نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
1. Introduction
This study has been conducted with the aim of systematically and in depth examining the manifestation of Qur’anic themes and Islamic mysticism in the poetic language of Hossein Panahi. The article, focusing on the poetry collections “Be Vaght-e Greenwich” (At Greenwich Time), “Aflatoon Kenar-e Bokhari” (Plato by the Heater), “Man va Nazi” (Nazi and I), “Kabous-haye Rusi” (Russian Nightmares), and “Sal-hast ke Mordeh-am” (I Have Been Dead for Years), adopts a descriptive–analytical method within a comparative framework to address the question of how Panahi, drawing upon his background in seminary education and his familiarity with religious and mystical texts, has re-created and integrated these concepts into the fabric of his modern poetry.
In this article, we seek, through a profound engagement with Panahi’s poetry, to analyze the manifestation of Qur’anic and mystical themes in his works and to demonstrate how this poet has succeeded, relying on his religious knowledge and mystical insight, in sustaining and revitalizing concepts such as the unity of being, divine love, annihilation and subsistence, and the glorification of all beings within the framework of contemporary Persian poetry, while at the same time endowing them with a renewed expression. Examining this relationship contributes both to a deeper understanding of Panahi’s works and to a clearer comprehension of the connection between contemporary literature and the rich heritage of mysticism and religion in Iran.
2. Methodology
This research employs a descriptive–analytical method within the framework of an intertextual comparative approach, aiming to analyze how Panahi, through the use of innovative expressive techniques (such as ecstatic utterance [shath], paradox, and deconstruction), has established a connection between the Iranian mystical tradition and contemporary poetry, and has revitalized classical concepts in a contemporary, synchronous, and impactful language.
3. Discussion
Hossein Panahi is one of the multifaceted and influential figures in contemporary Iranian culture and literature. He was born on August 28, 1956 (6 Shahrivar 1335) in the village of Dezhkuh, located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, and passed away in 2004 in Tehran. Although he is widely recognized in society as an actor and television personality, he holds a distinguished position in the realm of poetry and literature. Panahi spent the early years of his life in a traditional and religious environment, and in 1972 (1351) he began studying religious sciences in Qom. This background led him, from a young age, to become familiar with mystical religious texts and profound Islamic concepts.
The findings of the study indicate that Panahi’s poetry is replete with direct and indirect references to the verses of the Holy Qur’an. Among the most significant of these are recurrent references to Surahs al-Baqarah (themes of human vicegerency, charity, and the expansiveness of the Divine Throne), Sad (the divine breath), al-Mulk (the concept of the unseen dominion), al-Asra (the inadequacy of describing divine words), and al-Rahman (the concepts of annihilation and subsistence). Alongside these, fundamental mystical concepts such as the “unity of being” influenced by the thought of Ebn Arabi, “divine love” as the driving force of the cosmos, “annihilation in God” and dissolution in the Divine Essence, “mystical silence,” “compassion toward animals,” and the “journey through the horizons and the self” constitute some of the most central themes of his poetry. Panahi reconstructs these concepts through modern expressive devices, including ecstatic utterance, deconstruction, paradox, and the disruption of ordinary language, thereby establishing a bridge between the Iranian mystical tradition and contemporary poetry.
4. Conclusion
In employing mysticism and the Qur’an in his poetry, Panahi has made use of modern techniques, the most prominent of which include ecstatic utterance, deconstruction, and the inversion of traditional concepts—such as transforming the grandeur of worship directed toward God into the grandeur of a form of worship that only God can contain; the use of paradox to illustrate the contradictions inherent in the mystical path, such as a sun that does not suffice for the needs of the spiritual seeker; and the use of innovative and personal symbols, such as a simple grain of sand as a symbol of the Muhammadiye Reality or a mirror as a symbol of the heart.
The findings of this study indicate that the hypothesis concerning the fundamental role of Qur’anic and mystical concepts in shaping the poetic world of Hossein Panahi, and in the poetic re-creation of revelatory texts, is consistent with textual evidence and is confirmed to a significant extent. The intertextual analysis of Qur’anic verses and mystical concepts, alongside the examination of Panahi’s expressive and aesthetic techniques, demonstrates that this presence is not merely accidental or emotional, but rather systematic, purposeful, and grounded in complex mechanisms. Therefore, the research process reveals that Panahi’s poetry possesses a structure through which Qur’anic and religious meanings are reinterpreted and redefined in a novel form, in accordance with the existential experience of the contemporary human being.