulcma ve kiiberasi.ubbad vc sulchasi.ebrar ve ahyari,sigar vc kibari, aammc-ienarlr vc bcrayasi,kafl'e-i ahali ve e:alisivc Bcktasileri,F-irka-i Baba YiSufilcri vc f{aydariyanvc Ccvlakileri.Ziimrc-i Edhcmilcrivc reyyasidervisler. mtittck-lcr ve taifc-i kalcnderiyan,Haci Bayramiler,Giiruh-i Nematollahilerve Camiler tttglar vc alcmlcr kaldirip...",Cle lalzadc Mr-rstafa. Tubukarii'l-Memulik. publ. by P.Kappert, Wiesbadcn I 98I , p. 3'18b;A. YaflarOcak. i6irl, p. 104. Paul Ricar-rt.Hi.stoire tle l'Etut Pr[sent tle I'Enpire ()tlonan. Paris 1670.p.455 John P. Brown, The[)en'ishes or Orientul Sltirituctlism,cd. by with notcstI. A. Rose,L-ondon I 927,p. 37l. FuadKopriilii, Anudolu'du I.slttmil'er, ed. by MehmctKanar, Istanbul 2{\03,p.77. 1l) AlrrnetYasar Ocak, ibld. Ankara 1992. D. G. Browne,A Literan'Histor.t'o.fPer,sia, Lonclon 1905, Vol.3. p.470. Of coursc\\,e mr-lst not fbrgetthe possibilityof addingsorle ncw poemsto tl-reDrr,an of ShahNernatollah Vali duc to course-of tirle. Also see.Janis [,sots, "Shah Nemabllah Vali Kcrmani as a MysticalPoct: Three l-rends of IslamicMysticisrn and ThreeBases of His Poetry", CelabrtttingA Stt/iMd.ster: A C'ollectiono_/ Ilorks on the Ot'crtsiono/ the Firsl Irttt't'irtttionolS.r'nposiunt on ShuhNcrnatollcrh I/ali,San Josc,2002, p.58-75. SadcttinKocatiirk. "Kalcnderiyye Tarikati Ilc llgili Bir RisaleUzerine", AL'DTCFDogu Dillt'ri, Ankara 1985,Vol. IY,pp.37-4'7. 52 The Second International Swnposium on Shah Nemqtollsh Vnli

'o For Turkishperspective on theconsequences of Safawiand Sufi marriagespecially ir.r Anatolia seeMazlum Uyar, "safcviler OncesiIran'da Tasavr,'ufve Sat-eviDevletinin OrtayaQikisi", AkademikArastilmolarDergisi, No: 3 (1999),pp. 121-137,No: 7-8 (2000-2001).pp. 85- 98. a5 IstanbulSiilayrnaniya Library, Haci Mahmud,No: 3144. '6 Mikail Bayram,Ahi Evrenve ,4hi TeskilatininKurulu.su, Konya 1991. a' Baldirzadc, Rat,za-iAvliva, ed. by Mefail Hizli - Murat Yurtsever,Bursa 2000, p. 265. ]s Sec YasarKurt, Nehcut,ani ye Tasavr.,u{iTefsiri, (OMIJSBE, UnpublishedPh.D. thesis), Sarnsun-I 99 8. 'e See,Baha Said,"Bektdsiler", Tiirk \urdu, \bl. l9l5, pp. 187126,188127,Istanbul 1927; Ahmet T. Karamustafa,"Kalcnders, Abddls, Haydcris: The Fomation of the Bektdsiyyein the SixteenthClentury", rn SilleymanThe Second And His Time,ed. by H. Inalcik, Istanbul 1993,pp. l2t-129. 53

Principles: An Epistleby ShahNematollah Valil

Translationand commenti by Hail Dr. Muhammad LegenhausenJ

Accordingto the Suflsand the mastersof theology,existence as it is in itself,that is, not conditioned,ais rnoregeneral than universal and particular, singularand general,s absolute and restricted and mental and extemal.

Couplet: Absolute('over both absolutenessand non-absolutenessl Withoutneed of'being described as evenor odd.8

Principle 1. Consideringthe realityqof existenceunder the conditionthat there is nothingwith it, it is saidto be the levelof oneness,r0the station of theall- comprehensive,lrand the realityof realities.r2

Couplet: It is absoluteover therestrictionst3 of'name and attributes.ta Essencetsis not its name,though you mightsev essence.t6

Ratheressence is saidof it for understandine.and absolute for incom- parability.rT

Principle 2. Existenceis neithercalled an existentnor a non-existent.rEIlowever. necessaryexistencere is known asan existent.Understand this. 54 The Secondlnternationql Sunrposiunron ShahNernatollah VnIi

Couplet: This is a precisedistinction, well said A subtlepearl, well pierced.zo

Principle 3. Hoqqt'is pureexistence,22 and is one2rby theunity24 of reality,that is, its realizationin the correctknowlecige of the verifier doesnot dependon the conceptuahzationofunity or on the conceptualizationof the opposite of unity. or on intellectionabout unity as opposedto multiplicity. Rather unity is an establishingestablished reality, not [merely]established.2s

Line of verse: Wesaid unity, howeverit is understood,

Not in order to refer to the idea26of unity, as is imaginedby veiled minds.27

Principle 4. The existenceof necessaryexistence is the sameas its essence;and the existenceof contingr'ntexistence is additionalto contingent whatnesses.2sRather the existenceof contingentexistence is from the treasuryof the generosity2eof necessaryexistence.

Couplet: Ll/hateverwe have is all His generosity. His generosity/br us is His existence.

Principle 5. The first level associatedwith entificationr0is inclusiveof all entifications,a comprehensiveoneness, which is specificto the real human,whose form is Adam.r'

Couplet: Krtot the.faceand meaningoJ Adam. Know yoursclf and know the cosmos. Tlrc Teachirtgsof ShnhNonrtollah Vali

Principle6. The first intellect,I that is, the tabletof the decree,the highestpen andthe Adam of meaningis the simplestof existents;but it is not void of intellectualcomposition because the first intellectis itselfa whatnessto whichexistence is attributed.And of thepropefties3r of contingentrnulti- plicity',tlrere is onefor it.ra

Principle 7. l'he fixed entitiesrsare forms of thedivine names in the fdivine]cog- nitiveprcsence36 and are realities of theworld. Insof-aras they are fixed in knowledgebut are non-existentin the externalworld, they have not smelledthe scentof existence.Allah, the Exalted,says, (All thingsare pcrishingbut I{is face)(28:88).

Couplet: Frornpre-eternih, to post-eternitlti7 is like this. The speechrt the mysticsis also like this.

Principle8. The realityof no existentis blameworthy,although some are blameworthy becauseof base attributes.Yrru know that an existentwithout existencecannot be an existent,and existence is puregoodness.rT There- fore,an existent,with regardto its existence,is not void of goodness.

Couplet: Although lblis is .tupremelyan evil doer, Look ot his existence.lbr it is not bad.38

Principle9. The nobility of the indicator3eis becauseof the nobility of what it indicates.a('Thecosmos is an indicatorof the existenceof necessaryexistence.

Couplet: Whateveris, whethergood or had, All can hat,ethis nobilitv. 56 The SecondInternational Sumttosiuttton ShahNenntollah Vali

Perfectioncharacterizes one to the extentof one'sdivine characteris- tics,arand imperfectionis accordingto weaknessin this. Nobility is by the fewnessof intermediaries[to Him], andbaseness is by the abundance of them.a2

Principle 10. The vastestand greatest of thingsare mercy, the heart of manand knowledge.Regarding the vastnessof mercy,Haqq, the exalted,said (My mercy embrac:esall things)(7:156). On the vastnessof mercyand knowledge, by thetongue of theprophets He said:(O ottrLord! Youcompr"ehend all thing,s in mercyand know'led4e)(40:7). On the vastnessof the heartof the 'drif of Allah, He said: "Neither My earthnor My heavencomprehends me, but the heartof My pureand pious believer seryant."a3

Stanza: The treasurethat was hidden from the eyesof all the world,aa Becamemani/bst to me; I am the.familiarof that treasure. The treasurethat doesnotJit tn an.ytreastuy exists, But it fits in a corner qf my heart. Wheredo I fit in being?

Principle 11. Contingententified existentsconstantly request the assistanceof the presenceof necessaryexistence, and absolutegenerosity, that is, Haqq, the exaltedand holy, assiststhem from the treasuryof generositywith existence.

Couplet: A deservingdrunken rogue,assuch as I, Wouldsee that the cup bearergave some of that wine to me.a6

Principle 12. The singleentity, extemally, shows itself asa multiplicity of entities; and the numerousentities, internally, are a singleentity.l7

Quatrain: An entity appears externally as entities. In evety entily,an entiQ is shownto us. The Tenchingsof ShahNemntollsh Vali 57

In the world showinggoblet it is perfectlyshou,n. Look at it, so that it showsyou!

Principle13.

Couplet: The mostholy el/usionasgives existenceand capacity to the capacitatedby the name"Interior".

The existenceof the fixed entitiesin thepresence of knowledgeis by themost holy effusion,that is. moreholy thanthe mixture of multiplicity of namesand the imperfectionsof contingentrealities. This is thedisclo- sureof essentiallove, which is what bringsabout the existenceand capacitiesof entities. Sacredeffusion is the disclosureof the namesby the love of the appearanceof what is requiredby the entitiesin the externalworld. Sacred effusionsucceeds the most holy effusion.Understand this.

Principle 14. Haqq, the exalted,at everymoment, discloses Himself to everyen- tity, through the one of the names,according to, (Every day He is in a state)(55:29). One of the divine affairsis sentdown from the presenceof onenessaoto unity,soand from unity to the level of intellect,and from the intellectualto that of the tablet. and from that of the tablet to universal nature,and from the universalnature to cotporealmatter.

Line of verse: After this,the throne,then its.fbotstool.5l

When one of the divine affails is sentdown from the sevenheavens. and passesthrough the levelsof universaland particularuntil it reaches man, it takeson the coloringof all of theselevels. The coming down of a divineaffair through all thesementioned levels occurs at a singlemoment.5l

Couplet: In its conting down, no time passes, Rather, not even a ntoment pass;es. The Secondlntcrnational Sumpositutton ShahNenntollsh VaIi

After this.the statesthat have dominated it arepeeled off with a spiritual peeling, and it retums to the divine presence.s3Then from Him it originates,and to Him it returns.

Couplet: The guest is dear.Hold him as dear. Di not debasethat dear friend.

Principle 15. The existenceof multiplicity in namessais the sameas the divine essence,in one aspect.They55 are manifestedby the forms of the flxed entitiesaccording to different states.

Couplet: Knou, univ and oluralit:t in this wnv. Call /brth the inclusiveunity.

A nameis the essencewith a determinateattribute.56 An attributeis an intellectualrelation, not an entified affair, and in relationto the external world thcy are nothing.Therefore, the multiplicity of the namesis with regardto attributes,and the unity of the nalnesis by the essence.When- evera perspectival5Tletter is contbinedwith a realletter, it hasmeaning.ss Understandthis.

Principle 16. By correct knowledgeand explicit unveiling, it is verified for the verifier that the existenceof the world is by the disclosureof real5eexist- ence.It is manifestinthe mirrorsof the fixed entities.The existenceof the entitiesis impossiblewithout real existentialdisclosure.60

Couplet: An existent,whatever it is, has its existenceJiomHis generosity. The generosiQo/'His existenceto others is His existence.6l

Principle 17. In the first disclosureHaqq appears62in the mirrors of creation,and creationis hidden.63 Thc Teachingso.f Shah Nenntollsh Vali 59

Couplet: First, our statewas this wa1,. Whoeverreuches here saysthis.

In the seconddisclosure Haqq appearsin tiremirrors of theexistence of Haqq, andHaqq is hidden. However,in the comprehensivedisclosure, which is the stationof MuHarnmadanperfection, Haqq is witnessedin creationitself, and creationis witnessedtn Haqq Himself.

Couplet: Look at the light o/ the .cLtnin the moon. Look at creationand Haqq [reflectedJin eac:hother.

Principle18. Existence,universal and particular,specific and general,mental and extemal,and absolute and restricted, from the aspectof existencet'ois one, andby resfiictions and respects6s is nunterous. The divinenames are many accordingto concepts,('6but in view of what they aretrue of, they areone.

Couplet: An essencr:has a hundredthousand natnes by appearance,6i Find that as oneuntil you know,68and peace be untoyou.

Principle 19. Representations6ein numerous mirrors areshown variously, while the thing representedis one and the tnimors,on accountof entificationand restriction,are unlimited,T') but the utmostTlis one.

Couplet: Zayd, 'Am4 Bakr and Khdlid, all /bttr Are ntan itsel/, be well au,areo/ this!

Principle20. The exteriorof everylocus of-manifcstation is fiom thedivine name, the Exterior,T2and its interior is fi'om the name,the Interior.TrThe locus 'fhe Second International Svnwosiuntorr Shahlr'lentatollnh Vnli of manifbstation,with respectto onenessis the sameas the one who manifests.The collectionof all individualsof the world, are loci of manifestationof the namesof l{aqq, individually,while theperfect man is the locusof manifestationof the comprehensivename, generally. The reality of the locus of manifestation,in reality, returnsto the one who manifests,and the reality of Haqq. the exaltedand sacred,is unknor.vn. Therefore,the reality of nothing is known.

Poetry: I havenot ttnderstoodthe reality o/'anything. How can I understand,while vou are in it?

Principle21. Stoppingat onenessis the level of a unitarianwho is veiled from creationin thejoining with Haqq.Stopping at the plurality of theworld is thejob of one coveredwho is in the desertof separation,covered from IIaqq by creation. But the verifieris the onewho witnessesHaqq by Haqq in intellectual,entified, spiritual, imaginal and sensory forms. This is the mcaning of, "l did not seeanything without seeingAllah in it."7a

Couplet: Sincethe light q/ my eyes is.fiomthe light ql I{is beauty, I look at the light of His face b1,His light.

Principle 22. Everyindividual in the world is the locusof manifestationof oneof the divinenames with specificparticularities.

Couplet: Therogue and the a,ccetic,hov,ever they are viewed In /brm and meaning,look at God.

The existenceof bubblesis by water,and the appearanceof wateris by bubbles. The Tcnchingso.f Shnh Nanntollnh Vsli 67

Couplet: From the cup ofbubbles,drink w'ater, FintJthat v)aterin thesebubbles.l5

Principle23. The existenceof a numberis by repetitionof the unit. The elabora- tion of the levelsof unity areby number.A numberis half the sumof its predecessorand successor.Tt'The least sum is the double,and two is one andone, which aresummed in a singleform so thattwo is obtained.The principlesof any numberdo not appearexcept by finitude(numerosity), and the levelsof unity are not explainedexcept by number.There fore, theremust be numberand finitude. In everylevel of the levelsof unities,tens, hundreds and thousands, unity hascome repeatcdly. With the repetitionof onemore, the odd be- comeseven, but withoutit, it rs odd. TheApostle of Allah said,"Verily Allah is odd;He lovesthe odd."

Couplet: The odd such that other than Him thereis no rtne. i,gthe root of number,but is not a nuntber.

Principle 24. lf it were not for the generosityof the existenceof necessaryexistence,which grantedexistence to existcnts,the world of beingwould not be.Likewise. if therewere no intellectualuniversalrealities, there wor:ld appearno principlesof thedivine nanles and attributes in theentified loci of manifestation.

Couplet: Theremust be a hright mirror For tlte light o/'His beautyto be shown.

Principle 25. The first entity to be madedeterminate (as an entifiedthing) is the realityof man,and the obtainingof entitiesis by the elaborationof him, andthe numerosityof the namesis by determinations(entifications). 62 TheSecond Intentstionnl Stlntposium on ShslrI'Jematollah Vali

Couplet: It is entilied by the entificationsof'things. The v'aveand bubblesare hoth from tt'ater.

Principle 26. The divineidentity, by themanif-estation of royal sovereignty,is disclosedin the mirrorsof the loci of manifestationof the infinite names, arrdaccording to the principle, (and He is with you, whereveryou are) (57 4), He is lvith all. Rather,the reality of Him is all, andF{e with all the namesand attributesappears in someof the loci of manifestation,as in tlreperfect one and thequibs; and with someappears in some.Therefore, the single identity, accordingto the manifestationof the namesand attributes,appears more excellentlyin someloci of rnanifestationand in others[merely] excellently.

Couplet: Thatone is ntoreexcellent: this one is excellent; By identitv they are one, O intelligentone!

Principle 27. Whoeveris annihilatedin things,sees that the mover and the stopper of thingsis llaqq.lf oneis annihilatedfrom oneselfand from all things:

Couplet: IIaqq remains,ancl other than Haqq is nothing. Other than Haqq, the self is nothing; nothing is in viev'.

Annihilationis a relationwe haveto ourselves,but subsistenceis a relation we have to Haqq. You are free, so take whateverrelation you considerto be more appropriatefor yourself.

Principle 28. Lightning-likeessential disclosures are obtainedby thosewho are empty of all attributesand statesand from the principles of necessity, namesand contingency.This completeand absoluteemptinessTT is not opposedto the absolutenessof Haqq. The Tbnchingso"f Shah Nernltollnh Vlli 63

Couplet: I constantl.vsee this ernptines,s, Even thoughit doesnot last fbr more than a moment.

Principle 29. Existenceis absolutelypermitted. Knowledge of its depthis abso- lutely fbrbidden.

Notes

Tlris treatisehas bccn translatcdfrorn "Usr-rl",in Risdleh-hu-r'eHa:t'at-e SeycdNout'ul-Din ShuhNemutolluh fuli, Vol. 2, ed. Dr. JavddNourbakhsh (Tehran: Khaniqah Ncmatollah. datcdaccolding to the lranianroyalist calcndar 2536, corrcspondingto 1977),3-59-369. The author',Shah Ncrnatollah Vali rvasbom in Allepo oiroa730i l3l0 and lived for a hun- dredyears. Hc dicd in Mahanncar Kcnran, w-herehis shrineis still rnaintained.Although hc is rememberedmore for his revival of Sufism in Iran and for his poetrythan for his work on tlrephilosophical thcology of Sufism,or theoretical'ijtiu,his cssaysinclndc a nurnbcr of workson tl.rissr.rbjcct u'hich display his familiaritywith theworks of Qunawiand Qaysari in thc sr:hoolof ibn 'Arabr. I *'ould not ha'n'eunderstood thc tcxt andthc translationcould not havebeen accomplishcd lvithor:tthc assistanceof I)r. Arnir Divani.Infelicitics in thetranslation and misunderstand- ingsfbund in thc commentsarc entircly my o\\,'nrcsponsibility. Hajj Dr. Muhan-rrnadLcgcnhauscn is associateprofessor at the Imam Khorncini E,ducation and ResearchInstitutc. Qom. Existence(u'ujud) is the n-raintopic of theorcticalmysticism or'ir/dn. which is a sort of philosophicaltheology of the Sufis,who identilyGod with cxistcncc,that is with ttbsoluta cxistence,in the senscofexistcncc without any conditionssuch as thoseindicated by the adjectivesin the tcrrnsmenlol exi:itence.exlernal e.ri.slencc,ltarlicular e.rislen(e,ne((ssut'\' existence,noil-necesserj'e.ri.stence, ctc. 1b spcakof cxistcncein this perfectly generalway witlroutany stipulations,i.c. not conditioned(ld hi sharishu-r,'), about its instantiation.is ttr speakof existcnccas it is in itself(rnirr hut'thu h ux'oh uu,a),frotn thc aspcctof it bcing it, that is. as it is in itself.'fhis sort of view is oficn confuscdwith pantheisrn.or worseyct, r.r''ithpanentheisrl. Panthcism involvcs solrc sort of identificationof God with the world. According to 'iitin, God is not identifledwrth eacl.tthing in thc world, nor with the rncrcologicalsum of thingsthat is thc v;orld,as in sornefonns of pantheisnr.God is not takento be a substanccas in Spinozisticphilosophy. n'hich is also labcledpanthcistic. Panentheisntis tlrcvicw thatthe world is in Godas thc llnitc is'"vithinthc infinitcor ascells arein anorganism. but thcrcis no possibilityofany suchrelation ofinclusion to befound in theoreticalSufism. Herelvc find a typicalparadox. Absolute existence is "morc gcncralthan... general".The paradoxmay bc resolvedin severalways. By singulurexisteirce is meantthe existence of a singlething. e.g., this man or that llou'cr'.Ry generale.ristt'ncc is meantthc oxistcnccof variouskinds of things.such as hnmanexistencc. thc cxistcnceof man in generalor thc existenceof flowers.Absolutc cxistcncc is not restrictedto eithcrof thcscbut extcndsto o+ The SecondInterngtionnl Svnwosiunr ort Shah Nernatollnh Vali

both and in this scnseis more "gencral",i.e., more extensive,than singular and "general", i.c. cxistenceof pluralitiesof thingsor typesof things. What is absolute,muilttq is what is frec or rclcasedfiom tics or rcstrictions.ln Englishwe :useub,solute or.'er in the senseof transcending,but it u'ould be closerto Arabic and Farsi if we wcrc to sayob"solute fiom, meaningunlettered 6-r,. So, the line also could be translatcd as'."Unbountled hy unbountledne.s.sand hotndeclness," -fhe paradoxagain appears in the couplet.Existence in itself is cxistenceas it is without regardto its being one way or another.This is not to deny its bcing onc way or anothor. Likewise we can speak of Socratesin himself, without regardto the fact that he was Cireek or a philosophcr.This is not to denythat he wasa Cireekphikrsopher. To considerexistcncc absolutelyis to considerit without regardto thc f'actthat it is in any senseabsolute. This is not b deny'thisf-act, only to considerexistcnce asrde fiom it, regardto it. Qaysari "vithout explainsin his introductionto the Frrsl.s tiratcxistcnce becomes qualified as absoltttcor oonditionctl,genelal or particnlar.etc.. bccausc ofthe levelsof its sclf'-disclosttreor tnant- fbstation. Thc suggestionis thatjust as numbcr itself is neithereither nor odd. but only particular rnanit-estationsof nurrber are even or odd.likewise existence in itselfis beyondbeing ab.so- lule c.ristent.eor conditionetlexi.\tence, u,hich arc merely trvo levcls of the manifestationof cxistencc.The analogyhas its limitations,hor.vever, for numbcr.in itself, could bc described as beingneither evcn nor odd becauseof its universality.while absolutecxistence should not be describedas being non-absolute, for this would be yet anothcrnegative condition. It rvouldbe bettcrto say that existencein itself is indctcrminatewith rcgardto the pairsof oppositesthat can be ascribedto thc variouslevels ofexistence, except that one should not in so doing imagincthis indetern'rinacyto be a partioularrcstriction or conditionin which existenccbccomes manifest. haqiqat t! a hudin'ah .jam'al-jttnt' tl huqiqahal- huqd'iq Restriction.stranslates quwul (sing. r7a,i.'d),rvhich tcrm is also usedfor adverb,sand signifies any sortof qualification. Thc words for namc (lsn) and attributcs(sifat) arealso used for noun artdadjectives, making the linc into a pun on thc grammaticaltcrms. Theological discussions of God include discussionsof thc divinenames and attributes. The divincnames are gencrally nominalized verb forms prefixcd u,'iththe definite article.Without thc article they can bc used as adjec- tives.and are said to referto the divineattributcs. )\ dhit l6 It is sometimessaid that out of piety,one shouldonly lefer to God by the namesand at- tributesHe hasuscd to describeHirnsclf in the Qul'an. E.ssence(al-dhdt) is not amongthc divinenames. l7 To asscrtincomparability (tonzih) is theopposite of asseningsirnilarity (la,s/rbii). Although God is not an cssence,the term is usedto aid in ourunderstandingbyr'"'ayof comparisonor assertingsimilarity, and this is balancedby the asseltionof incomparabilityby using the tcrm ab,so lttte (nu i laq) it A non-existentis a na'd um,lrom'udun, nought,parallel to the constructionof e,ri,tlcfll, mav'jtttl,from e.rislence.wuj utl. r" The standardproof-s fbr the cxistenceof God found in Islamic philosophy are proofs of The 'lcnchingsof ShahI"lenntollnh Vali 65

necessarycxistence. x'tijib ul-v'u.jud. l0 l'he fine picrcingofbeads fcrrnccklaces and rosalieswas considcrcda claft requiringthc utmostprecision. Haqq is God,as thc Tmtli or Reality.Asidc tiom its religioususe, the lcrm huqqis usedfor rcality.right.one'sduc,tmth,andlvhatisauthentic.Inthcplural, huqttqisusedforrights. Thefactofarnatterisa huqiquh(pl. haqn'ir7),althoughthetcrmisalsousedforthecorc truth abor-rtsomcthing. A researcheris a mu hutliq, oner.vho engages in rcsearchta hqiq, which is thepr"rrsuit of tmth. Sometimcsthc tcnn nn huqiq(verifier) is uscd fbr an 'rirf onc rvho kncrwsthe truths that arc found on the path of spiritual u'ayfaring. Finally, Iu hutlutl is realizationin thc scnscin u'hioha thing occursor becomesreal. Purccxistcnce is wLtfucl-c rila&e, cxistence unmired or unadultcratcd. li v'tihid tl x'uhtlut The unity ofrcality is a flxed, unshakeablctruth. independent ofwhcthcr it is provento bc so by anyone. nrufhunt t7 I.c..those who arc vcilcd tl'omthe directknowlcdge of reality. :E Thcrcarc tr'"'o Arabic tcrms uscd in Islarnictheology and philosophy that could be translatcd as esscnce.Aristotlc's /i y'.s/1,was translatcdrather literally into Arabic as mr)hityah, i.e., what is that,which becamcthe tcchnicalrerm. mcihittalr, for which Chittickappropriatcly suggestsrrsing thc tcrm t1,rrrl/?c.!,r.Other translators use quidditt,bt'tl whotness servcs as a convcnientreminder of thcArabic-Greek etyrnology. Thc otherAristotelian tertn translatcd into Ilnglishas essencc, and morc appropriately so, is oaslzr.which in Arabicis thc ovn'ner or possessorof attributes.the tlht)t. Somctimcs huqiqat is usedas a synonymfor dhdt. Thcrcis a play on word soundshcrc, also used in thc followingcouplel. for gerrcrosityis.7ar1 andcxistence is x'ulud. Entificationrs a rna.jortheme of Sufi mctaphysics.It is the processby which the divine gracccreatively emanatcs dctcrminate entities as distinct loci of dir,inemanif-cstation. Adam is not only thc f irsthr-untrn being, and as such thc paradigmhuman, but is alsothc first prophctand pcrt-ectman. In Farsithe u'orciis alsouscd for man generally.in the scnscof humanbcing. The'uralti,likc the Muslim philosophcrs.took over muchof the nco-Platonistaccouttts of crranatiorr.and describcthc proccssof ernanationas having the first intcllect('aqlux'v,ul) asthc first crcatcdthing. For Qaysari.thcrc are a seriesofconditions that can be plaoedon existcnccthat resultin viewing lt at thc levelsofoneness, unity. thc pervasiveipseity. thc absoluteintcrior. and only afterthese do wc arriveat the first intellect,rvhcn r-xistL'nce i\ takcn as conditiorredonly on universalsbeing in it, which is the level of the namc o1'thc Mcrciful (ul-Rahmcin)" lord of thc first intellect,callcd thc tabletof thc decree(Lnl i a/- c1cr|c)),thcmothcr of the book and thc highestpen (al-clulunt al-a'lti). Thc word translatedas properties hcrc is a hkam(sing. lui'nr).litcrally nre aningjur/gnrcrrls. In otherwords, it is a contingentexistcncc and partofa rnultitudc. Thc fixcd cntitics('aycin thdbit) arc cxplicitly statedbv ibn 'Arabi to correspondto thc whatncssesof the philosophcrs.although he crcditsthe Mu'tazilites for the tcrn-r.(Sce Cllrittick.Thc Sili Parh o/'Knou'lerlgc,83-8tt. 20.1; and TheSel/'-Disclo.sure of Gotl. xxxviii. 389 n.9.) Qaysariexplains thc idcain his introductionto his commentaryon thc Fus as as follows: "Knou.'thatthe divine narneshavc cognitivefornrs in tlrc knou'lcdgeof the Ex- 66 The Sectnttl lnternationnl Svnwosiurn on Shah Neffiatollah Vali

altcd.for He is thc cssentialknower of His essence,His narrcsand l{is attributes. In the teminology of the folk of Allah. thesecognitivc forms, regardlessof whetherthey are generalor particular,are oalled.fi,rcdenlilies. insoiar as they arethe sameas the cssence, which is disclosedin particularentifications and in determinaterclations. In the terminology of the folk of thcory(the philosophcrs). the generaliticsamong these cognitive forms arecallcd whatnesses and rcalitics,and their particularitiesare callcd ipseities (huwitvat). Whatnessesare gcncralfbrrls of thc namesthat are cntified in the cognitivepresence ( hadrah 'ilni.t't'alr)by tlre first entification.These fonns are effusedfrorn thc divine essence by the most holy effusionand the first self-disclosurebccattse of essentiallove and thc' scckingofthe keysofthe occultthat arc nnknown except to Him for theirmanifestation and tl-reirpcrfections." For an explanationof the presen(.e,\.see William Chittick, TheSt(i Puth of Knov'ledge,4f. Ibn 'Arabi and his followers usethc tcrm pre.sence\ hairuh) as if it were an honorarytitle, like Hi.r Honot'or fli.s Eminence.but fbr realms rathcr than people, such as the sensory world,the rcalnrof dilinc knowledge,the rcalmof divinelordship, etc. The Ierffrpre,\ence is also usedby Qaysarito designatcfive levelsof divine nranit'estation,called the Fii,e Dit'inePre.senc'r,s. Tlre fivc Presences are: ( 1)thc Presence of absoluteabsence, which is the salneas the Presenccof divine knowlcdgc,whose world is ther.r'orld of thc fixed entities; (41the Presenceof absolutewitnessing. whosc *'otld is serrsibleworld. Then come two Presencesbetu,ccn these with a commonname: thc Presenceof relativcabsense which is tiivided into two Prescnccs.(2) one for what is closerto absenceand (3) onc closcrto rvitnessing.I'hc fifth Presenccis (5)the perfectrnan. The Fivc Presence.swere introduced by Q unawi.Sce William C. Chittick,"The Fivc Divinc Presences:From al-Q unawi to al- Qaysari"The lvluslint W/orltl 12 (1982),pp. 107-128. kJtayrnn hi 1blir is the dcvil who temptedAdarn and Evc. Evil is ascribedto his deeds,but not to his existence.This is a standardthernc in Sufi u'ritings.For a brief review,sce Annemarie Schimmel,Deciphering the Signso/ God (Albany:SUNY Press.1994. pp.232-233. datl t" tnud ltt I Or morals,virtues. akhlaq. In Principle8. a distinctionis nradebctween moral jr"rdgment and ontologicalstatus, in the scnsethat a ncgativeevaluation does not carryovcl'to reflectpoorly on existence.ln Prin- ciple 9, thc connectionbctrvecn the ontologicaland the moral is affirmed:greatcr nobility accruesto what is nearerto pureexistcncc. Existence itselfalways has positivc value, even if it appearsvery faintly. This hadith is ficquentlycited in Sufl texts,but is not in the standardcollections. It is in Ghazili's Ihtt) (lil. 1.-5.;lll. l2) andFaye Kdshdni's |v[a hlar al-Batuu(V 2e;. This is an allusionto the lamous hadith qudsi,not found in the standardcollections, but often narlatedin Sufi texts: "l was a ffeasurcbut was not known, so I loved to be known; I created the creaturesand madc Myself known to them. so thcy cameto know Me." See Chittick,The Self-Disc\osure of (iotl, pp. 21,22.70.2l1,329. The rend is a characterdcvcloped in the poetry of Hafiz, a clever person who seemsto disregardthe outwardaspccts of religionwhile maintainingan exquisitelysincere faith. Thc spiritualmeanings given to the imageryassociated r.vith wine drinkingreaches its pin- naclein Hafiz, but had becomefairly standardizedmuch earlier. The singleentity ('d-ir?ul-x'dhidah) is explainedby Chittick in !'he SeU'-Disclostteol God, 72f. It is in ibn 'Arabi's discnssionof this topic that he comesclosest to usingthe expres- l'lrc Tettchingso.i Shnh Nenratttllnh Vnli 67

sior-rrlo lttlut ul-wuj rl1 which woultl later bc usedas a labcl fbr thc vicw advanc:edby I'rirr and his fbiior.r'ers.and would givc risc to much controversy. In ibn 'Arabi'sschool. two levclsof gtaccor cffusiorrarc distinguished, thc highcrof u'hich is called thc nost hol.t'elfirsiort(/itt'i ul-uqdus) anclthc lcxtcr, ^rzrc'r'erlel/ir.sion (./u.t'i al- nuqoddus|.As Qaysaricxplains: "'Divine effusion is dividcd into the most l.rolycffusion and saclcdcfhision. By thc fonncr thc fixcd entitiesand thcir fnndantcntalcapacitics rrc obtaincciin krror.vlcdge,and by thc lattcr.tlrosc cntities arc obtaincclin thc ot-ttsidcalon-u r.vithrvhat thc,v-. inrply ancl r.i,'hat follows {'rom thcrn. Shaykh Iibn 'Arabi] alludcsto this in his saying.'The reccptoris not obtainedercept by His mostholy cfTusion.'l-hisseckin-q first gocsback to thc nanretltc l:irst (ul-Au'trul)and the Interior (al-Bdiin), thcn through thcse it grrc:huek to rlrr'1.,rrr ttrt- iAhtrtl antll/r, E.rtr'r'i,,t'trtl-i,rltir'1.hccrttse llrstnL'ss artd intct ior- ity arc cstablishedin cognitivccxistcnce, and lastncssand cxtcrioritv arc establishedin the outrvardc.ristcncc." hulrul u hodirut n'i hlli.t'ur 5t Thc tlrlonc ( rrrlr) i:; mcntioncdin conncctionwith thc fbotstool(/cu:si) as rclatedto thc highcstand ncxt highcstcosrnic reaims, the empyrcanand thc lcvel of thc fixetl stat's,rc- sircctivcll;but fl'ornas early as thc tir.r.rcof Tustari(d. 283/896)thc throncand footstoolof (lod arclrkcncd to tlrchcart and brcast of man.See Gerhard Btiwcring. The I'!.r'stitalL'ision ol F.-rislantt'in('lus.vittllslarr(Ili-rlin:WalterdcGruytcr, 1980),p. 163. Imanationor cffusronis not a tcr])pi)ralprocc-\s. As Qaysarierplairrs. thc levclsof thc dcsccntof existenceand its asccntfbrm a circle.The lcvcl prior to thisw'orld is onc of the lcr"els of'dcsccnt.while the levelafter this world is onc of thc levelsof:isccnt. ()r ttotrrirttt/ntultipli,ir.t'(liuthratu.sni'i.t'uh). but rct-crringto thc multiplicityot'thc divinc nantcs. That is. 1l'redivinc rrarncs. lior erarnpic.onc tr1'thcclivinc namcs is lhe Pou.,c/itl(al-Qudir). Thc tcrm. lha Powelill, rcfersto the divinc osscnccthrough mcntion of the attributc,prnt't'/il1. Pcrspeciitul hercis i 'tibtiri.w h, rnorcusually one t'incls r 'tibri'ri. u'hich is trans lated by Chittick as trtt'ntol.and could alsobc translatcdin somccases as subjet:live.Thc root of the word ( 'abr')has a nreaningof'crossing or,'cr, and i'tiburi thustakes the mcanir-rgof pcrtainingttr oncmeans ofcrossing" or fiom oneapproach, c,.rnsiderltion. pcrspcctive. rcspcct. The lvord i tihir is alsousccl in thc scnseofvalidity, in thc scnscofsorrething crcdible. authorized. or logicallyor flnanciallvvalid. like a proofor a chcck.Pcrhaps tlre sense is that in rvhicha clossingis sr,rcccssfirl.cnabling one to reachthe dcstinatron.In any case,the tenn hasan evaltratir.'cdinrcnsion that is not foundin suchtcrrns as ntenlul and.suhf ective. 1n Ayatr-rllah Misbiih's Philo.:ophitullnstt'ut'tions (Binghamton: Global Publications. 1999) thc following cxplanationis givcn: -lhc tcrnr i'tiht)t'i(respectivul), u'hich is frcquentlyerroountered in philosophicaldis- cussions,is cnrployed'"vilhvarious mcanings and is really equivooal.Onc must takc carcto ilistingnisharnorrg its rncaningss() as n()tto confisc thcm or makenristakes. ln onc-scnse, all secondaryintclligiblcs, whcthcl logicai or philosophical,arc callcd i'tl6dri, arrileven the conccpt of cxistcnccis countcdas i'tihiri. This tcrrnis uscdcxtcmsively by Sha-vkhal-lshrricl. and in r,'ariousbooks of his he r-rse s 'intcllc ctt'tl i 'tihdri'with thismean- ing. Anotherscnse oll llhzir'1is spccificdlirr legaland ethicalconccpts, rvhich in the lan- 68 The Second [nterrrntiortnl Stlnryosiumon ShcthNernntollrtli Vnli

guageof recentscholars arc called 'r,alueconcepts'. In a third sensc,only conccpts u'hichhave no extenralor rnentalinstanccs and rvhich are constructed with thc help of the laculty ofirrraginationare calledi'tihari, srichas thc conceptofa ghoul. These conceptsare alsc, callcd'fantastic'. I'libiri alsohas another sense to be contrastcdwith firndanrcntality(usalttt) which is employedin discussionsof the fundarncntalityo1-cxistence(a.srilat v'ul ud) or firndamentalityof whatness(usrilot mahuv'i.vdt), and which will be nrentionedin its propcrplacc. (pp. 122-123). 5' Anotherway of puttingthis point is thata lctterof creditonly hasworth whcn it is backed up by cash. 5' Or tlivine,huqqitni. t'" Again, real nrcanshuqqtini. or divine."fhe disclosurr: is one in'"vhichdivine or real exist- cnci is nratlcrnanilest. Lr C'ompariPrinciple 4, abovc. "r That is, bccomesmanifest. exterior, :r)lrr: "r Interior.Driilr. 6a rnin huythual-v'uiud ": i 'tibtirtit "" nrttfhumdt ''- iLrhur 6i That is. you shoulddiscovcr that it is one so thatyou find it terbe so andknorv it. 6' tamalhdlitt. tt' bi haii 1t hudid,what is at the furthestlimit. The usagehere is unusual. 12 Al-zdhir 73 Al-Bdiin 7r This is a famoussaying attributed to Imam 'Aliu, 75 Thereis a lovely allitcrationin the Persian:"in cibdar in hubiihdun,t)b." 1'' The first numbcr was consideredto be two, becausenunbcr rvasso definedthat it requircd a predecessor.Zero doesn'tcount! " ./iriigh 69

Hazrat Sultan'AliShah Gonabadi The Renewer of the Nematollahi Order in Iran

Dr. ShahrantPazouki'

Sufismis the spiritualreality of Islatn,even if it was not known as "Sufism"at the inception of Islanr.Phenomenologically speaking. it pror,'es to be theessence of Islam,whtch gives lif-e to it, like the soulgives lif-e to the body.In Sufi tenninology,lslam hastwo aspects:shari'at, its outer dimension,or body, andtariqat, its innerdimension. or soul.These two aspectswere inseparably joined in theperson of the Prophet,but little by littlc throughthe historyof islam,there were pcople who paid attention only to theshari'at, Islamiclaq andeven confined Islam to this.Often thefirclaha or 'ulamdtook this attitude.In contrastto thernthere wcre peoplewho ernphasizedthe sptritr-ralreality or tariqat,who becamcfa- mousas Sufis. The propagationof Islantwas not throughthe sword of-the ruiers, but by the heartfeltword ot'theSufis. The cuttingswords of SultanMahmud Ghaznavior Nddir ShahAfshdr did not makeIslam influential among the Hindus.It was by the spiritualattraction and lif'egiving breathof Sufi masterssuch as the successorsof ShahNematollah Vali or Mir Seyed 'Ali Hamaddnithat they becameMuslim. Wheneverthe Muslimswere weakened and deviatedfrom the truth of Islam,great Sufis tried to renew and revive it. Sometimesthis was done explicitly,as in the caseof Ghazali.whose revival finds written form in his f'amousllryii '111u,,al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences),and sometimes it rvasimplicit, as with ShahNematoltahi \hli. The ideaof renewalin Islamwas not a mereaccident of history,but was foreseenby the Prophethimself. It is reportedin a hadith that lie TltcSccottd lntcrntttirnnl Svnwosiun on Sluh NanatolltthVali said,"Verily, at thebeginning of everyhundred years, God raisesone for this communityof lslarnwho renewsit's religionfor it." Regardlessof the soundnessof thts hadith,and whetherwhat is meanis exactlyone century,rvhich is beyondthe scopeof this paper,the ideaof a revivalof Islamand that it mustbe renewedin a mannerappropriate to the times, wasin theminds of thc Muslims. in Sufismrtself-. from tirne to tirne deviationsoccurred. The use of expressionssuch as, "f-alse Sufl claimant"and "true Sufi claimant",in bookssuch as Jdmi's Naluhdt al-Uns. bears rvitness to thisphenomenon.2 Among themost promrnent critics of suchdeviations were the Suti rnasters.They werethe truereformers and renewers of Sufism. Sufisrnhas usually sutfered at thehands of two groups:( I ) pseudo-Sufis who fancythat the inward aspects of Islamsuf icefor themand that they may consciouslyabandon its outwardprecepts; and (2) those./itqahdwho restrict their understandingof Islam to its outwardaspects and ignole its interior. Eachof thesegroups has an incompleteunderstanding of Islam.one with respectto shari'at andthe otherwith regardto tariqat.This is why the Sufi shaykhswere usually confionted by thesetwo groups.Renewal and refor- mationof Sr-rfisrnmost olten rcquireda re-balancingof shari'at andtariqat in orderto preserueits originalfonnation. It is this effort at balancingthat promptedthe great Sufi shaykhsto takeinto consideration the circumstances of theirtimes in orderto makereligious precepts appropriate to them.This enabledthem to presentIslam in a morecomplete fashion and to keepit from deviaticrn.ln a hudith attr-ibutedto the Imams.it is reported,"One who is consciousof his timesis not in danserof beinsconfounded."

Shah NematollahVali One of the greatestreformers and renewersof Sufism was Shah NematollahVali. His wasone of themost catastrophic times for theMus- lims, especiallyin Iran, which had sufleredthrough the attacksol the Mongolsand the Tirnurids after them. [n reiigiousaffairs there were Sufi pretenderson theone hand, who did notpractice Sufi teachings, and hypo- criticalpreachcrs on theother, who usedreligion fbr personalgain. In his poetry,Hafrz reproachesboth groups,thus bearingwitness to the situation in lran.When tlre religious teachers had fallen so far astray,the reli- giousethos of the conlmonpcople of thetime would alsohave been in a stateof degeneration. fl rcrst Sultsrr'AliShnh ConnltaLii 77

ln tlrosedays, Shah Nematollahi Vali. as master of theMa'ruft Orderl and successorto Shaykh'Abdullah Yef i, triedto improveboth the in- wardand the outward religious conditions. He exposedthe misdeeds and pscudo-tcachingsof the cuffent Sufi pretenders, and criticized both Sunni andSlri'ite 'ulamr).lle callcd upon Sunnis to retumto thesunnah of the Prophetof lovc fbr theAhl al-Bayt,while he remindedShi'ites that the rrrainpilfarofshi'ismistheforgottentrutltof u'alayttt.rratherthanpoints crflaw and politicalrssues. Thus, he refusedto be a ra/izi (onewho re- -iectcritlre Companionsof the Prophet)or khciriii(one who reiectedthe leadershipof 'Ali).5

The NematollahiOrder Duc to the difficultiesfbced by the Sufis in Iran afler the deathof ShalrNematollah, the qutbs of the Ordermovecl to Indiaat the invitation of SultanAhmadShah Bahmani of theDeccan. During this time, from the end of the Safavidsuntil the end of the Zandi dynasty,because of the politicalupheaval in [ran,the kings' rejectionof Sufismand tlie sover- eigntyof thc 'ulanciu,ho had good relations with the government,most of tireSufi orderseitl, er left lran or operatedclandestinely.6 Although the Safaviclynasty was itself basedon a Sufi Ordeq the attitudetaken by themwas very exclusivist,so thatthey did not permitthe frec operation cf otherorders. This situationcontinued until 1190/1776,when Reza 'AliSlrahDeccani, who was thenqulb of theOrder, sent two of his autho- rizcclslra-vkhs, Hazrat Ma'Sum 'AliShahand Shah Thhir Deccani, to lran. l-he latterdicd soonafter arriving in Iran,or on the way,and the revival of the Orderin Iranwas left to the formerand one of his main disciples. Nour 'AliShah Isfahani.These two behavedin a way that attractedthe attentionof the peoplewho had long forgottenSufism. Many people, inclLrdingsome of the prominent'ulama, such as SeyedBahr al 'Ulum (d. l21211197)and 'Abd al-SamadHamaddrii (who was killed in 12161 I flOl by Wahhribis).became thcir lbllowers,and Sufism became curent in iranagain. Tlre opposition of someof the 'ulamdto Sufism,however, contrnued,and they evenpersuaded some of the Qdjdrikings to kill the Sufi shaykhson thepretexf that they sought to takeover the governntent. Onecan mention the rnarlyrdom of Mushthq'AliShah in Kermdn,or that of his discipleMuzatfar 'AliShah in Kenr-rdnShaliat the orderof the in- fluentialiurist. known astlie "Sufl-killer".Muhammad ibn Bihbihdni. TheSecond Internntional Svmnosiunt on ShnhNemotollah Vali

After Nour 'AliShah,the NematollahiOrder became the mostpopu- lar Sufi orderin Iran.Whenever Sufism becomes popular, pretenders to it abound.During the time when Rahmat'AliShah (d. 12181186l)was the quthof theOrder, Sufism became especially popular, in partbecause the Qejdrking, MuhammadShah, entered the Order.After Rahmat'AliShah passedaway, the Nematollahisdivided into threebranches: (l) the followersof Hajj MuhammadKirzim Isfahdni Sa'ddat'AliShah;(2) followers of the uncle of Rahmat'AliShah, Hajj Muhammad,famous as Munawwar'AliShah;and (3) the followersof Mirzd HasanSafi, famous asSafi 'AliShah.This division first appeareddue to thedifferences about the explicitdecree of Rahmat'AliShah that he shouldbe succeededby Sa'ddat'AliShah. After sometime, the opponentsof Sa'ddat'AliShah broughtanother decree attributed to Rahnrat'AliShah according to which Munawwar 'AliShah was to be the successor,despite the fact that Munawwar'AliShah himselfadmitted that he had not receivedthe de- creepersonally. Safi 'AliShah first renewedhis covenantwith Sa'ddat 'AliShah,and denied the validity of the decreeof Munawwar'AliShah. However,after Sa'ddat'AliShah refusedto appointhim as shaykh,he broke his covenantivith him and becamea discipleof ivlunawwar 'AliShah.After sometime. he alsorejected the leadershipof Munawwar 'AliShahand proclain-redhimself qutb.In this way the NematollahiOr- der broke up into threechains: first, the Sultan'AliShahi or Gonabadi chain,which is themain andlargest chain; second, the Dhul RiydsataynT chain;and third. the Safi 'AliShahi chain.

Sultan 'AliShah as Master of the NematollahiOrder The Sultan'AliShahi chain takes its nameafter the successorof Sa'drdat 'AliShah,Haij Mulld SultanMuhamniad Sultan 'AliShah, who wastrorn in Gonabadin KhorasdninA.I{.L.12511A.D. 1835. He was oneof the mostdistinguished and famous'ulamd and Sufis of his time, suchthat in mostof the booksof thattime his namcis mentioned.8At the ageof threehe was facedwith the lossof his father.Even at sucha tenderage, his excellencewas apparentto all so that amongthe peopleand tribesof Baydukhtand Gonabadhe was known for his intel- ligence,wit, dignity andpoise. After finishinghis elementarystudies in Baydukht,due to a lack of sufficientmeans, he temporarilysuspended his studies,but becauseof his enthusiasmand eagerness,at the ageof H ttzr trt St t lt trrt' AI i Shah Gonabed r seventeen,he continuedto pursuestudies and madegreat strides, such thathis localteachers no longersatisfied his scientificyearnings. Tliere- fore,he setout by fbot for the holy city of N4ashhadto pursuehis studies wherehe spentsome time andbenefitcd from the presenceof the scliol- arsthere. From there,he thenwent to Najaf,Iraq, were he becameprofi- cient in .fiqh, usul, and ta/isir(exegesis of the Qur'an). Under famous fitqahii,such as ShaykhMurtizd Ansdri, and was given permissionfor ijtihdd in /iqh. On his return from Najaf-,he went to Sabzavdr,and under the directionof the famousphilosopher, IIajj l\4ullaHddi Sabzavdri.he studiedperipatetic philosophy, illuminationist philosophy and Mulla Sadrd'sphilosophy. He distinguishedhimself above all tlie othersfudents of Sabzavari,and wrote marginaliato the famousbook of Mulla Sadrd, Asltir Attaining masteryof thesesciences did not satisfyhis thirst fbr knowledge,which he beganto seekfrom the hearlsof the Sufis.At that time,the qutb of theNematollal-ri Order, Sa'ddat 'AliShah, together witlr someof his disciples,went to Sabzavdr.Mulla Hdrdi,lvhowas devoted to rhequtb. cancelled hrs classes and suggested that his studentscome with liim to visit Sa'ddat'AliShali. At that very first session,the late Hajj Mulla SultanMuhammad was attractedto the Sa'ddat'AliShah, evcn thoughtlie latterwas not one of the 'ulamci,but he did not sunenderto him. and aftersome time returncdto Gonabad.Finally, in A.LI.L. 1279, he setoffon foot for Sa'ddat'AliShah'splace of residencein lsfalran. With a passionateinner fire he wentto hirn andwas initiatedin spiritual wayfaringtoward God. Justas Mowlavi followed the illiterateShams Tabriz|hebecame a followerof theunlearned Sa'drdat 'AliShah. I{e spent little time on the variousstages o1'the journey torvardAllah, and was authorizedby the masterfor guidanceof the Sufi novicesand was given the spiritualtitle of Sultan'AliShah. In A.H.L. 1293,Sa'ddat 'AliShah passedaway and Sultan'AliShah succeededhim as the quth of the NematollahiOrder. Sultan 'AliShah becamerenowned throughout the Islamicworld fbr both his knowledgeand spiritualguidance. This re- sultedin incitingthe jealousy of hisenemies, thosc who wereagainst his way.As a result,unfortunately, in A.H.L. 1327lA.D.1909, he won mar- tyrdomby beingstrangled. Ilis graveis in Baydukht,Gonabad. I{e haswritten many epistles and books, the most important of which are:his greatShi'ite Sufi commentaryon the Qur'an in 'Arabic in four oversizedvolumes, Bat,an al-Sa'udat; Sa'ddat Nr)meh;arLd Mcjnta' al- 74 Thc SecondhLlernational Surnttosiunt on Slnh NerrtntollnhVsIi

Su'ridiit,all of whosetitles alludeto his master,Sa'ddat 'AliShah. Hc alsoautlroredl4/aliiltctt Nanteh,Bishdrat al-Mu'ntinin,Thnbih al-Nd'imin. Iyzdh,and Tawzih. As duringthe period oi'Shah Nernatollah, the times of Sultan'AliShah werecritical. It wasthe time of the encounterof lran with modernWest- em civilization,when the people confronted new concepts. including scientific and socialones. Naturally, some completely rejected what was strangeand new,, while otiterssuperficially submittecl. During this time, Shi"itejurisprudence. which is basedon ijtihddand the derivation of pre- ceptsin accordancewith the needsof the times,had becomestagnated. Most of the f-uqahd,who rvcrenot consciousof the situationof the mod- ernworld, werezealous about the outwardaspects of religionand only took into considerationthe outwarclaspects of Westemcivilizatiotl, as weil. which theyjudgedto be cotrtraq/to Islarn" Sulism was alsoundergorng a crisis.Thc oppositionof the fuqahd that beganat the end of the Safavidperiod was vigorousl),maintained. Thepractice of thepseudo-Sufis also r,vas apparently contrary to boththe modernistsas well as Islan,iclau'. Taking all this into account,Ilazrat Sultan 'AliShah was confiontedrvith three groupsu'ho opposedtrue Sufism:( 1) someof thefuqahd, 12) the pseudo-Sufis, and (3) someof'the rnodernists.All threegroups were taken into considerationin his attempt to renewSufism. Asidefrom hisposition of leadership,Sultan 'AliShah was a philoso- pherand a laqih,and both his philosopliicalpositions and jurisprudential opinionsrvere colored by his mysticism.He wasa studentof Mulla Hddi Sabzawdrri,who was at that time the mostfamous proponent of a philo- sophicalsystem based on Sufismderivcd from the teachingsof Mulla Sadrd,and he himself adopteda systemof philosophythat mostly fol- lowedin thistradition. In fiqh, he was a muitahid,whose permission for Utihddwas grantedby the greatShi'ite faqih of the time,Ayatollah Hajj Mirzd Sliirdzi."Neverlheless, he did not issueany fatwis as a mujtahid, becausehe consideredit necessaryto keepthe realmsoftariqat and shari'at separate.flowever. sorne of his iuridical opinionsmay be found in his tafsir,Baydrn ai-Sa'ddat. FIis jurisprudential views show that he wascom- pletelyaware of the needto takecontetnporary conditions into account whenreaching decisions about lslamic laW andaccordingly, he viewed musicand chess as lawful, the Peopleof the Book asessentially having H trzrn t Su It nrr' Al i Shn h Ctnr ttltnd i ritualpurity, slavery ancl opium smokingas prohibited, and taking more thanone wif-c at a time astantamount to beingprohibited.r0

The Prohibition of Opium Oneof thebad habits tliat rvas becoming current in theF at East,India anclIran during that tirnewas smokingopium. This was a resultof the colonialpolicies of someEnropean countries.rrfhis practice was becoming u'idespreadamong sorne of the Sufisfbr manyyears to thepoint that it would be consiclereda Sufi custom.They usedto saythat to be a dervish one shouldsnroke opium or hashish.To justify this, they clairned tliat it promotedecstasy and the attainmcntof the Sufi goal of annihilation, fand.Thcy imaginedthat the nothingness that comes fiom srnoking opiumis the same as the nothingness of mysticism.According to Mowlana:

In ordet'tltat /ot' a vt'hilethe.v nta.r' be deliveretl./i'omsobriety ftt tt t.s ci o t t.t tt t,.s s), Theyl6t- upon themselvesthe opproltriumof wine and muriiututo.t)

Mysticalnothingncss corles fi-omGod, not from changesin physio- chemistry.Agarn, Mowlana says:

l,,lothingne.t.sshould cornefi'om Gotl, So that the beuut.y-o/ God muyhe seenin it.tl

The disadvantageof smokingopium from thepoint of view of mystical experiencein Suflsmis thatone could confuse ihe hallucirtationpro- ducedby theuse of thedrug with the unveilingor openingfiom God for whichevery Sufi waits.From a socialpoint of view,the practice led first to inactivityand then to idleness.The disadvantagesfor public hygiene areclear to all. F-orthese reasons Sultan 'AliShah strictlyprohibited the useof opium amonghis fbllowersat a time when its subsequentsocial malaisehad not yet becomeapparent, to the extentof cursingthose who smokedit. He would not acceptanyone who smokedopiurn as a Sufi novice.In his commentaryon fhe Qur'an,Baydn al-Sa'drdat, with regard to the verse,(They ask 1,ou conceming wine and lots.Say: in boththese is great sin... (2:219)).he pronouncedthe prohibitionof opium on the 76 'l'ltcSct:ortd lrtturrstiorrnl Sii'rrtltttsiutrr otr Shth NctrrtttollnltVnlt groundsthat it violatestlie rightsof onesi'aculties.'' This pronounccment at ttraltimc appearedto be quiterevolutionary. srnce nonc of the 'ularnh liadsaid anything about rt. The prohibitron also became a greatollstacle to the activitieso1'the color,ialists u'ho rverctrying to makctlre people weakand dependent on thenr. Aftcr l"lazratSultan 'AliShah, his grandsonand viceregent,llazrat Nour 'AliShahGonabadi, rvrote a scparatebook entitledDhu ul-Fuqtir: On the Prohibitiottof SmokingOltium.t5 In that book he saysthat since thissin. that results from theternptatrons of Satan,had become current in nrostof thecities of lran,and none of the 'ulamrihad paid any'attentiorr to it, it is obligatoryfor tiroseu'ho arefarriiliar with thisproblern to try to rcpelit. Tlie langua-eeof this bool

The Abandonmentof Idleness ln Islam,the outward is not scparatetiom theinward. Any work done with the intentionof pleasingGod is consideredto be an actof worsl-rip. So.occupation r.l,ith worship is no excusefbr abandoningworldly aflairs. The Prophetsaic1, "There is no monasticisrnin Islam."In Suflsm.in spe- ciai circumstances,suclr as during the tamingof tlie camalsoul, instruc- tionsmay be given fbr seclusion.Before the divine comrnissioning of the Prophet,he spenttirne in seclusionin the caveof Hera"Due to drvine attraction.it somctimesoccurs that a Sufl abandonsthe rvorld.In all of thcseinstances, solitude is theer^ception rather than the rule.Occupation with the afis andcrafts iri traditionalIslamic societies. e.g.. architecture, calligraphy,ctc., were integratedwith thejourney towardGod. This is wlry anyonewho rvantsto becomea.f alitl\ andenter the way of Sufisrn, hadto occupyhimself with a craftor art.However, there rverc Sufis rvho bothirrtentionally and unintentionally made use of the ideaof khulval,or seclusion,as an excusefor idlenessand begging. Tlrey rnatle a pretextof relianceon God alone.lav'aklrul. and contentmentwith one'sIot, Reza. asa Sufi manner.This is rvhy someof thekhdnat1dhs turned into gathering placesfor tlie lazy. l)urins the time of ShahNematollah Vali. this badcustonr was com- I Inzrnt Strl tn t r' Al iSh nh Ci:trrsbLtd i 77 mon amongmany Sufis. Although he practiced seclusioll many times. he instructedhis follor.versto bc occupicdwith sornervork and not to try to gain moneythrough Suflsrn. He himself usedto farm and praisedthis occupation.i'-He saidthat labor was a sortof alchemy.rt Thecustom of mendicancywas current alnong many Sufis during the tirneof llaz,ratSultar, 'AliShali. who strictlyprohibited all his fbllowers from beingidle andwithout work. Ilc gavereasons fbr thisprohibition basedon rertionalargument, common scnse and religious principles. [{c said,"Everyone should work for a living anclfor tl-resake of theimprove - ment of the world. One shoulcloccupy himself with any r,r,orkthat hc likcs and is not againstreligious lar4 includinglarming, trading, or in- dustry."r'ln anotlicrplace lre says, "ldleness is againstcivilization. too.":it This instruction,especially in themodem world, and with theappear- anceof civil societythat necessitates close social relations and the occupationof eachmember of societywith a work w,asrnuch needed at that time.At tlie sametime, as a Sufi master,he warnedhis followersagainst takingpride iri worldly gainsand wealthor beingcovetous thcreof. I{e said,"One should consider himself poor even if onehas limitless wealth. . ." No one takesmore than a singleshroud 1'rorn this world. Wlien onc be- comesaware of tliis truth.he will understandthat he is poorin tliis worlcl andneedy to Goc'|.. .. Improvementof the rvorldis by no meanscontrary/ to dervishood."rrI1e taught that any work, includingprayer and fasting. but alsotrading and f-arming, witlr theintention of performingGocl's com- nrancls.is r,vorship.r2Earning nloney is not opposedto relianceon God. He saystltatthe /ttqr- sliould work but considerthe resultsof his work to be frorn God.rr HazratSultan'AliShah like ShahNcmatollah Vali usedto farm.and he often had callousedhands. Once, someone came to his houseto ask him aboutalchemy. He was not in the houseat the time, but was in his garden.The manwent into the garden.and after greeting liim, beforehc couldask anything about it,IIazraI Sultan 'AliShah shou,ed his handsto him andsard, "This is our alchemy!We toil andbeneflt from it."raIIe even usedto rebukef-armers who neglectedtheir lands,saying. "11'an earththat has the capacityof delivcring300 kilosof wheat,delivers only 270kilos of wlieatbecause of neghgence,the f-armerwill be heldrespon- siblefor the remainder.":s After HazratSultan 'AliShah. the prohibition of idlenesshas become The SccottdIrtterrtttiorurl Surrraosittrn orr Shnh NantatLtlllh Vali oneof the main characteristicsof the NematollahiGonabadi Order, and all the subsequentqutb.s ltave themselves worked and advisedtheir followersto do so.as well.

Socialand PoliticalAflairs Essentially,Sufism rs not a politicalschool of thought,so it hasnoth- ing to do with politics.[]lorr.'ever, Sufis have entered into politicalaffairs asindividuals rather than as Sufls. Generallyspeaking. the dr-rtiesordained by lslarnhave been divided by the Sut\shaykh.s of the NerlatollahiOrder into threekinds: (1) Preceptsof the ,sltari'utthat must be obtainedfrour a qualified mujtuhid(experl in Islamiclaw); (2) Preccptso1'the tat'it1ut that must be obtainedfrom thecurrent Sufi nlaster: (3) Pcrsonalprecepts to be discernedby the indiviclualhimself. One shouldpersonally discover one's responsibilities by one'sown religious thinkingand rcasoning. Thus.interf-erence and cxpressingviews aboutsocial affairs is out- sidetlie scopeof toriqut andtbe/itqard do not expectinstructions in such regardsfrclm the authorities r:f the Order.One's works and intentions are tclbe madcpure 1br the sakeof Allah. andone's own responsibilitiesare to be discovereci.The authoritiesof the Orderwill not expressviews on sucl-rquestions so tliat it is not irnaginedtliat tliese are duties of tariqat.16 Duringthe constitutional crisis in Iranin thefirst decade of thefwenti- ethcentury, when thefiqara askedtlazrar Sultan 'AliShah abouttheir duties,he usecl lo say."l aura sirnplefarmer fiom a village.I don'tknow what constitutionaland absolute monarchy mean."27 Ile left it to thenito figure out fur themselves.At thesame time, he gave advice to therulers not to do injusticeto thepeople. For exanrple, in hisbook Wbldvatlttiimeh, there is a chapterentrtled. "'C)n Explaining Sovereignty and the Treatmentof Sub- jects."in which he severelycriticized the rulersof'the country, and says, "In thismatter, they should take as tlreir example the first caliphsof Islam; andif theirtime wastoo long ago,they shouldtake as their example the rulersof tlre West,who do not live in luxury makethe countryflourish, provideease for their sLrbjectsand who fill the treasury."rs HazrertSultan 'AliShah lived duringthe dictatorshipof the Qdjdrdy- nastyand its oppclsitionto the refbnr of the lranianconstitutiou. The FlazrstSultttn 'AliShnh Gatnbndi

ideaof a constitutionwas one of thefirst political concepts from the\d/est to enterlran. Someof the 'ttlanu).likeBihbahdni approved of it ascon- sistentwith Islam.r,vhile others, such as Fazlullhh Nouri, disappror,'edof it as againstIslam. Natr-rrally. the formationof politicalgroups and in- triguewere cunent.The /ilqard wereunceftain of theirduties in this regard.Thus, he advisedthe /irqard to employtheir reason based on faith.

The Lack of Restrictionsto SpecialGarb One of the old custornsamong tlie Sufis was r,vearingspecial gar- ments,such as woolens, a patciiedcloak, and other items. Sliali Nematollah Vali did not restricthimself or his followersto any specialclothing by rvhichthey could be designatedas Sufls. He sometimeswore a wlirte u,oolr

The Revival of Whld!,at Walq,atis the inwardaspect of then-rission (ristilal) of the Prophetto guidethe people.lt is the sourceof tariqatin Islam,or Sufism.The out- rvardaspect of this missionis bringingtlte,thari 'al, which is concerned with religiousprecepts. According to the Qur'an. the periodof risalat 80 '[Ju SccottLlIrttcnmtiortnl Svrrrltttsiu..r Lnr Shnh NenrntollLth Vttli cameto an end with the passinllaway of the Prophet.but the penodof v'alu1,s11extendsuntil the endof time. Il'aldyatis the mainpillar of both Shi'ismand Sufism. Accordingly, both of theserefer to thesame tr-uth. In bothShi'ite and Sufl theory.the station of v'ulavatcannot be filled by the choiceof thepeople or o1'anelite. The Prophetchose 'Alito be his suc- ccssorin accordancewith divine command.In tlie samemanner. each succeedingWuli mustbe ap;loinicdby tlie precedingone. This is why almostall Suf-iorders trace their permissiorrfbr guidanceto Imam 'Ali. Overtlie colrrseof thc ccnturies.Shi'isrn became a setof theological and jurisprudentialteachings coLrpled with a political moventent,and v'ultiyatwas confinedto a political interpretation.On the other hand. therer,vere Sufls who completelyneglected the issueof walci.lut. One of the rnarnissues in the revivalof Sufisrnis tlie revivalof the ideaof v:aliitarin Sutl books.vn hicl-r is especialiyevident after the fall of the 'Abbasiddynasty ancl the r,veakening of thepoliticalpower of theAhl ul-Sunnah. lJndoubtedl),.the rrain problem addrcssedin works of Shah NematollahVali is waldt'nt,the variousaspects and views about which arediscussed at lengtliin manyof hisworks. IIe raisedthe topic of v'alavot to suchprominence that the Sufisrvould understand this to be the source of Sufismitself. On the otherhand. he addressesthe official Sunniand Shi'itepclsitions, asking what it reallymeans to bea trueSunni or Shi'itc. I{e saysthat to bea Sunniis to follow,thetradition (sunnah) of theProphet, oneof rvhoserequisites is lovefbrthe Ahl al-Ba1'r.To the Shi'ites.rvho u,ereinibmous at the time as rafizi (tlrosewho were consideredhetero- dox becauseof theirrefusal to acceptthe authority of thefirst caliphs).he saysthat to be Shi'itedoes not meancursing the f-rrst three caliphs, but it meansfollow'ing 'Ali. In oneof his poemshe says:

I nnt rtota rtilizite,but I ctnt a put'cbeliever, und enemrof'the Mu'tu:ilite. I huvethe religion of'mv ancestor(the Prutphat) alier hint,I am thelbllov,er ol''Ali tlte trlfuli.]a

Hereminded the official Shi'ites that believing in thev,alir:ut of 'Ali is not merelya matterof words.It is impossibleunless there is a heartf-elt connectionof discipleship.In a poemhe says: I ItrzrLrtSu ltnn' Al iShtrh Cor utbrttli 81

Althoughyotr do not hovethe v'akiyato/ that Wali('A/i), .t'otthttu.s! rtf wuld.t'ut. Youshoulcl know w,hat.yotl are hoa.stingttbout. LVehave raised the bannerol his v'alayat" Wht:shoultl the drum he beatt:nv'hile under the ntg?]'

In theteachings and u,orks of the maftyr HazrarSultan 'AliShah, the issueof waldyatis renewed.with the difTerencethat in the time of Shah NematollahVali, sincethe religionof the majorityof the lranianpopu- lacewas Sunni.he addressedthern prirnarily, r.vhile in the caseof Hazrat Sultan'AliShah, his polernicwas directedprinrarily at thoseu'ho had inheriteda nominallyShi'itc affiliationbecause after the Safavidperiod theIranian populace was mostly Shi'itc,. In mostof hisbooks, including lris Sufl commentaryon the Qur'an,Bo1Q11 al-Sa'adah. his maintopic is v,alti..vatand its differentdimensions. IIis Persianbook, Wulc)yatllcimeh. is an independenttreatisc specifically devoted to a Sufi/Shi'itepresenta- tion of the topic of v,alciyatAt the very begrnningof the bclok,hc says: "Many haveerred, thinking thatv,alcb,al is love,or themere verbal claim of tlreImamate or v:alii!,cttof theAhl al-Ilat /."r"ln anotherbook, he says: "Tlroservhose f'athers were Shi'ite think that they are Shi'ite because they imaginethis to be no more thanthe verbalclairn of the wulc\'atof 'A1i....They didn'tunderstand allything of Shi'ismexcept its namc.''r? 'fhus.his main intentionis to shorvthe Sufi dimensionof Shi'ism.i.e., u,alu.r'ctt,to the nominal Shi'ites wlio hadconflned it to a verbalclaim or to jurisprudenceand thecrlogy. Among the irnportantpoints that he madeabout wolci.llnt is the rssue of havingpermission for authorityrn Sufism.This topic becameespe- cially highlightedafter the competing claims to successionfollowing the passingaway of HazratRahmat'AliShah. and the failure of somcto obcy his authorizedsuccessor" I lazrat Sa'ddat 'AliShah. As it hasbeen said, one of the main principlesof vtald.vatis that the masterof the Ordershould have pennission from his predecessor.These permissionsfor guidanceshould form an unbrokenchain or seriesreach- ing backto Imam 'Ali. This is lr'hy the word silsilah(chain) is usedfor tlie Sufrorders. During thc tirne o{'llazrat Sultan'AliShah, since ihere were numeroussectarian divisions of the orders.and therewere manv 62 Tlrc Sccorttllrrtt'rrrntiortnl Sqn4tttsiunt ()tt Slwll NernatttLltthVttli who ciaimedto be lrlasterswithout having any permission,there was all intenseneed to dcalwith this issue.Ile refbrsto thisproblem in manyof his works.For exampie.he says:"Knor,l'that the treeof the shaykhsof everySufi orderof thepast has been recorded."r* He continuesto explain thatthe explicit authorization (rrnss) of tlie shaykhis necessaryto support the clairn of being a shaykh,and is neededby the novice in order to recognizetlre one under whose dilection he couldenter the tariqat.This is why tlre Suf-ishaykhs sougl'rt to protectthis authorization.lnanother placehe says,"ln everyreligious affair it is necessaryto havethe permis- sioriof the religiousauthority of the time."r') Now in the NernatollahiGonabadi Order, having explicit authorization hasbecorne the mostimpoftant criterion for spirituaiguidance.

Notes ' Dr. ShahrarrPazor.rki is anassociatc proltssor of philosophyat the UnivcrsityolTchran and the IranianAcadcnrl' of Philosophvand Rcligious Studres. I 'Abd al-Rahuriin.l'inti.,\iuluhit ul-L'ns,2nd cd.. (Tehran: 1373). pp.9-12. ' This Ordcrgocsthrough Ma'rLrf Karkhi to It.narnRcza. the EighthShi'itc Intam. : 17?ltiyutlitcrally mcans /r.,./r'lr(,s,i ancl in Sull tcrrninologyit meansfi'iendship with God and llis guardianship.For firrthcrinfirnlation aboutthis c()t.)ccptr..6.1s1r', p.'/'1. 5 Among l-rispocrrr:; arc thc lbllot'inq lincs: O utrrv'ho urc u lot,t'rrtl lhc housaltoldtl 'Ali.' I'ott urt'u pt:r'/ctl l,t'Iievar,uttiqtrt'. ('hoo.s<'tltt v'ut ol'Iht',sttttnuli v'ltit'h is otrt'rcligittrt, Othervisc.t'ouvill bc lo,sturtd tottlitset.l. ll'ho i.: tht rt)liii/ fhc ertent.tof ,lhu Btl;r'.) U:ltois lhe khtirLt.ji.'}Thcancrtrt of 'Ali. Kullit,tir-c.1.sh'ur-1,Shirh,Yi nruttrlltihi ll'rtli. cd. JavadNurbakhsh (Tehran: l-)55), pp.688-9. " SccHir.1.y Zavn al 'Abidin ShirvaniNfasf 'Alishilh.ltutlti'iq u1-Si1'tihuh.p.26. r The Dhul Riyisataynchain is narnedafler flie su(:cessorand son of Munawwar'Alishrjh, ',,\li DhLrllliyisatayn. fiunous as Wafa 'Alishdh. ' 'l'hcrcarc tlrrce brroks about him: RrTruriul-Shu.t'itin, by liisviccgercnt and son. Nour'Alishdh Gonabadi;Shultidiult. h1'Kavlan Qazvini:trnd, i\irbiquh-.r'c 'lltn vu 'lfiin,by anotherof I.rissr-rccessors. Rt':u )li.shult.Thc lasto1'thcsc is the nrostcomrrrehcnsivc of thc thrce. " Nttltiglteh-.t't"llrn va lrltut. p. 20E. r' Althotrghthrs is not prohibitedin Islarniclar.v. hc-judged that in rnodemtimes it is practi- callyimpossible to mairrtrrinjustici anttrttgsr\'!'ral wives. while onc of thc conditionsgivcn in thc Qur'an fbr thepenriissibilrty of har,ingrnore than onc rvif'c is thatone be .just to thcrn. r1 Manv hiskrriansof thlt tinrehave pointcd out this dangerous.problem. For examplc,E'timid al-Salianah.tire author ol-the tamous book. .ffa 'tithir vu ul-,4thdr,conternporary u,ith Sultin 'Alishah. sa-vs."ln thsseycars thc colonialistshar.'c brought narcotics which they have Hnzrat Sultan 'AIiShnhConnbndi 83

circulatedin India into lran, and tl-revbcgan to encoura€rethe cultivationof it in KermAn. From this product.called the poppy.thc narcoticopium is made." t) il'lalhnuvi,VI, 225.In Nicholson'sedition the ooupletends with:nrnr, meaningminstrelsy, but in someother editions therc is bang,a drink prcparedfrom cannabis. lr This coupletis not found in Nicholson'scdition of thc Mathntvi. 't Bqtiut al-Su'tidat,Vol. l, p. 194. t: I)hu u|-Fuqr)r,3rded.. (Tehran. 1359), pp. l4-15.My rcspcctcdfricnd, Dr. Leonard Lewisohn, in his article,"An Introductionto the Historyof ModernPersian Sufism, Part I." publishcd inthe Btrlletind theSchool o/ Orientuland Aft'ic'onSluclies, Vol.61, (London: 1998),has rristakenly translatedtahrirn (prohibition) as lauding the virtue.s. rt' Literally, /ir1rirneans a youth; br"rt is uscd to refer to a personwho hask indness,forgiveness, andbralcry. Futurtutwas on(jof the ritesin the pathof Sufism. t'- SceMujtrrLt'eh dur Thrjotneh-ye,|hv'dl-e ,Shuh Nemotolluh L'uli Kertndn l, ed.,Jean Aubin, 106. tt' Ibid., 106.L-r onc of his poems.he says:"Listen to a goodinstn-tction fiom us.Do goodand you will find goodas a \vagc.Do farrning;and do not beg.Earn irour living lawfully.If you arc searchingfbr alchenry,seck it fi'ornthe dark carth." te Majnn' al-Su'tidit.pp.419-2128. t" Nt)bigheh-t't''lln t,ct'\fidn,p.179. )t Ibid. ): Mujnu' ul-Sa'ddcit,p. 421. )j lbid.. pp.224,323. \ Nihigheh-r'e'llnt vu'lrfiin, p. 112 ): Ibid.,p.221. r" SeeThe Sili Poth: An Introdut:tiortto Ihe Ni 'ntutttllahiSultan'Alishdhi Order,ed. Slrahrarn Pazouki,(Tehran: Haqiqat Pr"rblications, 2002), pp. 79-81. :1 Nibigheh-t'e 'llm vtt 'l(iin, p. 122. )t lluldvut Ndtnch(Tehran: 1380i2001). p. 161. r" Concerninghis drcss, scc Mujmu'eh t{ar Tarjomeh-reAhv'dl-e Shdh Ni'rnatullah Wali Kermdni,ed., Jean Aubin. pp. 28, -104. '\' Ibid.,p. 28. 'l See,Hdjj Dr. Nour'AliTabandch, "HazratSeyed Nour al-Din ShahNi'matullah Wali," in 'llcin Irun, No. 15,pp. l8-19. ': Ncibigheh-t'e'llnr va 'l/'dn,p.179. 'r For exarnplc,scc Pand-e Sdlih. p. l13. ta Div'rin-eShah Ni'matulloh Wuli,p. 689. " Ihid.,p.155. -n WaldyatNc)nteh., p. 12 11 Mttjrrttt'al-Sa' titlt)t, p. 209. '^ Walil,cttNdmeh, p.240. t') Mujrttct'al-Su'aditl, p. 339. 84

ShahNematollah Vali: An Heir to two Mystical Literary Traditions

Dr. Nasro/lahPouriavadv'

Nour al-Din ShahNematollah Vali ( 133I-1437)is primarilyknown as a Sufi and the founderof the order that is namedafter him. an order which hasexperienced a revival in the pasttwo centuriesin Iran. What has addedto ShahNernatollah's fame in Iran in recentdecades is the publicationof his Sufi treatises,which arealmost all in Persian,as well ashis divan of Poetry.In his proservorks, Shah is obviouslya follower and an interpreterof the works of the AndalusianSufi Writer Muhyi al- Din Ibn 'Arabi (d.1240),particularly his Fusrrsal-Hikam. Shah's prose works, in fact,cannot be understoodwithout someknowledge of the conceptsand technical terms that were used by Ibn 'Arabi andhis earlycom- rnentators,particularly 'Abd al-RazzdqKdshirni, who compileda rather extensivelist of Sufi vocabularyQstildhdl) which wasdeveloped by lbn 'Arabi'sfollowers.2 In fact,Shah Nematollah was one of thefirst transla- torsof Kdshdni'sSufi vocabularyinto Persian. The impactof the ideasand terminologyof Ibn 'Arabi's Schoolon ShahNematollah is not only discernablein the latter'sprose works, but alsoin his Divan of Poetry,a work of some14,000 lines, containing lyric poetry (ghazals)as well as shorl mathnatt,isand quatrains(rubc) 'is). ln fact, it is preciselybecause of Shah'suse of Ibn 'Arabi's conceptsand terminologyin his divanthat some contemporary writers have criticized Shah'spoetry for its lack of artisticand aestheticvalue.r These critics believethat Shah'sghuzals are nothing but expositionsof the mystical doctrinesof Ibn 'Arabi, expressedin the technicalSufi termsand metaphorswhich are alien to the traditionalPersian love poetry andghazals, SltttlrNcrrrttollsh \hli: Atr IIcir lo Trlo Mysticnl LiteruryTraditiorts the type of poetry that one finds, for example,in the Divans of Attdr, Sa'di,and above all ShahNeniatollah's contemporary Hafez. The criticismmade against Shah Nematollah's poetry hinges on the assumptionthat theseSufl technicalterms do not sit comfortablywith the languageof Persianlove poetry.This criticismis no doubttrue for thosepoems in wliich he hasheavily used such terminology; however, it ignoresthe manypoems u,hich are composed purely in the classicalPer- sianstyle. whcre neither technical terrns nor philosophical-mysticalcon- ceptsof Ibn 'Arabi's schoolfeature at all. In fact, it can be arguedthat Shah,as a poet,was not only underthe influenceof Ibn 'Arabi's school, but ratlierhe was also following the traditionof classicalPersian love poetry the traditionwhich wasdeveloped by poetssuch as 'Attar,Sa'di, andFakhr al-Din 'lraqi. In this paper,I shalltry to showby way of some exampleshow Shahdrew on thesetu'o traditionsinhis ghazals. The centralidea in manyof theverses of ShahNematollah's divan is that of the transcendentttnity of existence(tuahdat-e wu.jufi.It is repeat- edly statedby Shali,through diff-erentmetaphors, that there is only one RealExistence, narnely God or the Truth/Reality(.Haqq), while every- thingelse that has the appearance of realityis nothingbut imagination.In fact, the whole cosmos,according to Ibn 'Arabi and his followers,is made up of images.even though they are createdby the Real. Shah Nematollahexpresses this idea quite explicitly in a greatnumber of verses. To cite only two examples:a

LI/eare all nothing but imoges, and.1'g1in realin'we areHim.

Hov' can therebe aw other being in thi.gworltl und the hereafierexcept the One Being.s

Thev,hole univer,ge is btrt His Intugination, And in that ImaginationHis Beautycan beperceived.6

ShahNematollah expresses the sameidea using the metaphorof the oceanor the all encompassingsea (daryd-ye muhft) and the bubblesor wavesformins on the surfaceof it. TheSecond Itrternatirmal Svntuositnrt orr Shah Nenmtollah Vali

Weare all nothing but itnages and yet in reality we are Him, Weare all httbble:t. yet in our essencev)e are the sea.7

Weare drowned in the all ent'ompassingsea, Weare the wave,sand the bubbles, yet our essenceis water.n

The v,aves, the bubble,s,the w'atet",and the sea, All lbur of'them. lbr us, ure hul ona.o

The bubble or foam is water and a part of the ocean,yet there is somethingin it which givesit its separateidentity, as it were,and makes it distinctfrom the Ocean.The causeof the bubble'sidentity is nothing but the air inside it, and the air is nothingtangible or substantial,and for this reasonit is a good symbolof the imagination.Human beings, who are like bubbleson the oceanof Being,think that they eachhave their own identity,and independentexistence. But in reality they are all parts of the oceanof Being; or for that matter,they cannoteven be saidto be parts,fbr they are in cornpleteunity with the One. If humanbeings think thatthey possess an independentexistence and their own identities,it is becauseof theair in theirhead, i.e. their imaginations. Each person imagines a separateexistence for his or herself,but it is only a figment of imagination.

The w'holeworld is like a re.flec'tionon the surface of'water, like a dreamv,hich appears in sleep."t

Anothermetaphor which Shahuses to expressthe onenessof Being is thatof thecup andtlre wine. The air insidethe bubblewhich imagines an identityand being for itself is the cup,while the essence(zdt) of the bubble,which is water,is like the wine insidethe cup.

Frtr us, the wuvesand the seo ere both essentiallyv,ater, Youma), think of the wineand the cup as thebubble.tt ShahNcmstolloh Vnli: An Heir to TtttoMysticnl L,iteraryTroditions

In another ghaza| Shahinterprets the meaningsof the cup and the wine,by saying:

I./youw'ant to hnov,the meaning of the terms 'cup' and 'wine', Thenconsider one as the body,11" other as the soul.t2

In his divan, Shahhas alsobarrowed from Ibn 'Arabi's schoolthe doctrineof the Divine Namesand Attributes. The whole world of creation,according to this doctrine,comes to be asthe resultof the Divine Namesand Attributes,and every entity in this world is a locus of the manif'estationof a Divine Nameor Attribute.Shah Nematollah uses the metaphorof a mirrorto representthis idea. Thus every object is a locusor a mirror in which a particularDivine Attribute is reflected.

In everymirror you can seekHim, Seurch.forthe One Nantedin all the names Readwell the descriptiono.f'the Divine Names(in books) But seektheir nteaningin the Book o.fthings.'r

Divine Namesand Attributes are many, but sincethey haveall origi- natedfrom theDivine Essence, they are essentially one. Thus, the Divine Essence,which givesunity to the Namesand Attributes, is reflectedin everythingthrough these Names and Attributes.

Withevery) Am'ibute Yotn'Essenceis ctName Observeone Realitl, in severalNarnes. Thus,see uniQ and rnultiplicitl;together, One Realit,v"reflec'ted in manltthings.ta

The verseswe havequoted so far bearwitness to whatthe contemporary criticsof Shah'spoetry claim. Even more so areverses in which our Sufi poettries to expresshis dogmaticbeliefs. Shah particularly expounds his creedin his qasidahsand mathnawis, such as the rnathnawientitled " M a nz ttm a l, e i mci N e!,,va" . In someof his ghazalsalso, Shah expresses this type of belief.An exampleof suchverses is: The SecontlInternatiortttl Sunposiwn on ShahNematolkfu Vali

If'the skeptichas doubtsin the One I{ow can the Unitarianhavc such a doubt.t5

In the following verses,Shah Nematollah expresses his belief in the Sunnidoctrine:

O, Youv,ho love thepeople ol Ali, Youare a perfect believer,unequalled. Ti'eadon the wa1'7s7-St nrtisnt, v'hich is our path, Otherwise),ou will be lost,wandering. and in.lault.t('

In the poemwe havequoted, the mysticalaspect of Shah'sghazals aremostly under the influence of Ibn Arabi'sideas and terminology, such asunity, multiplicity, the essence,names and attributes of God, etc-We havealso seen how ShahNematollah uses certain metaphors and images to expressthese ideas. Many of thesemetaphors are in fact borrowed from traditional Persianghazals, particularly the metaphorof cr"rpand wine. the tavern,the mirror, the seaand the bubble,metaphors that were alreadyestablished fbr the expressionof mysticaldoctrines, outside of Ibn 'Arabi'sschool. Therefore, the criticism of theabove mentioned con- temporarywriters who claim that Shah'spoetry overuses Ibn 'Arabi's technicallanguage is ill-founded.In fact Shahextensively employs two setsof metaphorswhich werecommon in classicalPersian love poetry, namelythe termsrelated to the tavem(kharabat) and wine-drinking, on the one hand,and to metaphoricallove ('ishq-e majiiz{)and the beloved (Shahid)on the other. Wehave already cited examples ofpoetry in which Shahhas used the first of thesetwo setsof metaphors(i.e. the tavern and win-drinking), and we haveseen how he makesit clearthat he is usingthese metaphors to expressmystical ideas. Similarly he usesthe secondtype of metaphors relatedto love andlove-making in a mysticalway, making it clearthat by lovehe meanshot humanbut divinelove. To citean examplefrom oneof his ghazals:

Youare the heartisbeloved, comfort ofthe soul-what can be done? Youare the Sultanof the universe-tuhat can be done'? In tt pure heart the reflectiono.f Your.fac:eappears;. Slrah NernntollnltVali: Art Hcir to TztoMrlstictrl Literary Traditiorts 89

[n that mirror Yousee Yourself'alone-whatcan be done'? Youore rntr king, and we Yourobedient slaves,' tr{hetherYou suntmon or disniss us-v,hal can be done?tj

In the aboveverses, Shah is speakingas a lover,composing lyrics to his divine Belclved,and it could be that this ghazaland otherssimilar werecomposed while he was still young,for Shahhas other love poetry in whicli he speaksnot asa loverbut asthe beloved, when he is claiming to be a spiritualguide and master.In the languageof love poetry,he claimsto bethe cup-bearer himseli notthe lover who begsthe cup-bearer for wine.

I ctmthe drttnkencnp-bearer in the taverno.f the (Jniverse, TheKing in the v,inehouseof'the soul. I ant the vt:ctlerq/ life in the stream of existence, I am the e.rsenc'ed'the spirit that givesliJb to the body. I am the c'upand the wine, the /brm and essence, I am the treasureand tolisntan,the manifestand the hidden. So strangeit is,I am my ow-nbeloved, *),own lover, I crmthe ven, objec'toJ'my .seeking.ts

Thoughthis ghazalobviously uses metaphors of wine-drinkingand love,there is no doubtthat it is a mysticalpoem. In lovepoetry, whether it is mysticalor not, the poetis the lover who speaksof the pain of love andhis or herseparation from thebeloved. If thepoet is a Sufi andspeaks of'thecup-bearer and handsonre youth (Shahid), regardless of thekind of love he has iri mind, be it metaphoricor divine,both the Sufi and non- Sufi readerwill have his or her own readingof the poem. But in the above ghaz,aland others similar to it, the readercan understand it in only oneway, because there is no ambiguity;he is talkingabout divine love. In the last line, as we can see,Shah is claimingto be a spiritualmaster andthe beloved,and this type of clairnis onethat a non-Sufireader, or evena Sufi who is not in the poet'sown spiritualorder, (tar[qat). might not appreciateor find appealing.Readers of love poetry,in general,ex- pect the poetto be in the role of lover,and speakof a humanbeloved, whethermetaphorically or not. SinceSliah rarely uses the metaphorsof humanlove andthe poetic TheSecond Internatiorutl Srlrnposiunr orr Shah Nenntollqh Vali motif of Shahid-bdzl(playing gameswith a handsomeyouth), detailed descriptionsof the belovedare hardly found in his divan. In the following ghazal,Shah speaksof getting completelydrunk, breakinghis vow of repentanceand seeinghis belovedin a dream and beingcaptured by his curl.All theimages in thispoem are used to convey a mysticalmeaning, yet aestheticallyit is oneofthe mostappealing ghazals in his divan,precisely because it hasbeen composed in the styleof Per- sianSufi love poetry.

Blind drunk I havecollapsed in the Magian tavern, Breakingmv vow of'repentance,I havedrowned rnyself in wine, Fancying that he might cometo nte in my dream, I /ixed the imageo/'him in my mind as I went to sleep. I submittedm),heart to his c:urland heb draggingme along, Like thosecttrls o/'his, I'm being twistedthis way and that, Thesun o/'his favor gently treatsme, My statesare radiantly clear,.forI am in the sun. In the quarter o./'love,there are a hundredthousand like me, Whohave given ttp their lives./brthe beloved.te

In the above ghazal.nc''ne of Ibn Arabi's technicalterms have been used,neither does the poet claim to be the spiritualguide or beloved,yet throughoutthe ghazalone can seethe depthof mystical meaning.There are not many ghazalsin Shah'sdivan in which every line showssuch poeticskill andtouches the heart of thereader. However, in mostof Shah's ghazals,one can find verseswhich arecomposed in this poeticlanguage of loveand wine-drinking. It mayvery wellbe thatif a selectionof Shah's ghazalswere made, the artisticvalue and beauty of his poetrywould be betterappreciated.

Notes

I Dr. NasrollahPourjavady is a profcssorof philosophyat the Univelsity of 'lehran and is the directorof the UniversityPress Ccnter. r For a classificationof ShahNematollah prosc works, see N. Pourjavadvand P. L. Wilson, Kings ol Love: the Poetn'ond Hi.storyo.f'the Nemutollahi Su/i Order. (Tehran: 1978),pp. 47-9. Shnlt.n'lcrrtntolltlr Vnli: Art Hcir ltr lzco Mv;ticnl Lilctnrtl Trnditiorrs q I

For this typc of criticisrno1'Sl.rah Ncrlatollah's poctrv. sce: M. R. Shafl'i Kadkani,Ztbir-e Pdr.si:Negdlri hi :indagi vu gha:ul-hiyc'Attar, (Tchran: 1378).pp. 59-60; and B. Klrorramshahi.Dhihn o :uhtin-e1t)lii. 2ncledition, (Ti.:hlan: 1362), p. 10. All of my examplcsin this papcralc choscnat randomtiom ShahNcmatollah's divan. I lraveuscdthcfirstcditionofShah'sDi"'an,publishedbyDr.J.Nurbakhsh(Tehran: 1347). Gha:ulno. l-100. Ghu:ol no. 541 Ghu:ul no. 32 Ghu:ul no.2. Glra:alno.6. Gha:ulno. 56"1. Gha:ulno.9l5. Ghu:ul no. 1498. Ghrt:ulno. 1327. Ghu:ulno.8l1. Ghuzalno.97-1. Ghuzulno.l5-l'1. Ghu:ul no. 529. Gho:ul no. 1010. Ghu:ulno.1072. L)2

ThreeNematollahi Shrines: An ArchitecturalStudy

Dr. MehrdadQayyoontit

l{istorianstell us that Sr-rfismhas been the main streat.nthrough the courscof Iranianculture during its longhistory in the Islamicperiod. it is no surprisethat this dominantcultural influence has beenparticularly manifestin architecture.Suflsrn has becn given shapein most kinds of architecturalworks, both religious and secular. Flou,ever. olle canexpect more obviousinfluences on buildingsthat havemorc directrelation to Sufisni.say Khaniqahs and nrausoleums of saints. In this article.rve will reviewthree exampies of saints'maust.rleunrs by the NematollahiOrder in lran: the first onc is tlre shrincof Shait Nernatollahin Mahan(near Kemran), the secondis the tnausoleumof' Mushtdq'AliShah in Kerman,and the third is tlte tnausoleunrof Sultan 'AliShahand the otlrerlvlastcrs of the Orderin Bayrlukht,Cjonabad. Analysisof thesemonuntents rnay leadolre to noticesome o1'the subtleticsof the architectureitself ancl the relatronbetrveen the huildirtus andtlieir function and meaning. T'hcbuilding o1'mausolcums and tombs in iran starledin the nirrth century.Over the course of elevencenturics fiom the ninthto thetwenti- eth.cxcluding tlie first centuryafter the Mongol invasion,this type ol- buildingwas constructcdcontinuously in variousst-yles. Froma stylisticpoint, we canclassify mausoleum architecture as har,'- ing threemajor types: (l) bwer mausoleums,(2) complexmausolcurns, and(3) kiosk-likc mausoleurls. The first type was common drrring ninth to thirteenthcenturies and the lasttu,o typeswere comrnonclr"rrrng tl,e fbur- teenthto nineteenthcentury. In the nineteenthcentury constructing tnilrr- soleumswas not ascommon. but monutnents were restored and exrranded. TlrrceNcrrrtttollslti Shrirrr:s: Arr Architr:ctttrtrlSttrtlq 93

E,achmausoleum typicallv contairlsone or lnore tombs,which belongto cithera religiousor a politrcalfigure. Before the Safavrds,reli- mausoleumsused to inclucleeither Shi'ite lmams or Sufi rnasters -uious andsairrts. Aftcrthe Safavids.the shrines of the Shi'iteImams were ex- pandedand new rnausoleumsfbr desccndantsof theprophet and Shi'rte Suflsaints were built. The largestmausoleums iu Iran belongto Imam Reza,Hazrat-e Ma'sumahand Shah 'Abd al 'Azim. all of whomare descendants of the prophet.Shah Nematollah Vali's mausoleum is thebiggest onc after these. It is one of the threcrnonuments that rve areabout to review in this article.In the lastsymposiurn, I presentedan articleentirely about this monument.Ilere I shallbriefly review its physicaldcvelopnrent, so wc will havemore time for tlic two othermonumcnts.

l. Mahan,the shrineof ShahNematollah The shrineof ShahNematollah in Mahanu,as founded during tlie Timurid period.in the flfleenthcentury. The constructionof the shrine starledalrnost immediately afterthc saint's death in 1431. The builclingof tlie shriners a vastcomplex rvith nranyclosed and openspaces. Although ditl'erent patrons and architects built it in different phasesthrough flve centuries,it is perceiveclas an ir-itegratedcontplex. The complexhas a linearorder that rs oriented towards the qtblah. Tlie parlsof the complexfl'orn West to Eastare: west lbrecourtand poftal,Muhamrnad Shahi court, Mir Damddcourt, the centralpart of the complex.which consists of thedomed sanctuary and the naves around it, Wakilal-Mulki cour1, and linally'Atdbaki coufi. Thecornplex has an entranceat eachof its two ends.No matterwhich entrancewe chooscto enter,we stillmLlst pass two caravanserai-likecoLuts to reachthe dorncdsanctuary and the tomb.To meetthe holy tomb,the pilgrirnhas to passthese rntroductory spaces. The dorncdsanctuary was the flrst buildingerected on the site.The firstphase of tlrccomplex developmcnt was building the Shah'AbbAsi nave,in the westof the dornedsanctuar,v, in the latesixteenth century. irr the age of the Safavidking, Shah'Abbirs I. At the secondphase. they built the flrst cour-t.named the M[r Diintdtl or Shtth 'Abbasfcourt in the west sicleof tlie nave.The court probablyserved as a caravanseraifbr pilgrirnsand Sutls. The third phase was accomplished tu,o centuries later L)4 Tltc St'ct'nttlhrtcrrttrtitttrnl SvntLtttsiurrt ttrr Shoh I,,luntttollslt Vsli in thc ageof the Qdjdrking, NluhamrnadShah. The MuhammadShahi coufi\ /asconstructed on thc westside of theprevious couft. T'his court is the old entranceo1'the complex from the old Kerrnanroad. In the lale nineteenthcentury, tlrc age of Ndsiral-Din ShahQijir, anotherdevelop- mentoccurrecl: ( l) thebuilding of thetl-rree other naves, rvhich settle on tlie norttr.cast, and southsidcs of the dotneand form a U-shapedplan, probablyreplacing sonre older buildings. and (2) the building of theWakil al-Mulkicourt, the nrost pleasant couft of thecomplex, on thcwest side of the main building.Sorne ycars later, Amir NizinnGarusi, the ruler of Kermanprovince in the earlytwentieth century, added a secondstory to theeast sidc of theWakil al-Mulki cout1, Througha vcstibuleoit its eastside, the Wakilal-Mulki colrrtcon- nectsto the vastestand latestcouft of the complex,the'Atirbaki court, built by Nlirzd'Ali 'AsgharkhanAtabak A'zam,the famouschancellor of'thrccQniar kirrgs. Nobody can describethe architecturalquality of any spaceas it is perceiveclby the onewho is presentin the space.This fact is especially trucof thisshrine complex.'l'he use of severalsuccessive coutts as dif-- ferentphases in the pilgrim'spath to reachthe hearlof the complex;the holy tornbwith its sky-coloreddome; several naves that circumatnbulate aroundthe holy point;the navcs which arefine andat thesame time pure andmystcrious, as the saint himself; and tl"re interior dome over the tomb, which irnpressesthe soul as if one is ascendingin companywith the saint'sspirit-all arc anrongthe architecturalmeans which compatible rvith certainel'fects of ShahVali's spiritualpresence in the shrine.The conrplcxhas no gildings,mirror works, or other luxuriousornaments; nevertlreless,it is justly known asone of thenrost spiritual, splendid and purestreligious, national and historical monuments in lran.

2. Kerman,Mushtaqiyah (the mausoleumof N{ushtaq'AIiShah) The buildingcomplex callcd Mushtuqiyah, located in the old partof Ken.nancity. lt containsthe tomb of MirzAMuhammad Torbat Khorasania farnousSufi sheikhof the NcrnatollahiOrder. In the lateeighteenth century,Mirza became a discipleof Fayd'AliShah and his son Nour 'AliShah I, thc rnasterof the Orderin the earlyQajar period in Iran,who bestowed the Sufi title'Mushtaq 'AliShah upon Mirza. Titles in the Ordergenerally ThreeI'lenuttollohi Shrines: An Architcctural Sttultl

referto thecharacter of theperson to whom thetitle is given.Therefore, the title of Mushtaq'AliShah canbe regardedas an indicationof his character asan eagerlover of God.In 1791or 1792he, accompanied by his master, left Khorasanfbr the shrineof ShahNematollah as a pilgrim and to lead dervishesin Kerman.In 1792,he was killed in Kermanby a mob. Most likely, he was buried in a commoncemetery in the city in a tnud-brickbuilding of a local governor'stomb. In 1831,a Sufi shaykh namedKawthar 'AliShah died in Kermanand was buriednear the tomb of Mushtaq'AliShah. It was around1844 when a Qajarprincess, called KhanBaji, who wasa followerof Kawthar'AliShah, replaced the simple mud-brickbuilding by an elaborateone. It is notablethat the mausoleum was built in the reignof MuhammadShah Qajar. He was the sameking who developedthe shrineof ShahNematollah, as weli. The core of the Mushtaqiyahcomplex is a vast garden-likecouft, wherethe closedspaces are located at its northand south sides. The east andwest walls of thecourt are transparent ones: simply colonnades, which subtlyseparate the court from its adjacentlittle gardens.The transparent walls makethe courtlook morespacious and delightful. The southernside of the court has a one-storyone-layer building, consistingof two small iwans and four small entrances,which are lo- catedsymmetrically about a portal,which once was the main entrance of the complex. Lookingat the court'splan, the north side is similarto the southone. but higher and more decorated.Furthermore, the elevatedand colored domesabove it makethis elevationlook moreprominent. Themain part of thecomplex, which is locatedat thenorth part of the site,does not have the order and pure geometrythat was common in Islarnicarchitecture, although each unit is fully orderedin itself. Analyzingit layerby layer,tlre design of thenorth side has four layers. The first layerconsists of the aforementionedsmall iwans and coni- dors.The smalliwans are the samesize; but the middleone, which leads to Kawthar'stomb, has a moreelaborate moqarnas vault. The secondlayer is symmetricalat its two ends,yet is not in themiddle. Kawthar'sdome, which is by far the most importantspace in the complex, is not on the axis of symmetry.This spaceis a domedsanctuary with solid proportions,a squarebase, and a doubledome. The interior dome is a hemispheredecorated with an intersectineribbed r,'ault. Thc Sccorrdlricrwtitnnl Svntuttsitmron ShnhNentntollnlt Vttli moqarnos.and paintingon plaster.The exteriordome is a high tumip domewith an octagonalbasc that standsout in the overallview of tlic complex.The room in the southof this sanctuaryacts as the common entranceto both Kawthar'sand Mushtaq'stombs. The third layerfi'om wcst to eastconsists of: 1A)a longcorridor that leadsto the court,(B) an octagonalspace with cupola,(C) a spaccr,vith two side-by-sidecupolas, which is iri facta smallmosque, (D) Mushtacl's sanctuaryancl (E) anothercorridor. Themosque carries a coupleof cupolasdecorated by beautifulribbed vaultsand ntoqurncrs.The double side-by-side cupola design is unusual amongthe known mosquemodels in the historyof lranianarchitecture . The spatialcon-rposition of Mushtaq'sdomed sanctuary is similarto Kawthar's,but is smallerand less decorated. In thewest side of Mushtaq's sanctuarytlrerc is anotherdomed mausoleum that belongs to a Sufi nanrcd Shaykh[sma'il Harati.lt is newerand simpler than the two otherdomes. The fourthlayer consists of two cornerpatios and two vestibulesbe- tweenthem. The utility andfunction of thesepatios are unknown. One of the vestibulesreaches to the north portal and is a part of the north en- trancesystem. The north portal, with ntoqat'nasvatlt andtrlc inscripttt'rn. is themost prominent physical element in thenorlli elevationof thc corn- plex. The elevationhas a beautifuland elaboratedesign, and are good examplesof Qajararchitecture.

3. Gonabad,Sultani Shrine Complex Baydukht,a village in Gonabadarea of southemKhorasan, was the birthplaceof the late Sultan'AliShah, master of the NematollahiOrcler in the latc Qajarperiod. In the springof 1909.he was rnartyredin thc courtof hishouse. FIis son and successor, Nour 'AliShah,buried him on topof a hill nearthe village's cemetery. First, he lcvcled the top of thehill andmade a courlfor the corningmausoleum. Then he built a smallroonr over the tomb and a srnallHusu.ynivvaft in the west side of'the court. Later.hc built a caravanseraifbr Suf-isand pilgrirns at tlie tbot of thehill. IIe also startedto build a greatsanctuary over the tomb. but while the first phasesof constructionwere in progressin l9l tl. he waspoisone cl to death.Ilis successors.Salih 'AliShahand Reza'AliShah" rnadc every effortto cornpletethe rnausoleum complex, which rvasfinislicd in lL)27. We can identifythree periocls in the complexhistory: (l) thc firrrna- ThracI"lcrnnfollnhi Sltriru,s: Art ArchitccturnlStudtt 97

tion period.in the ageof tlie lateNour'AliShah; (2) theinstitution and consolidatior,periocl, in theage o1'the late Salih'AliShah; 3) "develop- mentand completion period", in theage ot-the late Reza'AliShah. Salih'AliSiralr's main work wasto completethe main building construction.He replacedthe nrud-brickbuilding over the tornbby a great dornedbuilding. Then he decorated the mausoleum inrerior with delightful stuccoand mirror works. Fufthennore. he developedthe Husat,nit),ah foundedby Nour 'AliShahin the westside of the cour1.Another important steprvas to supplyrvater tbr the complexby a specialsubtemanean 'fhe canal(qunau ) for it. projectstarled tn 1924and finished in t927.The waterappeared in thesouth of thcmain court, in theforthcoming Kav,thur coLlft. Salih 'AliShah addcdtll,o courtsto the complex:the Pu1,[ncourt in thenorlh andthe Kawtharcoult in the southof the mairrcor.irl. in a fbnr sirnilarto caravanseraiswith roomsfor pilgrirns.He put a circularpool in thecenter of thelattcr courl, fllled by thecanal. He alsoordered the building of a clock towerover the northcour-t in 1966. lt wasthe lastyear of Sdlih'AlrShah's life. Theyburied him in the shrine.beside his grandfather. FIis son and successor, Reza'AliShah. fol- lowedup on theshrine project. The third phase in theshrine developrlent wasto bc started. 'fhe Hu.scrt'ttit'.t,ahhasa specialposition among religious buildings of the Nernatollahiorder: it is a combinationofkhaniclah and a placefirr lmam Husayn'sfuneral commemoration.Itr the sameperiod, the Htrscr.r'niv1'ahon the west side of the main couft was devcloped.They burlta specialcourt fbr it, calledTilq,uh or Firtlatt'.scourt in 1968. When tlte Pdy[n coui-twas constructedin the secondperiod, Reza 'AliShahreplaced a caravanseraibuilt by thelate Nour 'AliShaliwith a new couft,named .ladid couft. He built a libraryin the southof thiscourt in l96fi. lle alsocornpleted the mirror works in themausoleum interior. Reza'AliShah passed away in 1992and is buriedbeside his father. Justflve years later, his successor Mahbub 'AliShah died and was buried besidethem. Therefbre. the shrinecontains the tombsof fbur Sufi rnas- tersof theorder, which increasesrts impor-tance among Sufi rnonurnents. The Sr-rltdnishrinc complex has a iincarcomposition. oriented toward Qiblah.Tlie threecourls have such an amangement:"Piyin" court. "tsala"(or rnain)couft. and Kawthar cour1. The site has a northwardslope, 98 'I'lrcSet:ortd Itttlnnliortsl Srlnrposiurrron ShnhNenuttolhtlt Vnli

so a courthas a higherlevel if it is on the southside of the other.Then Kawtharcourt has the highest and PAyin couft has the lowestlevel. N{ain entranceis rn the nofth endwith a portalin P6yincourl. No doubt,such a layoutwas on purpose:when a pilgrim passesthe northporlal and cntcrsthc lower court,he facesa charmingview of the domedsanctuary. The pilgrinrin his u'ay to the domedsanctuary. where is the pilgrin.ragegoal, must passthrough the garden-likecourt and as- cendthe stairsbetween the two courts. Pdyincouft hasrooms in its north andwest sides. The eastside is a simplewall and the southone has soniedelightful small iwans and a staircasein the center.These rooms and iwans visually unify the court's threesides. Eacli side has a visualcentcr. which in the north sideis the aforementionedenttance portal. Levelsof the main anc'lKawthar courts are not so diflbrent.The vi- sr"ralrhythms of theirspaces are also similar, which unifies the two courts. It scemsthat cachcourt is a cornbinationof a vast caravanseraiand a garden.The middleof eachside clevation is madeprominent by a greater andhigher ir.van. The centralcast side iwan in Kawtharcourt is the en- tranceportal of the couft too.

Thc nrajorphysical aspect of thc complexis its combinationof severalcourts. In Iranianarchitecture" open space is oftenthe mainphysical parlof a design.This is tme in cclnrplexand kiosk-like mausoleums, among tliem the Sultdnicornplex, which recallsthe compositionof Shah Nematollah'sshrine complex. Wehave alrcady re vicrvccl tlie majorarchitectural aspect in theshrine complexof ShahNematollah: its linearcompcisition of severalcourts. Suclia linearcornposition did rrotoccur elsewhere except in just one casc:the Sultdnishrine complex in Bayduklit,built roughlytlve centu- riesafter the shrine complex of ShahNernatollah. Tlie peopleburicd in thc shrine,rvho also fbundedit, were all the succcssorsof ShahNcmatollah. They ceftainly built thecomplex according to a template:the shrineconrplex of tlieir holly predecessor.They modifiedthe templatc, r.vhich originally was designed for a planesite, lirr a slopc,by puttingcourts on difl'crentlevels in a stair-likecomposition. Thesinrilarrty between the two, whichare fhe nrost pronrinent Sufi building complexesin lran, is interesting.Therefbre, the Sultdnicomplex is 1'lir"it' lr,rcllirif r il Idt i SIr i rr c s : r\ tr Ar t'hi ! t't' ! tr i'tl St tr t1 q 99 thc climax iri the historyof Sufi archltecturein thc lasttrvo centurles. Conrparingthe Sr-rltiinishrine architectureto t1'picallllausolcunl pat- ie.rnsin the hlstory of Irattianafchitectllfe , we call st:canothcr prtrlttin,--nt iispect:it seen-tstlrat all of'the tlrrect5,,pes arc g,athercdin its design.F irstli''. it is ;l curtrpiexnrausolcunt. Scconcily. thc position of thc single nlain buililrngin litc rnicldleof att open spaceshorvs a r;rmilarityto kiosk-likc i1,pc.Finirlly, the buildin-rlitsclf is similar to a singletowcr tnausolcttttt. l'lie contpiex construction r'r,'itsstafted in ihc late Qdidr perlod arld ','",asconslrlidated its llnal cltaractcrin the carly Pahlitviptriod whetrlra- irrnntr:rditii.rnal architccture was being replaced try an ecleclictlne . l'here- 1lre. sou-tcconfusion anc'l disorcler in its clestgnis not surylrislrlg. Neverthclcss. thc ol,erall cornpositionrs bascclon zlono tlrousantll'ear i.xpericriceof lranianarchitecturc. lt is a succc:ssfulcornbination of [ra- rriirilririrusttleum. caravanseIai. khuttit1cth, Husu)'nit't'aft, schotli. and irlr)sQlle. Roor-ns. small entrane es, aud ciass chambers have delightfrrl se t- rings.'fhe r:ontinuationof the traditionalarchitecture is rcflccteciitr iie- rlrrurtsrnall ill'ans that are connecteclto tnakc arcades.thc cottrpositiott ot'flick zrndplaster irnd solnetrnrcstilc-rvi'rrk in thc coufts' rcvetnlents, ihc;:ibl;eclancl moqan'ias.'auits in thc pttrtals,farniliar on'iLt'uents in thc dorncdiranctuary. artcl abo't c all. thc charmittgcntrancc porlals. ('an rvere:jard the continuatiorio1-this;rhysical tiadititllr as a synrbol r;t'thc cotttitruit',,crf the spiriiual traciitiontliat the I1'lastcrsof tltc turiqoh h;rvc bcen tts patt'ottsetttci nrcssctrgcrs'/

Notes: I i)r. t\,1chldriit.lirv1,,rsr.1 is a nrcnrbcr of thc tircult-vof'.\rcltitcctr.rr,'at Shahid f]chcsirti [Jrlt- r rrritv. Tlhnin 100 TheSecond International Svnaosirun on ShahNcmstollah Vali

l. The shrineof ShahNematollah (air view)

lr1.'lunuBrLsidr Shili i])bnir Nrlc ({rur! {(2alrrl '. {S,l;r' di

*'est l\rndl t(.Irr'l

2. The shrineof ShahNematollah (isometric view) Threelrlematollnhi Shrinas: An Arcliiectural Sfudy 101

3. The shrineof ShahNematollah (thedome- external view)

zl.The shrineof ShahNematollah (the dome- internal view) I02 The SecondIrilL:rnatiotrtrl Suumositwr orr SltahNenntollqh Voli

5. The shrineof ShahNernatollah (Shah-'Abbisi nave)

6. The shrineof ShahNematollah (Ivtir-e Ddmid court) ThreeNcmntollshi Sfuines:An Architecturul Sttttltl 103

7. The shrineof ShahNematollah (Mohamrnad-Shahi court and eastentrance)

l{1lffig

8. Thc shrineof ShahNematollah (east porlal and forecourl) 704 The SecondIntentational Svnryositurron ShahNenwtollsh Vnli

9. The shrineof ShahNematollah (Vakil-ol-Molki nave)

10.The shrineof ShahNematollah ('Atdbaki court) 'fhreelJernstollahi Shrines: An Architecturol Stttth1 105

i l. Moshtdqiyeh(the two domes)

12.Moshtiqiyeh (isometric view) 106 Tht'Sacoud lntarnstionnl Svnrprtsitrnr ort ShshNernstollah VaIi

F; ll I tlt h

ii; tr l9*; Jrx h Itll tttl

| 1. l\4oshtaqiychtplant

#,J

fWf/l'./a:.1: ..,::.f . , , izr'i'€s. ,, t ,.:,,tt:t:tttttttt:rtt, . ..::a:::..:.::.::a'a:::il'!) . 14.Moshtiqiyeh (Kou,sar dome. internal view) 'f h rc e N en r s t ol I qh i Sltr i rr L: s: Ar t Ar chit e c t u ro I St trtly r07

15.Moshtiqiyeh (Kowsirr iwan anddome)

16.MoshtAqiyeh ldouble cupolasof the mosque) 108 TheSecttnd Internationnl Svmposium on ShahNenntollnh Vcrli

17. Soltini ShrineComplex (overall view)

\ \ I

18. Soltdni ShrineComplex (plan) Thr c c I"le r r t tr t o I I crlt i Shrirrc s : An Ar chite ctur nl St udy 109

19. Soltini ShrineComplex (uppercourt)

20. Soltdni ShrineComplex (main building) i i() 'l itc St,corttiltrtcrrrntiortttl Svrnrtttsiwrr on ShtrhNenntollah Vnli

21. SoltAniShrine Complex (north portal, outer side)

22. Soltini ShrineComplex (northportal, inner side) Tlree NenmtolhthiShrines: An Architectural Studtl 111

23. Solttni ShrineComplex (sanctuaryand the tombs)

24. SoltAniShrine Complex (lower court) r72 'I'heSecond Intenutional Samposiumon ShahNematollah Vali

25. SoltAniShrine Complex (southportal, inner side)

26. Soltini ShrineComplex (southportal, outer side) 113

On Sufismand the "Social"

M,errutJsv,q,v orN/ Bos/

This article is aboutthe interplaybetween what I think are radically different traditions-theologicalShi'ism and social science.The method adoptedhere is also somewhatof a hybrid. I explore,on the one hand, generalmodern Sufi socialhistory in [ran, and engagein more detailed contentanalysis of highly specificSufi works on the other. Startingwith the first element,it is not very difficult to counterthe notion of Sufism'sinherent traditionalism when studyingmodem Sufism in Iran-from roughly the latenineteenth century. But I was nevertheless amazedto find two books on the sociologyof Islam, written by a Sufi, when I was doing fieldwork in the autumn of 2001. However modern someSufis might havebeen, there also has beena noticeablereluctance towardssocial science among them. So,things apparentlyhave changed even in this respect.At the same time, Sufis seeminglydid not really take part in the new civil society, specificallyin Khatami'sIran, despite a new socio-politicalclimate that was far more lenientwith regardto all kinds of difference. Here,then, are the riddlesthat I address:previously, Sufi modernity had been characterisedby a new orientationtoward the here-and-now, but nowadays,notwithstanding new opportunities,Sufism is largely ab- sentfrom the public sphere.Simultaneously, a Sufi producesa stunning work suchas a mystic Sociologt of Islam, or, as I argue,Islamicsociol- ogy, rvhile the theme of 'the social' had been a marginal issuein traditional Sufi thought. What I argueis that curent quietismonly apparentlyunderscores the widespreadview of Sufismas a traditionalistand otherworldly spiritual- ity. The first line of argumentagainst exploding the observedquietism into a generalstatement about the natureof Sufism,which I think is un- 'l'lrc I 1.1 Sacondlrtternstittrnl SvnrpLtsitutr on ShahNematollah Vali

ibundcd,is thatthis quietismis relativelynovel, that is, that Sufismhas b.-:corneless involved in socialand politicalaffairs after the Pahlaviera ancle ven, strange as it may sound,after the Islamic Republic until Khatami. '[ire sccondline of argumentis to be found in the innovativeIslamic r;(rci(,logics,to which I'll retumlater.

lnto Modernity To bcginwith, the fact of Sufi modernityand of a resilientSufism in itsclf runs counterto receivedwisdom aboutSufism's eclipse after or r.viththe disintegration of theQajar dynasty ( 1785-I 925).Itfurnsout that severulmasters were active during the ConstitutionalRevolution, and wL'revcry much fbcusedon thinkingup solutionsfor the ills of Iranian socicty.A secondheritage of this periodis the nation-stateorientation thirtcontinued into the Pahlaviera. 'laking a similarlyhuge leap in time, therelrave been indications of Sufisrn'sflourishing in the IslamicRepublic. Nevertheless, Sufis generally lravekept a low profileafter the revolution, which had (at least) three rcasons.Traditional religious objections might have gotten out of handin lhe contextof thenew rigid religiousregime. Secondly, modernist rejec- tir-rnsof Sufisrr,based on the perceivedanti-social identity of Sufism, carrictlthe samerisk. And thirdly, therewas potentialfor Sufi religiosity bcine readas a competitorfor spiritual authority. NematollahiSufis in Iran generallysought accommodation with the nervrcgime. [n the Sultan'Alishahi Order, a publicrecord of goodrela- tionsbetween the Orderand respectedclergy was helpful.At the same tirnc,the Shi'iteorders often synrbolized an uncoffupted,non-regime religiosity"But while they were to somedegree counter-hegemonic sym- bolically,the ordersdo not appearas actorsin lran's civil societyas it ernergc<1since about 1995.

Current Conditions The reasonableprospect was for this situationto changeafter Khatami lrroughta new climateto powertn 1997.There were additional reasons lirr:this expectation. Those familiar with thework of 'Abdolkarim Soroush rvill he awarethat Sufism,though not alwaysin a positivesense, is an irrportanttopic fbr him. Indirectly,Sufism attaineda reformist aura tlrnruglrhis rvork, rnhichmight have facilitateda Sufi presencein the On Sufismsnd theSocial 115 public sphere.Lastly, Sufism's twentieth-century orientation towards the here-and-nowin Iran showedthat therewas nothing intrinsic to Sufism to opposeit to worldliness.But as indicatedbefore, Sufis still kept their distance. Despiteimproved conditions, caution cannot be ruled out as apartial explanationof Sufi quietism.In the midst of Iran's current ideological strife, Sufis very likely would makethemselves vulnerable when speaking out in public for or againsta given politico-religiouscause. But there are other inhibitions as well, exceptfor this particular externalfactor, which I think areat leastas importantin explainingSufism's virtual ab- sencefrom the public sphere. Thereis no suchthing asa naturalcoalition of religiousreformers and Sufis in Iran. Therewere physicalif subtlesigns of uneasein my inter- views with two representativenew religiousthinkers in September2001 wheretalks touched upon Sufism.And conversely,it is oftenfelt thatnon- Sufi religiousreformers'thought remains exoteric, that is, shallow. Now given this distantrelation of Sufis to the realm of the social, societyhas not beencompletely absent from contemporarySufi expres- sions.For example,the present master of theNematollahi Order, Majzoob 'AliShah,published a collectionof essayson socialand otherworldly matters.But thesereflections stemmed from the periodbefore he became Qutb.The forewordexplains that the writings arenot 'mystical' ('ir.fdni) but 'social'. In other words, despitethe fact that their writer was a Sufi, the essaysclearly do not provide Sufi conceptualisationsof society. The sociologiesof Islamthat I referredto earlierare to my knowledge the first modernSultan 'Alishahi effort to do preciselythat. Their writer is a Sufi who studiedsociology in theUnited States.I mustwam thatthey do not straightforwardlyrepresent doctrine in the Order, althoughthe writer did obtainpermission for his booksfrom threedifferent masters.

Sufi Sociology It may be a suitableway to start discussingthe books to point at a paradoxthat is symbolic of the project as well as its more problematic features.While thePersian titles mention 'Sociology of Islam',the books turn out to be reallyabout 'Islamic Sociology.'This is evidentfrom their beginning,where centralquestions are defined."What is the socialand economicstructure of a healthy societyfrom a Qur'anic viewpoint?" is 776 The SecondInternational Samrtosiunron ShahNemotollrh VaIi the sort of questionthat the authortypically presentswithin the realm of sociologyof religion. The conceptualfusion of Islam and sociologyis paralleledby an era- sureof temporaldifference. Thus, you find a treatmentof Ibn Khaldun and Karl Marx as if they were sharingthe sameconceptual apparatus, as if addressingby and largesimilar issues,and as if by implicationthey are situatedon the sametemporal plane. In this particularrespect of 'fusion', oneintellectual background to theproject is the 1960'sand 1970'snativism of men like JalalAl-e Ahmad and 'Ali Shari'ati who were after defini- tions of the authenticself which, paradoxically,at the sametime applied Westernframes of reference. A good reasonfor making the comparisonwith Shari'ati is that this ideologueis famed for his so-calledSociology of Islam. Similaritiesbe- tweenthe two projectsemerge in what DaryushShayegan referred to as 'conceptualhybridisation'-another way of pointing to nativism,but fo- cusingmore strongly on problematicepistemic features. But in another respect,the Sufi sociologistreverses Shari'ati's Sociology of Islam,be- causeShari'ati in the final analysisreads Islam sociologicallywhile he reinterpretssociology Islamically. I think it is a sign of this fact that he overlooksShari'ati's heritage, while it is so obvious. Following thesepreliminaries, I analysethe books in more detail, which comesdown to, first, an overview of the larger arguments.Sec- ondly,I try to find out what 'the Islamic social'consistsof in them,how this might be grasped.And thirdly, I analysethe centralityof the doctrine of waldyah.What I'm seekingto show here is that 'the Islamic social' remainshighly abstract,and that this is causedexactly by the fact that the doctrineof waldyahis put in its place. Startingwith the largerarguments, one of the booksis titled A Theo- reticalSociologt of Islam.It treatsvarious Muslim thinkers,among whom areSufis and more specificallySultan 'Alishahis. Of the Sultan'Alishahi masters,the work focuseson the renownedReza 'Alishah, who died in 1992.Reza'Alishah's work is implicitly presentedas an exemplaryso- cial science. Filingthis oeuvre under 'social science' means rubbing out epistemic boundariesbetween medieval Islamic geography,folklore, travelogues, and contemporaryanthropology. Reportedly, Reza'AliShah considered traveloguessuch as Ibn Battuta's 'scientific'and anthropological.The On Su.fismand tlrc Sociol r77 master'stravel(ogue)s were groundedin mystical views of safar fiour- neying).Travel was a duty for thesalik (wayfarer)and probably a metaphor for wayfaring itself, sayr-o-soluft.Here, then. the mysticalpath and socialscience merge. But exceptfor theseblurred boundaries,ceftain distinctions are also constitutiveof the sociologies.Historical Sociologyof Islam, the second book, is founded on anti-positivismand conceptsthat result from this orientation.It meetsthe expectationthat the authorsubsequently charts that he labelsa 'religiouspathology', consisting of four major 'devian- cies'that have developedin Muslim societiesthroughout history. The most imporlantdeviancy had occurredin the interpretationof the pillars of Islam-and concernedfaith inwaldyah. Devianceregarding waldyah was the worst deviation.Things had seriouslygone wrong immediatelyafter the deathof the Prophetand for this reasonhistorical sociology was devotedto, "finding a suitablean- swerto this question:how rvasthe issueof the leadershipof society[. . .] dealtwith in Islam?"So the historicalsociology treats negative societal consequences,the Shi'ite dramaof non-'Alid developmentsafter the demiseof the prophet. It comesas somewhatof a surprisethat while the analysesof deviant Muslim societiesare rather clearly delineated,the solutionsoffered for a healthy society in accordancewith Qur'anic guidelinesremain highly abstract.There are referencesto 'mystical prescriptionsand programs' andwhat 'planning'wouldlook like on thebasis of 'Ali's Islam.But this treatsmoral principlesunderlying planning, not the plansthemselves or how theymight contrast with non-Shi'iteplans. Clearly, then, the discussion is evocativemore than it is analytical. Theseand other cases suggest that this particular Islamic social occu- pieswhat may be calledan epistemologicalnowhere land. A'nowhere world', in Shayegan'swords, that emergesthrough patching elements from differentepistemic orders, often in neglectof their particularhisto- ricity. The relationsof Shi'ite theologicalterms and sociological jargon- planning,technique-oriented, bourgeois sociologist-play this part in the two Islamicsociologies. In contrastto the ratherelusive nature of this Islamicsocial, the Shi'ite conceptof waldyahoccupies a very centralplace in the two Islamic sociologies.Answering vital questionson the 'appropriatesocial, economic I lti 7'lrcSccttrrd hrterrtntiLtnsl Sunu:tosium on ShahNemqtollah VaIi anclpolitical systcms', all sociologismsare cut shortin the author'sex- clarnationthat, "the schoolof Shi'ismhas been discemed as the straight rviry to Qur'atric v,ulir),ah".Here, waldyah means'cure' for the men- tronecldeviancies that cumentlyoppress Muslim societies.That is, it is thcirsocial essence. lsfariric sociology in both worksis itselfa partof waldyah.First, Is- lamic sociologyforms part of a largeresoteric view of knowledgeas nrctaphorof thedivine. Secondly, as much as knowledge involved realizing Islamicpotential, Islan-ric sociology was intrinsic to Shi'ismand em- bodic'dby 'Ali: it had beensubsumed in his being a 'perfectfriend of (iod'. Fronrthis notion,the linkageextends to Sufism,as the true Islam, thebooks stress, is 'Ali's Islam,and'Ali's Islamis Shi'ismand Sufism takcntogetlrer. 'T'hcseexplications of the authenticmessage do not involvepolitical sociologyin any substantialcontemporary sense, but theIslamic sociolo- giesrlo cxpandon relationsbetween waldyah. society and authority. They opposevvulti.t,uh to monarchyand loosely associateit with democracy. I hc passagsends with the assertiveclaim that "deedsof true waldyah i...1 nraybe seenas thc ultimateexample of [...] politicaland social- participatory pluralism". I would say that it is perhapsbecause of the circularity of the argu- mcnt-- proceedingfiorn andleading upto waldyah-thatthe idealsocio- politicalordcr plays no furthcrrole in the sociologies,in any morepre- cisesense. Here lies a point of contrastwith the moremundane terms of 'ncw religiousthinking', nowadaysin Iran. The works arenot like the writrngso1'Soroush and their relatingof mysticismand reformist ideals. 'l'heinterpletive principle is not developedhere into thehermeneutics by whi ch M u.ita h i d Shabestari radically rereads Shi' ite tradition-democrati- cally" And there is no comparisonto the work of Kadivar either,who critically re-exanrinedand thus very efl'ectivelyconfronted the main v,u I ti.),uh tlreories. Now cndingmy observationsof the Islamicsociologies, its 'social' shinesthrough hybrid conceptualisations such as the 'sociologicalunity of cxistcnce',with a predicatethat stemstiom a completelydifferent urriverse.It rnaybe considered a 'surrogate'incomparison to Durkheim's firit social an authoritativeearly definition of 'the social.'Durkheim's conceptref-ers to a sui generisclass of coercivephenomena that is exter- On Sufisrttand theSocial r79

nal to the individual-autonomy beingthe concept'scentral element. But what lies at the heartof the surrogatesocial is the recurringattestation of mystical Shi'ite faith. This has beenstated by the namegiverof the Sul- tan 'Alishahi order:"Waldyah is the lastpart but falso] the fundamentof all pillars of Islam, and the other pillars are [but] an introduction to u,aliiyah". I'd like to concludeby restatingmy initial statementson Sufism. Quietismdoes typify Sufismin Khatami'slran, but it is relativelynew in comparisonwith earlier twentieth-centurySufism. Secondly,there are the Islamic sociologies,which do not underscoreotherworldliness. The Islamic sociologies'religious concepts of the socialare not a primal regressioninto mystic traditionalismbut may be seenas a neo- traditionalhybrid. This 'social'is traditionalin the senseof 'pre- Durkheimian', lacking autonomy,and in the senseof being elusive in theologicalabstraction-in comparisonwith the work of new religious thinkers who do often specify sociologicalimplications of their arguments. But on the other hand, this reading of waldyah into the social orderof thingsis alsoa quiteunique effort in IranianSufism and possibly beyondit to cometo termswith this-worldly socialscience, society, and the social.

Notes: I Matthijs van denBos is an independentresearcher in theNetherlands who is studyingSufism, especiallyits social aspects,in contemporaryIran. 720

Comment a 6t6 9616le Sanctuaire de Shah-e Vali?l

Dr. BastaniParizi2

Une femme zoroastriennekermani-Varghanienne qui 6tait st6rile avait fait le veu dansle sanctuairede Nematollah Vali que si elle mettait un enfant au monde, elle mettrait un petit tapis devant le portail du sanctuairedu Shah. Elle a enfant6ea mis des Jumeauxau monde et bien s0r, elle avait tenusa promesse et au lieu d'un petit tapis,elle avaitmis deuxpetits tapis sur les deux cot6sdu portail d'entr6edu sanctuaire.3 Il y a Cinquanteans, lorsque j'enseignais dans les lyc6esde kerman, en entendantcette histoire, je comprenaismieux que la position de ces deux guidesspirituels 6tait la basede la b6n6dictionde la province de Kerman. Aprdsavoir travaill6pendant des anndes dans l'universit6 de T6h6ran, je me suis pos6eune question:Comment ont-6t6 dirig6 ces sanctuaires pendantsix centsans? Les sanctuairesqui ont 6t6I'abri de lexportationet de limportation?Dans ce bref article,je n'explique pas la biographiede ShahNematollah car les autresI'expliqueront. En r6alit6,parler en pr6sence des professeurs connus et deschercheurs 6minents,c'est comme:"Porter I'eau ir la rividre." Ou selonle proverbeanglais: "To carry coalto New castle".Ou selon le proverbearabe: "Porter la datteau Bassora" Ce quej'expliquerai bridvement,sera la directionde cesbitiments et I'organisationdes fondationspieuses, la manidred'accueil des convives et despdlerins du sanctuairede ShahNematollah Vali car premidrement, cela remonte d 600 ans et les voyageursy venaient de I'Inde, D'Azerbaidjand Iraq et tous leshabitants de la provincede Kerman.Les Conunent a'et'eg'er'e le Snnctusirede Shoh-eVali? 1,21, provincesde Kermanet Sistanet Baloutchistanont une 6tendude 250,000 kilomdtreset etaientconsid6r6es comme la quatridmegrande province d'Iran. Une 6tendueplus grandeque lAngleterreet la moiti6 de la France. La seulepartie situ6e dans I'entr6e du golfe persiqueet la mer d'Oman est plus grandeque les Pays-Basdans lequel se d6roulece s6minaired la memoirede ShahNematollah Vali grAced l'une desuniversit6s de cepays et le Dr. MostafaAzmayesh et unecentaine des savants et lesamis de Shah Vali. Ce s6minaires'est deroul6 dans la cit6 universitairede Leyden. J'ai commencdmon discoursavec une histoire 6tonnante d'une dame zoroastriennequi attachaitbeaucoup dimportance au sanctuairede Shah Nematollah,car ce sanctuairen'6tait pas seulement pour lesmusulmans et despersonnes d'autres religions y venaient.Et c'estI'un descaractdres du milieu socialde Kermanqui pendantdes sidcles le consid6raitcomme un lieu de rdconciliationpour tousles tribus de Kerman.C'est pourquoi des groupescomme les Kharidjites,les Isma6liensde la p6riodedes Saljoughians.les Mazd6ens de la p6rioded'Anoushiravan, les J6suites et leschr6tiens et lesdisciples de Ikhavin al-sa16,les Zoroastriens et d'autres groupesqui ont 6t6 entidrementailleurs existent encore dans la province de Kerman et ont une vie pacifiquedont jai parl6 dansmes articlesdans le congrdsdes recherches de lAfrique du nord et de I'Est dansla ville de Torontoen 1992.4Mais bien sffr,les groupesdes soufis et dessavants qui vivaient de longue date d Kerman, ont 6te d la tdte. Et plusieurs des personnagesreligieux comme Mazdak(p6riode pr6islamique) et le Qatari le Kharidjiteet HassanSabah (post-islamique) qui disait:"La sagesse suffisanteou insuffisante"ont v6cudes p6riodes de Retraiteet der6flexion d Kerman.Tout comme, l{amidolldin kermanilauteur du livre de "le repos de la raison(Rahat-ol Aq1)" et Houjviri sisstani,Shaykh Hassan Bulgari, ShaykhAbu IshaghKazeroni, Khajeh Nasirolldin Tossi, Haje Molla Hadi et r6cemment,M. SallehAli shah,Haje ZeinollabedinShirvani, Haje AbbassAli Keyvan Ghazvini et M. Rashedet le d6funt Baba Reshad,le directeurde r6sistanceet ressortisantde Moshtaghiehde Kerman. Une raisonplus importante: Trois soufis connus iraniens comme seyed Husseini dont la lignee spirituelle remonte d ShahabolldinSohravardi, Shaykh FakhredinIraqi et Shaykh Ohedin (Kermani) ont fait, la m€me ann6e, une retraitedans le couvent de ShaykhOhedin et chacuna rapport6le fruit de cetteretraite sous forme un livre importantau Shaykh.Shaykh Fakhrodine,le livre de "lamat oll asheghin",Shaykh Ohedin, le livre de 122 'fhe SccondInternational Sunwosituttort ShahNematollah VaIi

" l'arji"et Amir SeyedHusseini, le livre de "Zad oll mossaferine".5 I Jnecentaine d intellectuelsconnus ont r6sid6pendant des ann6es dansla ville de Kerman. ShahNematollah est l'un d'eux qui a voyag6entre Damas et la ville dc Khoye d'azarbaidjanet la Transoxianeet avait des milliers de disciples (selon un rapport 60,000) et qui a attire l'attention de Tamerlan, f 'r"rndes deux grandsconqu6rants d'Asie. Dans la ville de Yazd, il a eu clesr6velations spirituelles et enfin,il a fondeles 6coles dans les villes de Kouhbananet Mahan situ6ed 25 Kilomdtresde la ville de Kerman li ot) il estnroft. Il voyait datrsle ciel 6toil6 de kermandes chosesqui ne se trouvent pasailleurs. Par exemple, selon Mehrabi Kermani, lorsqu'iltraversait le passageetroit de Bolboluet serendait au sanctuaired'Imam ZadehZeyd Khabisse,Shah Nourolldin NematollahVali des quil voyait la vo0te d'lnram ZadeltZeyed, il Otaitses chaussures et disait quil y a tellement dangesrassembles sur le trajet qu'on ne peutpas facilementse frayerun cheminpour fairele pdlerinage.6 .f'ai entendudire que lorsqu'un des pr€tresconnus allait visiter la torlrbcde saintFranqois d'Assise, il descendaitprds du portailde la ville ct enlevait seschaussures et allaitd piedcomme Beshr Hafl aupdlerinage. .f'ai vu personnellementque la ville de Kermana 6t6en cong6pen- dant quatrejclurs et le marchea et6 entidrementferm6 et desmilliers de pcrsonnesavaient participe au cer6moniedu deuil et ceci d plusieursoc- casions: Le jour du decdsde Dadsen, le m6decinanglais chr6tien de lhdpital tlc Morsalinede Kermanest mort du Typhus(il avait 6t6 contamin6par son malade).On avait mis son corps dans Tondarestanet puis I'avait trauslbreen l'angleterre. Le jour, que layatollahHaje Mirza MohammadReza est mort son tombeauest encorele lieu de pdlerinagedu peupleau pied de TaqAli et j'ai conservribeaucoup de ceslettres 6crits pour am6liorerles conditions de vie deszoroastriens de Kerman. l-e jour que l'autobusdes ing6nieursrusses qui allait d la mine de charbonde Hojedk, a eterenvers6, le ville de kerman6tait au cong6et en dcuil pour la rnort de 20 ou 30 ing6nieursrusses qui travaillaientdans la ville de Kermanalors quils etaientcommunistes et ath6e.Et en ce qui concenleI'esprit de tol6rance,lattitude du peuplede Kermanvis d vis Conmtenta'et'e g'er'e le Sanctuoirede Shah-eVsli? LZJ

desing6nieurs russes, etait exemplaireet avait consacrdun quartierde la ville aux famillesdes ing6nieurs russes. L'Histoire nousdit du vivant du ShahNematollah sa grande maison et sonjardin6taient l'abri desr6fugi6s. Ainsi, selonle livre Manaqib,6dit6 par le d6funtJeanAubin, il recevait les fils et les filles de Kerman lors des attaquesde l'arm6e etrangdreet disait:"Ici, cestle lieu desenfants ch6ris". Apparemn-rent, il a 6tEentene dansle jardin de sa maison. Aprdsla mort de ShahNematollah, ce lieu estrest6 l'abri desr6fugi6s et les sinistres.Nombreux soufis y r6sidaient.Plusieurs personnes fortun6es,des gouverneurset des rois ont essay6dam6liorer les condi- tionsmaterielles daccueil des pdlerins. Et on sentce point le jour m€me de la rnort de ShahNematollah le 6 avril 1431Ahamad Shah Bahmani le roi de Dakanqui, consid6raitqu'il devaitsa rdgne au pouvoir spiritueldu ShahNematollah, avait envoy6des fonds suffisantsd Kerman et on les avait employ6pour r6pareret am6liorerle sanctuairede Seyed6minent. C'est vrai que ShahNematollah portait lui-mdme des habits d'une 6toffegrossidre de coton,le manteausoufis avec un collier et unemanche et un manteaude peau de mouton et un turbanblanc et il a mis sur ses dpaulesun manteauen laine et parfois,il portaitun saffauen feutreet ses disciplesetaient le plus souventdes classes moyennes, des travailleurs et desagriculteurs mais parmi sesdisciples, il y avait eu aussides rois, des ministres,des gouverneurs et despersonnes riches. Comme on le sait,on a mis la premidrepierre de son mausoleepar des fonds envoy6sAhmad ShahBahmani Dakani (mort quatreans aprds la mort de ShahNematollah) et il parait que le portail dentr6edu sanctuaireen bois et en ivoire a 6te aussienvoy6 dlnde. Ahmad Shah6tait le disciple du ShahVali, et le ShahNematollah a confieune couronne verte d Molla GhotbolldinKermani et lui a dit: "C'est la consignationde SultanAhmad Shah Bahmani, donne la lui". Deux grandsgouverneurs Kermaniens, Baktash Khan etAmir NezamGaroussi ont 6t6 enterr6sdans le sanctuairede ShahVali. L'ensembledes bAtimentsdu sanctuairede ShahNematollah est compos6de 329 arcs et 4 cours de 4323, 2128 et 3836 et enfin3547 mdtreset 4 grandsportiques. Dans toutes les p6riodes historiques de llran: Des timouries,des Safavides,des Ghadjarset despahlavis, on a r6par6 cetensemble et y ont ajout6quelques 6difices. Et l'eau de farmithanpasse r24 TheSecond International Svnryosium on ShahNematollsh Vali au milieu d'une des cours.Je dois noter que l'6table desbdtiments avait la capacitede recevoir400 chevauxet ce qui donneune id6edu nombre despdlerins dans les p6riodesdiff6rents. Il y a cent ans,un disciple soufi qui avait r6sid6longtemps dans ces bdtiments,6crit que le cierge br0lait toute la nuit jusqu'au matin et la portedu sanctuairese ferme pendant la nuit pendant3 heureset elle souvre de bon matin. Un tel ensemblea besoin de fonds pieux. En plus des anciennesfondations pieuses situ6es dans les r6gions de Khabisse,Gouk et d'autresr6gions, Mohammad Shah Ghadjar qui avaitvisit6 ce tombeau avantd'arriver au pouvoir (en 1832)et aprdsson accessionau pouvoir a consacr6trois sixidmede Farmithanqui estune fontainepleine d'eau et deux sixidmede Baba Hussein.Et son r6gisseuqSeyed Mohammad Ali Kermani 6tait responsablede payer les salairesdes salari6s,de servant, de lecteurde coranet le muezzinqui 6tait environ 750 Tomansen 191I . Toutesces personnes 6taient en chargede recevoirles pdlerins. On rapporte qu'ils acceptaienttoutes les personneset ils parlaientavec eux. Shah-e Vali recevaitet acceptaittoute personneet en cela il suivait lexemplede SeydAhmad Kabir et disait que si tous les maitresrefusent quelquun, je l'accepteraiet compl6teraiselon sa capacit6....7 les revenusde ce sanctuaire6tait en 1911 environ 5000 Tomans. Selonlerapport de chalesIssawi, une livre anglaise6tait I 6quivalentde 52 Gherandans la ville de Kerman.Trois ans aprds,trois kilos de pains 6taitd 2 Gheran(ancienne unit6 mon6taire)Trois kilos de viandede bauf 6tait e 8 Gheranset trois kilos de riz 6taitd 4 Gherans.Dans cetteann6e, une 6colegratuite a 6t6 inaugurdedans la grandecour, sesfrais annuels s6levaita mille tomanes,la direction en fut confi6 a ShaykhAbbass Ali Ghazvini. En r6alit6,cela compldte la sentencede ShaykhAbolhassanKaragany. ll a 6tE6crit sur le portail du couventde ShaykhAbolhassan Karagany: "quiconquey entre,donnez lui du pain et ne lui demandezpas son nom car celui, qui vaut la vie auprdsde Dieu, bien s0r, dans le couventde Bolhassan,il vaut du pain."8Et toutesces personnes ont 6t6des h6ritiers de saint B6noit. (Environ 480-542.I1 a 6t6 6crit dans les rouleaux de manuscritsde son couvent: "Accueillez bien toutes les personnesqui frappent d la porte comme si J6susfrappait d la porte."' Parailleurs I'un desdisciples de ShahVali connaissaitbien les quatre livres saintsrO(Coran, I'ancien testament,l'6vangile, les psaumeet les Conmtenta'et'e g'er'e lc Ssnctuairetle Shah-eVali? r25

livres sacr6sdes prophdtes et Avesta)et le Shahportait soi-m€me un froc de dervicherapiece. S'il ne s'agit pas les quatrereligions connues, il faut le consid6rer commeles quatre califes d'aprds les sunnites. Puis,Naser eddin Shah,en 6ditantun d6cret,a confirmd le farmithan consacr6(etje pr6senteraison document datant de 1878). Les revenues6taient 24}Tomans en espdceet 169Kharvars de bl6 et d'orge.Chaque Kharvar Valait 300 kilos. D6sormais,il y avait eu un d6saccordentre le r6gisseur,le surveillant et lesprdtendants et d cepropos, il y beaucoupde documents.En r907,le safairedu regisseur6tait fixe. Mais en 1920,Ie ministre des fondations pieusesavait declar6que le salairedu r6gisseurest 444 tomanset 42g dinars.En 1937,lesrevenus consacr6s 6taient 6000 Tomans. [Il y avait eu une bibliothdquedu livre manuscritavant de la p6riodedu Shahvali c. T. D p6riodede Saljoghil. Il y avait aussiune pierre de poids sur la Pierretombale en marbrequi remontaitd la p6riodedu grandDariush Sur laquelle se trouve une 6criture cun6iformeet qui avait semble-t-ildes pouvoirsmagiques. La responsabilit6des fondationspieuses 6tait un accueilchaleureux despdlerins et des6trangers, la tenuedes c6r6monies du deuil danstoute la p6riodede I'ann6e-deux fois par semaineet durant la p6riodede Moharam(Ashura),-la direction de bibliothdque, faire des vaisselles et la preparationdu th6, du caf6 et du narguil6dans I'ancienne cour. Le document le plus exact qui existe Depuis 150 ans et montre le fait que l'organisationdu sanctuaire6tait sousla responsabilit6du religieux qui dirigeaitles pridresdes vendredis de kerman,M. SeyedJavad date de 27 septembre1856. le total desrevenus 6taient en ce moment-ld128 Tomans et 600 dinarsen espdceet 66 Kharvarsde bl6. Tousles membresavaient un salairepr6cis. Par exemple, le DervicheMohammad cheragh recevait annuellement12 Tornansen espdceet 1 Kharvarde bl6. on d6pensait36 Tomanspour les frais de lumidre et d'huile de ricin et 4 Tomanspour le th6 et le caf6 , 8 Tomanspour les meches. Haje SayahMahalati qui 6tait all6 20 ansaprds cette date d Kerman, 6crit:Le fils de dervicheMohammadAli, FarashAstaneh 6tait au service deAgha Khan Mahalatien Inde. Le prix du toile qui couvraitle tombeau du sanctuaire6tait 100 Tomanset Mirza Issa vazir qui 6tait en exil au Kerman,l'avait pay6en 1888. 126 TlrcSccorrd lntentational Sunruosiunr on ShahNematollah VaIi

Il faut noter que ce mollah responsablede la pridrede vendredi6tait l'un clespcrsonnages connus d Kerman et on allume encoredes cierges sur sorltombeau. Il 6taitmarie avecla fille Ibrahim Khan Zahirolldolleh, la smur de l-laie MohammadKarim Khan, le chef des shaykhis.Il a eu une grande maison dans le quartier zoroastriende zarissefqui est aujourd'hui,le bureaucentral de I'universit6de Kerman. I-lajeMollah Hady Sabzevari6tait pendantquelques ann6es son disciple. Il avait eu un contactavec tous les groupessurtout les soufis. ll erlployait toujoursdes vers de Molavi et du Hafez lors de sesprdches et il dit quependants 3 moisdhivers il commentaitle premiervers de mathnavi. Il a 6te rapport6qu'un jour le fils de Agha SeyedHussein qui lui succdderapour diriger la pridredu vendredi,avait dit d son pdre: Mon cher pdre,dans un pays oir des personnesrigides et fanatiques ,par peur de se souiller,prennent le livre de Mowlana avecune pince et nraudissentHafez, est-ce une bonneattitude de citer tant de vers de ces deux poetesdurant les pr6ches? M. SeyedJavad aurait repondu: "Mon fils, la bonneconvenance n'a aucunrapport avec ma mauvaise situation". Tout le monde sait que ce vers appartientdHafez.

Notes

' Resuurcdu discoursprononcc au congrds. :' Pro{isscurii luniversit6de T6h6ran. ' .lrmcoll uroghadamatpage 828: un sujet plus 6tonnant,Cohar, accoucheusezoroastrienne rpti ctair elle-nt6mest6rilc, et cela est un ddsastrepour une accoucheuse,avait fait le vau quc si ellc dcvenaitenceinte, elle illumineraitle sanctuairede ShaykhAli Babaconnu comme ShaykhGavri (C. 'f. D Shaykhdes Gabres- zoroastriens) avec un moteur dlectriqueet elle a cniantecet avait tcnu sa promesse.Elle avait illumin6 le sanctuairede Shaykh.le disciple de ShahNcmatollah vali qui etait situe dansle six kilomdtresde segotch(mahan. r Principcsde l'tvolution de la tol6rancedans I'histoire dc Kerman. in contactsbetween cul- nrrcs.Editcd by A.Harrak,1992, Ontario, Canada pp. 374-383. i Nafalratollonsc.Habibollsiar et Rozatollsafa. " l-cs docuntcntset les sourccsutilis6es dans le principe de cet article sont en persan. 7 iloges dc ShahNe nratollah Vali, 6dit6par JeanAubin, p. I 12. ' (iuidc spirituel.pagc 370, un rappottde l'6vdnementdu d6sert. '' Vll dorantcp. 669. r" Morshcdolldinlshaqh Bahrami. o Lovers, ours is a different language o seekers,ours is a different sign O nightingales, ours is a sweeter song for our rose garden is in a different land O sweet tongued Khosrow and sweet scentedJoseph and all you sugar loving parrots ours is a different tongue since love was revealed, mv soul has been in love with the Beloved whether openly or secretly,ours is a different revelation the heavenly sun resides in the forth sky but the glorious sun of the Lovers is in a different sky this world is the territory of the body the soul is the territory of the heart but the placelessdomain of the Lovers is a different territory drunken Lovers sit at the tavern's gates prayerful asceticsat their corner of solitude but our throne sits at a different gate the Master is my pain and my cure He is from a different reality my soul is devoted to Him for He is the soul of my soul

Selectedpoetry of ShahNematollah VaIi Trnnslntionby VrajeAbramian llilxru!ilrsBN 03740?00illlililllllllLl - q ||il]lil[til||| SimorghSufi Society