Kyle J.

Shuebrook

Islamic Mysticism

The complaints of the indecisive bird, along with the hoopoes response, serve as an excellent example of the multi-layered nature of Sufism in general, and of Attars writing in particular. Indecisiveness can take on many forms and Attar seems to be aware of this, as his response to the indecisive bird (through the character of the hoopoe) is applicable to a number of variations of indecisiveness. Furthermore, the order of the stories told by the hoopoe after his initial words of advice follow a logical progression. Attar begins by addressing the tension between materialism and spiritualism, and then moves on to addressing subtler forms of indecisiveness. Indecisiveness is a part of the human condition, and no one, not even the spiritually advanced, is immune from it. This is what the hoopoe means when he says, What man is truly single-minded? None! 1. The point of this line, like so many of the hoopoes words of advice, is to provide hope for his flock2; since everyone is susceptible to this affliction, there is no reason to believe that the situation is hopeless. After establishing this hope, the feathered sheikh identifies the root of indecisiveness, namely, the competing desires of the Self; the tension between that which helps to traveler to tazkiyat an-nafs3 (purify and augment the soul/self) and that which obstructs the process results in indecisiveness. The three stories that follow the hoopoes initial response examine this tension further. The three stories follow a logical progression, from the tension between material or worldly desires and spiritual purity, to higher or subtler forms of indecisiveness. Without question, the content of the first story, A story about Shebli4 should not be interpreted as solely addressing the issue of sexual desire, however, I do think that this story represents, more or less, the issue of materialism vs. spiritualism. Like Sheblis tale, the second story,

Farid Attar, The Conference of the Birds, (1984) pg. 103 (lines 1909-1921) Attar, pg. XV of Dick Davis Introduction to The Conference of the Birds 3 William Chittitck, Sufism, (2000) pgs. 51-56 4 Attar, pg. 104 (lines 1922-1937)
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Kyle J. Shuebrook

Islamic Mysticism

Two Sufis go to court5, also seems to address the issue of a hanging on to worldly concerns to the detriment of an individuals spiritual purity. However the earthly concerns of this story are of a more subtle variety. Although the story does not specify the reason for which the Sufis went to court, this lack of information is itself informative. There is no mention of money or personal belongings; this would seem to suggest that the litigation is over a supposed wrongdoing or a perceived injustice. In this case, it is pride, or something akin to it, which obstructs the Sufi path. The final story, A Pauper in Love with the King of Egypt6, depicts an even subtler, or a less material/earthly, type of indecisiveness. The pauper, by his being poor, can be interpreted as having already overcome the indecisiveness felt by those coveting material possessions or a sense of superiority over others. However, his self-professed love for the King is still insincere; he claimed to love the King, yet he placed a higher value on his own life than on his love. The lesson here could then be interpreted as follows: Indecisiveness cannot be alleviated through premature declarations of absolute faith.

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Attar, pg 105 Attar, pg.105-106