Spektrum Iran

Abstrakt This study compares the views of Richard Rolle (ca. 1300- 1349), an English hermit, mystic, writer and Bible interpreter and Aḥ mad Ḡ azālī (ca. 1060- 1126), an Iranian mystic, writer and preacher on love. These mystics have spoken of love in detail in their works, Fire of Love and Sawāniḥ al-ʻušāq and have shared their mystical experiences with readers. Topics on love in these two books include the essence of love, the beloved, characteristics of a lover, essentials of love, and results of love. Re-examining these categories illustrates the differences and similarities between the two mystics' views on the concept of love. The ideas of Rolle and Ḡ azālī are overlapping in the nature of love, but their views differ significantly on other topics. From Rolle's point of view, love can not be realized except through the religious context and Christian ethics, and it only makes sense in relation to God, Christ, and the Trinity. However, in Ḡ azālī's view, the ontological and psychological aspects of love are more intense, and it is capable of being experienced in relation to God and his creatures. The present study compares the view of this two mystics on the Essense of love in detail.

Abstrakt Cosmogonic myths are fundamental symbolic narrations of the creation of the universe and all its components, which provide ideal contexts for basic beliefs in many religions. Through their symbolic expressions, these myths also present basic patterns for rituals and structures of meaning and value in cultures. The cosmogonic myths are categorized in a number of basic types, such as creation by a transcendental and almighty god, by cosmic parents or pairs, emergence from the earth and so on. Studying the main themes of the cosmogonic myths of Ahl-e ḥaqq of Iran and Alevi Bektashis of Anatolia shows that they both belong to the same category of cosmogonies, which is creation from the cosmic ocean/ cosmic egg. These kind of myths usually begin with a primordial sea, ocean or chaos in which gradually and during a long period of cosmic time a shell, an egg, a pearl or jewel, or various other beings appear. Cosmogonic myths of these two sects also show some parallelism in details due to their common historical and cultural background, and some differences which is related to their different emphases on the status and role of Muhammad and Ali.