4/10/13 Professor Oliver Islam 470-001

Eric Gilston

The Conference of the Birds

Farid ud-Din Attar, the renown 12th century mystic-poet, and author of The Conference of the Birds conveys, allegorically, to his reader the mythical tradition of Sufisms oral and written interpretation of the Quran. Whereby, Attar reveals these hidden meanings of his hearts interpretation within this mythic story of which this epic-poem (masnavi) describes the extent of his personal voyage upon the mystic path (Tariq). A journey that ultimately leads a seeker (Salik) to the ontological revelation that God is one (al-Tawhid).1 Seemingly, Conference of the Birds begins with a meeting of all the Birds in the world, an assembly called to discuss the matter of their quarrels to which they all agree among themselves that they ought to elect a Shah to rule over them. However, no of them had attained the spiritual purity and wisdom to ascend the throne and rule justly, and so all the birds, as Attar writes, Their tunes were mournful, as the crisis weighed heavy on their hearts. They began to suffer like half slaughtered birds.2 Along comes the Hoopoe, who suggests they visit the Semergh, and with the Hoopoe as their guide, the thirtybirds decide to journey through the perils and tormenting sorrows of the Seven Valleys, which one must endure to reach the doorstep of the Semergh. This is a journey of inner spiritual cultivation or knowledge that one draws from reading and reciting, and personifying both the Qurans revelation, and syllogistically God word and/or instruction to humankind. Thus, the seeker, by and through metaphysically internalizing the Qurans divine laws and revelations, learns the truth behind their existence.

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

As these metaphysical modes of reasoning of perspectival relations might suggest, that during the age of Antiquity there indeed existed an innate connection between the material/human and divine planes, which has since, become philosophically splintered, the cause being pedagogical opposition of viewing the two as separate, and distinct entities from each other. In any case an, the point here is that Human modes were characterized by rationale, theoretical and analytical attempts to grasp the world of nature through the observation and deduction of sense-perception, whereas divine modes embodied a deep intuitive sense of transcendent principles governing an emanating throughout creation, apprehended only through the highest intellectual principle in the soul which recognized the images of its divine source. The former entailed the separation of the observer from the object observed, the latter direct participation in it in working out of cause and effect. It is these contrasting modes that viewed syncretically, suggests, as Angela Voss reiterates Henry Corbins idea concerning this angelic/third-level of the Active Intelligence that, as Angela Voss states, in her dissertation paper (given to the Jupiter Trust of Oxford, Nov. 10th 2009), the active Imagination is not a theory, it is an initiation to vision.3 Before this happens the entire ego/self must be scorched in the flames of the love of the Beloved. In this way, when Arch Angel Gabriel descended upon Muhammad, while he meditated in the cave and said, Recite! to which Mohammed asked Recite what? the formers response was, Recite in the name of your Lord, that which what is written in your heart. In this fashion the Prophet said, The sharia are my words [aqwali], the tariqa are my actions [amali], and the haqiqa is my interior states [ahwali]. The several degrees of which the seeker or adept must learn in order to reach the inexplicably painful and daunting task of travelling through the Seven
3

Angela Voss, Becoming an Angel: the Mundus imaginalis of Henry Corbin and the Platonic path of selfknowledge (paper given at the Jupiter Trust, Oxford, Nov. 10th 2007) (p. 1-2)

Valleys to reach the dwelling of the Semergh; who is king of the birds and the Islamic mystical equivalent of the Phoenix of western mythology.4 According to a report by mystic-poet Jami, in it, he claims that the Angel (ruhaniya) of Mansur Hallaj (d. 309/922) was Fariduddin Attar of Nishapur (d.617/1220) spiritual guide and master, or being-of-Light, in which therein lies the existential crisis of humankind and their relation to the divine.5 In this report by Jami, he reveals something much more interesting in Poetic tradition of Sufism that which is referred to as the Active Intelligence, by Sufi-French scholar and intiate, Henry Corbin, as he suggests the predisposition of, each human being is oriented toward a quest for his personal invisible guide, or that he entrusts himself to the collective, magisterial authority as the intermediary between himself and Revelation. The spiritual autonomy of an Ibn Arabi goes hand in hand with the characteristic trait of the Fedeli damore, referred to above.6 If we take Annemarie Schimmels notion that Religion consists of giving good advice, and for the mystic this entails the tradition of a teacher (murid) assisting his/her disciples on the narrow path of (tarqia) by which the mystical guide becomes a conditio sine qua non of the evolutionary state that the human spirit must undergo in its realization of Gods perfection and humankinds imperfection, and that in the case of latter one is able to refine those imperfect qualities in the realization of Gods perfection- that subsumes or entire ontological status; whether one realizes this or not.7 Here we can see the role of the Hoopoe as a prophetic guide and perhaps even mythical hero (in Joesph Campbell sense of the definition) to help the thirty-

Angela Voss, Becoming an Angel: the Mundus Imaginalis of Henry Corbin and the Platonic path of selfknowledge (p. 1) See Henry Corbins, Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn Arabi 5 Henry Corbin, Alone with the Alone: The Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn Arabi: (p. 33) 6 Ibid. (p. 33) 7 Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical dimensions of Islam (p. 100)

three Bird on their journey up the Mountain of Qaf. And so, we also find that the mystical tradition of Sufism is passed down to the believers through the vision of intiation, which is guided by the Angel (Ruhaniya). Thus we shall not be surprised to find that Henry Corbins doctrine of Sufi faith and belief is similar to theirs [Attar and Hallaj], and it is not surprise that Ibn Arabi was influence heavily by Attar and Hallaj. In other words, the figure of the Angel-Intelligence-as Holy Spirit, Angel of Knowledge and of Revelation commands all orientations, all the Approaches and withdrawals which occur in the spiritual topography here outlined, accordingly as we accept or as we sidestep the personal relation it suggests, the corresponsibility for personal destiny assumed by the along with the Alone.8 In this manner, the Arabic word friend (Wali; plural awilya) implies a certain existential relationship expressed in the Angel Intelligence, which alludes to one of the names of God, revealed in the Quran (3:68) as the friend of the faithful.9 Taking this, in context of Fariduddin Attars Conference of the Birds, the correlation therein being the relationship between the Hoopoe Bird, who acts as a spiritual guide, for the other thirty-three birds on their journey towards the Semergh dwelling. This dialectical relationship reveals how the Qurans revelatory message is transubstantiated from Gods word unto the believers heart, upon reading its divine language, that of which is embedded upon each individuals heart. Similarly, this might help explain the didactic stories that are told to us by the Hoopoe, as he helps the Birds on their journey. So between these allegories, one sees the teacher and student just as the subjective and objective relations between the audience and the author, perhaps even explaining Attars own existential quandary, as is presented by the Hoopoe who has met the Smirgh and the other thirty-three birds. Thus, the Hoopoe allegorical significance,
8

Ibid (p. 33)

Carl W. Ernst, Sufism: An Introduction to the Mytiscal Tradition of Islam

as the spiritual guide suggests the Active-Intelligence, which is, again, alluded to, as by Jami, as Mansur al-Hallaj being-of-light, to which has been Attars spiritual guide on his personal mystic path.10 This, of course, is a purely speculative conjecture, but in any case, it still tells us something about the ways in which Farriduddin Attar may have interpreted the Quranic revelatory message in Gods word, as revealed in the Quran, by means of his epic poem (Masnavi). Through which he conveys the essence of his Sufi faith and belief; an their mystical interpretation of the Quran. As such, his Islamic epic-poem (Masnavi) reveals the spiritual keys to understanding the hidden messages of Gods revelations and message to humankind. And so, there is a certain congruency to which each persons journey is to find their Gaurdian Angel or Simurgh, watching over every individual, and to this effect, one finds the Quran surah, entitled The Nightly Visitant, says, By the heaven, and by the nightly visitant! Would that you knew what the nightly visitant is! It is the star of piercing brightness. For every soul there is a guardian watching it. Let man reflect from what he is created. He is created from an ejaculated fluid that issues from between the loins and the ribs. Surely He has power to bring him back to life, on the day when mens consciences are searched. Helpless shall he be, with none to succor him. By the heaven with its recurring cycles, and by the earth, ever bursting with new growth; this is a discerning utterance, no flippant jest. They scheme and scheme: and I, too, scheme and scheme. Therefore bear with the unbelievers, and let them be awhile. (Quran: 86:1-11) Speaking directly to this issue of interpretation, a literary dilemma arises that which is the distance from the initiates hearts to that of Attars interpretation of the Quran. This is to say that

10

Quran (3:68)

there may indeed be something lost in the translation of Islamic sacred-texts in so far as interpretations are not up for questioning, and as far as reader, in is his/her own interpretation of the Quran, is not in touch with the divine, and has not been intiated to its secret meanings. This notion, of course, presents a translative as well as a sense-perspectival paradox in Islamic literary tradition that goes back, as far as the Shiite and Sunni divide in the seventh century, and that which also lies within the hidden meanings of the Qurans revelations. That which, can also be viewed, as an expression of Attars hearts longing for Tawhid within the literary boundaries of his epic-poem of The Conference of the Birds, and so, his Masnavi is a personal interpretive proclamation of his souls unique Sufi mystical interpretation of the Quran and the oneness of God. Taken in this context we must consider the very way in which Attars interpretive imagination and/or poetic inspiration has helped to transubstantiate the Quran into the allegorical story of, The Conference of the Birds. This notion may be an example of the functioning of the Angelic/Active intelligence, which plays a critical role in the Sufi mystical poetic tradition (tawil). In lieu of the subject it might be wise to end an analysis of Attars work, with in his own words, and to this effect, Gods essence creates the seas waves. What damage can the waves do to the sea? The sea is consider to be a sea whether its water has waves or not, but there is no wave without water. The existence of the wave depends on the sea. If you mediate on this or loves secrets you will be mingling with Gods qualities and with your awareness you will dare to say that main aim of creation is you! There is nothing but you! You are a perfect description and one who understands the difficulties of existence! That is why you ponder your existence and whatever you want you search for in yourself! You are an amazing attractive bird in the garden of Paradise and you are

pure in the flower garden of glory. However, the flock that sought Semergh found the way traveling under hardship. They were devoted to this road and from this seeking union resulted. You also have a chance. If you fix your bad qualities, you will attain the goal! If you are not devoured in this way, and speak lowly or embellished words, you are sure to be hung, This is to say, that, just as a moth endlessly floats around the light of a candle-flame, and is eventually killed in its desire for the flame; so too is the Sufi mystic-poet intoxicated to the point of their utter extinction of his/her soul(s) in their love for God, a journey that the mystic takes to, once again, be reunited with their creator.