Session 25: Attar and the Book of Suffering - اندر احوالات شیخ فریدالدین عطار و کتاب مصیبت نامه

Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr-Ibrahim, known as his pen-name: Farid ud-Din Attar (1145/6-1221), Persian poet, Sufi, hagiographer, theoretician of mysticism, was born in Nishabuhr.  He is one of the most respected Sufis of 12^th/6^th century. Molavi, the great Iranian Poet, describes him as a Sufi who “traversed the seven cities of love, we are still at the turn of one street”.

هفت شهر عشق را عطار گشت
 ما هنوز اندر خم یک کوچه ایم

Our knowledge about his biography is poor. According to his name, Attar, we know he was a chemist, the family business that he inherited from his father. Because of an accidental meeting, he left his job, and began a long journey – from Nishabuhr to Baghdad, Basra, Kufa, Mecca, Medina, Damascus, Khwarazm, and Turkistan, India. He met many great Sufis during his journey and talked to them. 

It’s said that the number of his books are as same as the number of Quran Surahs, 114, what is disputable. Some of his known works are: 

• Dīvān (دیوان)
• Book of Secrets (اسرار نامه)
• Maqāmāt-e Toyūr (= Manteq aṭ-Ṭayr; مقامات الطیور or منطق الطیر)
• Book of Suffering (مصیب نامه)
• Elāhī-Nāma (الهی نامه)
• Book of Jewels (جواهر نامه)
• Šarḥ al-Qalb (شرح القلب)
• Tazkarat ol Olya (تذکره الاولیا)
• Khosrow Nama (خسرو نامه/گل و هرمز/گل و خسرو)

Now we are gathering to discuss about one of Attar’s works: the Book of Suffering. How can suffering and injustice be reconciled with the idea of kindness of God who loves the humans and is merciful to them? Philosophers, theologians, poets, prophets and laypersons have questioned their image of God in the light of a reality full of hardship. Some see suffering as a proof of God’s existence and purification of soul, while the others still respond by rebelling against Him: why would a God who loves his creations make them suffer so?

Navid Kermani, writer of the book THE TERROR OF GOD, ATTAR, JOB AND THE MYSTICAL REVOLT, lives in Cologne, Germany. He has been awarded numerous prizes for his literary and academic work, the most recent being the Buber-Rosenzweig Medal in 2011.

To be presented by Nazila Khalkhali

Time: Thursday, March 7, 2013 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa

Language: Persian
Admission: Free