The Status of Plate and Pen in Mystical Ontology of Ibn-e Arabi and Attar of Neyshabur
Subject Areas : Research in Iranian classical literature
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Keywords: Mystical Weltanschauung Plate Pen Mohye-al-Din Ibn-e Arabi Attar of Neyshabur,
Abstract :
In mystical Ontology of Ibn-e Arabi “Supreme Pen” equals “First intellect”, “global Soul” and “Muhammadian Truth” which have main roles in composition and formulation of the Book of Creation, but making the pen demands ability which is reflected in form of “guarded plate” or “general self”. Ibn-e Arabi attempted to clarify the role of plate and pen in revelation of divine Science and Will via allegory. Along this way, he interprets the Quranic verses based on intuition and mystical doctrine, but in addition to this, he adjusts them with the philosophical principles and old physics; an action which is done by some of Muslim scientists in specification of Grace Theory. Attar of Neyshabur, in the climax of explicating his Ontology in “Mosibat-Name (Tragedy-Letter)”, introduces Plate and Pen respectively as the symbol of Features of knowledge and power of “spirit” and considers the light of Mostafa (the Prophet) or the truth of Perfect Human as the genuine “spirit”. In his descriptions and allegories about the Plate and Pen, he also mentions to the intellectual principles of philosophy and doctrines of old astronomy or the Nine (Skies) Theory. Explaining the doctrines and expressing the similarities and differences of these two famous Muslim mystics are among the results of this study.
