Draft:Attar of Nishapur
| Attar of Nishapur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Attar of Nishapur |
| Other Names | Attar
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| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Nishapur |
| Brith Date | 540 AH (1145 CE) |
| Death Place | Nishapur |
| Death Date | 618 AH (1221 CE) |
| Religion | Islam |
Attar of Nishapur or Farid al-Din Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr Ibrahim ibn Ishaq Attar of Nishapur, was one of the renowned poets and mystics of Iran in the late 6th and early 7th centuries AH. He was born in the village of Kadkan or Shadyakh, which was then a suburb of Nishapur. He was familiar with various sciences such as Quran, Hadith, Jurisprudence, Exegesis, medicine, astronomy, and Islamic theology. Attar has many poems about the virtues of the Caliphs, indicating that he followed the Sunni sect; however, he also composed many poems in praise of Ali (peace be upon him) and Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), leading some to consider him Shia. Ilahi-nameh, Asrar-nameh, Khosrow-nameh, and Mantiq al-Tayr are among Attar's poetic works, and Tadhkirat al-Awliya is his only prose work.
Birth
There is disagreement regarding the year of Attar's birth. Some state his birth year as 513 AH, and others as 537 AH. Attar's place of birth was the village of Kadkan or Shadyakh, which was then a suburb of Nishapur. Attar's childhood coincided with the Ghuzz Turkmen invasion, and in his childhood, he witnessed torture, assaults, destruction, death, pain, and terror around him. A few years later, after the subsidence of the Ghuzz sedition, Attar engaged in learning at a school. He learned pharmacy and pharmacology from his father and was familiar with various sciences such as Quran, Hadith, Jurisprudence, Exegesis, medicine, astronomy, and Islamic theology.
Occupation
Attar's father was engaged in the profession of pharmacy or perfumery (Attari). Farid al-Din, after his father, pursued the same profession, namely perfumery, and sometimes practiced medicine, but there is no information on from whom he learned medicine. He was engaged in the profession of perfumery and medicine until an incident occurred for him.
Life-changing Event
One day, a dervish came to Farid al-Din's perfumery shop and asked him for help while he was busy trading, but he did not help the dervish. The dervish said to him: "O Khwaja, how do you intend to leave the world?" Attar said: "Just as you leave the world." The dervish said: "Can you die like me?" Attar said: "Yes." The dervish placed his wooden bowl under his head and left the world after saying the word Allah. Attar, upon seeing the death of the dervish, became severely changed and withdrew from business and changed his way of life.
Travels and Teachers
After the incident of the dervish's death, Attar was transformed and for some years served Shaykh al-Shuyukh, the mystic Rukn al-Din Akaf, and in those years was engaged in repentance, asceticism, and striving against the self. According to the custom of wayfarers, Attar spent part of his life travelling and journeyed from Mecca to Transoxiana, and in these travels, he met with the Shaykhs and elders of his time and reached the service of Majd al-Din Baghdadi. Then he returned to Nishapur and lived there until the end of his life.
Gift of Asrarnameh to Jalal al-Din
Baha al-Din Muhammad, the father of Jalal al-Din Balkhi, was travelling to Iraq with his son who was a child, when on his way to Nishapur he went to visit Shaykh Attar. The Shaykh, who was an old man at that time, gave a copy of his Asrar-nameh to Jalal al-Din, who was a young child at that time.
Works
Attar spent some of his life engaged in perfumery and medicine, and after continuing life according to the custom of wayfarers and seclusion from people, he engaged in composing and writing his poetic and prose works. The Shaykh's works are divided into two categories: poetic, which consists of a divan of poems including ghazals, qasidas, and quatrains, and prose works which consist of:
- Ilahi-nameh;
- Asrar-nameh;
- Musibat-nameh;
- Waslat-nameh;
- Bulbul-nameh;
- Bi-sur-nameh;
- Mantiq al-Tayr;
- Jawahir al-Dhat;
- Haydar-nameh;
- Mukhtar-nameh;
- Khosrow-nameh;
- Ishtar-nameh;
- Mazhar al-Ajaib.
Style of Poetry
Attar's speech is simple, attractive, unadorned, and free from any kind of decoration that captivates the reader. Another attraction of his works is the use of similes and the expression of various stories and anecdotes.
Religious Affiliation
There is disagreement about Attar of Nishapur's sect. Some of his poems about the virtues of the Caliphs, Abu Hanifa, and al-Shafi'i indicate that he followed the Sunni sect, but he composed many poems in praise of Ali (peace be upon him), Hasan (peace be upon him), and Husayn (peace be upon him) and Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), which has led some to consider him Shia.
Death
The year of Attar's death is not specified, and some historians have stated his death year as 627 AH, and others as 632 AH and 616 AH. Attar of Nishapur was captured during the Mongol invasion of the city of Nishapur and was killed by a Mongol soldier. When a sword strike was dealt by one of the Mongols on the Shaykh's shoulder, before death, the Shaykh wrote the following quatrain on the wall with his blood:
In your alley, the custom of honour is this,
This is the least sport for your intoxicated ones.
With all this rank, I cannot say anything,
Perhaps this is how you grace your servant.
References
Details of the Murder and Murderer of Attar of Nishapur
There are many stories about the Death of Attar of Nishapur. One of the most famous stories narrated about this incident is brought by Dr. Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub in the book Karvan-e Halleh. In this narration, it is stated:
When the Mongols invaded Iran, Sheikh Fariduddin Attar was in old age. The Sheikh was captured by a Mongol during the Mongol attack on Nishapur. The Mongols drove the Sheikh ahead and took him along, but on the way, a disciple recognized the Sheikh and requested the Mongol to take several silver coins from him and release the Sheikh to him. But the Sheikh turned to the Mongol and said that my price is not this. The Mongol did not accept the offer of the Nishaburi disciple and continued to drive the Sheikh like a captive. Again on the way, an acquaintance offered several gold coins to the Mongol for the freedom of Attar of Nishapur, but the Sheikh again turned to the Mongol and said that this is not my price. The Mongol, thinking that the Sheikh's price was higher than this, did not accept the purchase offer and continued on the way with the Sheikh.
In the middle of the way, one of the villagers who was driving his donkey, recognizing the Sheikh, requested the Mongol to release him. The Mongol asked him what he would give in exchange for releasing the Sheikh, and the villager said a sack of hay. This time the Sheikh turned to the Mongol and said: Sell me, for this is my price. The Mongol became angry, drew his sword, and killed the Sheikh.
Narration of Attar's death in The Kashkul of Sheikh Bahai: Sheikh Baha'uddin narrates the story of the death of Attar of Nishapur in his famous book Kashkul as follows:
In your alley, this is the custom of honor,
For your intoxicated ones, this is the least of play.
With all this status, I can say nothing,
Perhaps this is your grace upon your servant.
Date of Death and Tomb of Attar of Nishapur
There are many contradictions regarding the year of Attar's death. Some historians consider the year of his death to be 627 AH (1230 CE), and others state the year of his death as 632 AH (1235 CE) and 616 AH (1219 CE). The tomb of Sheikh Attar is located near the city of Nishapur, at a distance of two kilometers to the west of the garden and tomb of the sage Omar Khayyam of Nishapur in the city of Nishapur. Qadi al-Qudat Yahya ibn Sa'ed built the tomb of Sheikh Fariduddin Muhammad Attar of Nishapur. The main building of the tomb is octagonal and the tombstone is of black stone and vertical, on which poems are inscribed.
The tomb of Sheikh Attar was destroyed during the era of the Timurid dynasty. However, his tomb was repaired and restored by the order of Amir Ali-Shir Nava'i, the minister of Sultan Husayn Bayqara. In appreciation of the position of Attar's philosophical and mystical thoughts and to express politeness and respect towards the great poet of our land, the day of 25 Farvardin (14 April) has been named the day of commemoration of Attar of Nishapur.
See also
References
- Biography of Attar of Nishapur and details of his murder, Date of publication: 17 April 2021 CE, Date of access: 23 May 2022 CE.