| Peer-Reviewed

Şūfī Language and the Opening of Signification: al-Ḥallāj as an Example

Received: 12 December 2021     Accepted: 26 January 2022     Published: 16 February 2022
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

The present paper studies the use of the Şūfī al-Ḥusayn b. Manşūr al-Ḥallāj as a mask in modern Arabic poetry, specifically the influence this figure exerted on Adūnīs (‘Alī Aḥmad Sa’īd; b. 1930), ‘Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī (1926-1999) and Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr (1931-1981). It examines how these poets used al-Ḥallāj’s mask in order to express contemporary national, social and meta-poetical issues. The paper will also demonstrate the intentional use which these poets made of al-Ḥallāj’s sufferings and the story of his crucifixion. They turned him into a saint who died because he refused to give up his values and philosophies in order to express their own sufferings. Contemporary poets, thus, made al-Ḥallāj acquire a new spiritual dimension, quite different from his reputation in Muslim theology, where he had become a symbol of heresy, non-conformism and dissidence. The paper will show the various levels at which “Ḥallāj” thought can be used, whether as a mask and the tale of his execution or Şūfī expressions and ideas that have historically been associated with him

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 10, Issue 1)

This article belongs to the Special Issue The Woman as a Sufi Motif in Modern Arabic Poetry

DOI 10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18
Page(s) 59-67
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Manşūr al-Ḥallāj, ‘Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī, Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr, Adūnīs or ‘Alī Aḥmad Sa’īd, and Mysticism

References
[1] Al-’Ajam, Rafīq, The Encyclopedia of Imam Ghazzali’s Expressions (Beirut: Lebanon Library, 2000), 319, 423.
[2] Abū Ghālī, Mukhtār, The Features of al-Ḥallāj’s Character in Contemporary Arab Poetry (Kuwait: Kuwait University, 1997), 9, 32, 341, 34, 405-6, 259-60, 425, 260.
[3] Al-Allaq, Ali Gafar, The Artist Problem in Abdul Wahāb al-Bayyātī’s Poetry (Exeter University, 1983), 183-4, 185-7.
[4] Badrān, Abū al-Faḍl Muḥammad, The Ethics of Sufi Privilege (UAE: Zayed’s Center for Heritage and Path, 2001), 279-80.
[5] Basīsū, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān, The Poem of Music in Contemporary Arab Poetry (Beirut: The Arab Foundation for Studies and Publishing, 1999), 68.
[6] Bazī’, Shawqī et al., I Used to Complain to the Stone: A Collection of Dialogues (Beirut: The Arab Foundation for Studies and Publishing, 1993), 129.
[7] Boullata, Issa, “The Masks of Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī” Journal of Arabic Literature 32 (2001), 110.
[8] Būmashūlī, ‘Abd al-’Azīz, Poetry and Interpretation in Adūnīsi Poetry (Morocco: 1998), 13.
[9] Enderwitz, S., "Shu’ūbiyya" Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. IX (1997), 513-14.
[10] Ghālī, Wā’il, Poetry and Thinking: Adūnīs as an Example (Cairo: The General Egyptian Institute for the Book, 2001), 186, 185.
[11] Ḥammūda, Muḥammad al-’Abd, Modernism in Contemporary Arab Poetry: Its Illustration and its Manifestation (Beirut: House of Lebanese Books, 1986), 35.
[12] Ḥasan, ‘Abd al-Ḥafīẓ Muḥammad, Originality and Modernity in Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr’s Theater (Beirut: House of Education, 1994), 38, 38-9, 50, 52.
[13] Ibn al-’Arabī, Muḥyī al-Dīn, The Letters of Ibn al-’Arabī (Abu Dhabi: The Publications of the Educational Council, 1998), 25.
[14] Ibn Zanjī, The Record of al-Ḥallāj’s Killing (Cairo: Dār qabā’, 1988), 88.
[15] Iṭlīmish, Muḥammad, al-malāk House: A Critical Study of Artistic Phenomena in Contemporary Iraqi Poetry (Baghdad: The House of General Educational Affairs, 1982), 108-110.
[16] Jawād, Kāẓim, Adūnīs as Masked (Casablanca House of Africa of the East, 1991), 13-17.
[17] Al-Majāṭī, Aḥmad al-Mu’addāwī, The Phenomenon of Modern Poetry (Casablanca: al-Madāris, 2002), 95.
[18] Manşūr, Ibrāhīm Muḥammad, Poetry and Şūfism: The Şūfī Trace in Contemporary Arab Poetry (Tanta: Tanta University, 1999), 152.
[19] Mason, Herbert, Al-Ḥallāj (Exeter University, 1995), 82.
[20] Massignon, Lois, The Passion of al-Ḥallāj: Mystic and Martyr of Islam. Volume 1: The Life of Al-Ḥallāj, Translated by Herbert Mason (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1982), 14-17, 11.
[21] Murād, Muḥammad Nu’ayma, The Poetic Theater of Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr (Cairo: The Egyptian General Institute of the Book, 1990), 154, 202-6, 155.
[22] Nadeem, S. H., Critical Interpretation of Arabic Mystical Poetry (Lahore: Islamic Book Service, 1979), 53, 63-64.
[23] Qāsim, Ḥusayn ‘Adnān, Adūnīs’ Creativity and its Educational Sources (Cairo: al-Dār al-’arabiyya, 2000), 53, 229.
[24] Raḥḥūma, Muḥammad Maḥmūd, Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr’s Theater: An Artistic Study (Baghdad: Dār al-shu’ūn al-thaqāfiyya al-’āmma, 1990), 200.
[25] Sa’īd, ‘Alī Aḥmad (Adūnīs), Şūfism and Surrealism (Beirut: Dār al-sāqī, 1992), 15.
[26] Al-Shar’, ‘Alī, “The Features of Traditions in Adūnīs’ Poetry,” Fuşūl 7 (1986), 110-111.
[27] Sharaf, ‘Abd al-’Azīz, The Original Dream in ‘Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī’s Poetry (Beirut: Dār al-jīl, 1991), 46-7, 47.
[28] Sharaf, Muḥammad Jalāl, Al-Ḥallāj: The Spiritual Rebel in Islam (Alexandria: Mu’assasat al-thaqāfa al-jāmi’iyya, 1970), 11-21.
[29] Simawe, Saadi, “The Lives of Sufi Masters in Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī’s Poetry” Journal of Arabic Literature 32 (2001): 129.
[30] Snir, Reuven. “Şūfism without Islamic Tasawwuf: A Reading in Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr’s ‘The Little God’” Al-Karmil 6 (1986), 129-166.
[31] Zāyid, ‘Alī’Ashrī, Reading of Contemporary Arab Poetry (Cairo: Dār al-fikr al-’arabī, 1998), 31.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Maḥmūd Na’āmneh. (2022). Şūfī Language and the Opening of Signification: al-Ḥallāj as an Example. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 10(1), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Maḥmūd Na’āmneh. Şūfī Language and the Opening of Signification: al-Ḥallāj as an Example. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2022, 10(1), 59-67. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Maḥmūd Na’āmneh. Şūfī Language and the Opening of Signification: al-Ḥallāj as an Example. Int J Lit Arts. 2022;10(1):59-67. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18,
      author = {Maḥmūd Na’āmneh},
      title = {Şūfī Language and the Opening of Signification: al-Ḥallāj as an Example},
      journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
      volume = {10},
      number = {1},
      pages = {59-67},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20221001.18},
      abstract = {The present paper studies the use of the Şūfī al-Ḥusayn b. Manşūr al-Ḥallāj as a mask in modern Arabic poetry, specifically the influence this figure exerted on Adūnīs (‘Alī Aḥmad Sa’īd; b. 1930), ‘Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī (1926-1999) and Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr (1931-1981). It examines how these poets used al-Ḥallāj’s mask in order to express contemporary national, social and meta-poetical issues. The paper will also demonstrate the intentional use which these poets made of al-Ḥallāj’s sufferings and the story of his crucifixion. They turned him into a saint who died because he refused to give up his values and philosophies in order to express their own sufferings. Contemporary poets, thus, made al-Ḥallāj acquire a new spiritual dimension, quite different from his reputation in Muslim theology, where he had become a symbol of heresy, non-conformism and dissidence. The paper will show the various levels at which “Ḥallāj” thought can be used, whether as a mask and the tale of his execution or Şūfī expressions and ideas that have historically been associated with him},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Şūfī Language and the Opening of Signification: al-Ḥallāj as an Example
    AU  - Maḥmūd Na’āmneh
    Y1  - 2022/02/16
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18
    T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
    JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
    JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
    SP  - 59
    EP  - 67
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2331-057X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221001.18
    AB  - The present paper studies the use of the Şūfī al-Ḥusayn b. Manşūr al-Ḥallāj as a mask in modern Arabic poetry, specifically the influence this figure exerted on Adūnīs (‘Alī Aḥmad Sa’īd; b. 1930), ‘Abd al-Wahāb al-Bayyātī (1926-1999) and Şalāḥ ‘Abd al-Şabūr (1931-1981). It examines how these poets used al-Ḥallāj’s mask in order to express contemporary national, social and meta-poetical issues. The paper will also demonstrate the intentional use which these poets made of al-Ḥallāj’s sufferings and the story of his crucifixion. They turned him into a saint who died because he refused to give up his values and philosophies in order to express their own sufferings. Contemporary poets, thus, made al-Ḥallāj acquire a new spiritual dimension, quite different from his reputation in Muslim theology, where he had become a symbol of heresy, non-conformism and dissidence. The paper will show the various levels at which “Ḥallāj” thought can be used, whether as a mask and the tale of his execution or Şūfī expressions and ideas that have historically been associated with him
    VL  - 10
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sections