International Journal of English

and Literature (IJEL)

ISSN(P): 2249-6912; ISSN(E): 2249-8028
Vol. 6, Issue 5, Oct 2016, 27-36
TJPRC Pvt. Ltd

SEVEN VALLEYS IN SHEIKH FARIDADDIN ATTARS

AND SEYID YAHYA BAKUVIS WORKS
NEZAKET MEMMEDLI & MUHAMMAD FUZULI
Institute of Manuscripts of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan
(On the Basis of the Mantik-At- Teyr By Sheikh Faridaddin Attar and
Sherhe- Meratibe- Esrare- Qulub By Seyid Yahya Bakuvi)
ABCTRACT
The genius Sufi poet and thinker Sheikh Faridaddin Attar had great influence on the development of the
following Islamic literature. Hundreds of interpretations and naziras were written of the poet after his death who had
reflected even the finest moments of all stages of mystic journey in his works. Furthermore, his poems were translated
into many languages and spread. The role of Attar in the development of the Azerbaijani Sufi literature is irreplaceable.
The representatives of a lot of Sufi movements spread in Azerbaijan used widely the motives and plots of Attars works,
as well as the representatives of Khalvatiyyah sect.

works of Seyid Yahya. Sheikh Faridaddin Attar worked on the all moments and theoretical points of Sufism and left a
rich literary heritage. Seyid Yahya Bakuvi also tried to express his ideas in Attars style and methods both in his ghazals,
works of poetry..
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi valuing Attars heritage as an endless ocean benefited specially from his

Original Article

Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, the great representative of the XV century Khalvatiyyah sect, also admired the literary
heritage of Attar and wrote Attars couplets in his works, where appropriate. Attars influence is obviously seen in all

Mantik-at-Teyr and used Attars expression methods, characters and plots in his works such as
Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub (The interpretation of the stages of heart mysteries), Haft makam and chehel
manazil (Seven moments and forty stages).
The Mantik-at-Teyr work of Sheikh Faridaddin Attar is noteworthy with its high poetical features.
Particularly, it is very interesting that in the beginning of the work each bird embodies a concrete group of people, for
example, the goose paying attention to clearness by always being in the water, resembles the religious people who
perform ablution, obey the religious rules, prefer facial appearance and forget about inner world; the nightingale crying
for the love of flower resembles the poet who glorifies the love; the partridge living in the mountains resembles the
ascetic who has no interest in the luxuries of the world.
But Seyid Yahya Bakuvis works almost dont contain such kind of poetic expressions and allegorical
metaphors.
Both of the works have been written on the basis of system of seven. In Mantik-at-Teyr the questions of
the birds to Hudhud, answers of Hudhud to these questions and a variety of stories have been included, as well as the
description of seven valleys. To our mind, the Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub work of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi had also
been written as nazira to Haft vadi.
While analysing both works comparatively, similarities in the ideas, spiritual closeness, the similarities in the
expression and style are obvious. In Sheikh Faridaddin Attars work the writing of stories conforming with the content
between the parts describing the valleys, the questions and answers of the birds being allegoric characters, figurative

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Nezaket Memmedli &Muhammad Fuzuli

expressions and metaphors prove that the poet wrote this work for a wider readership. As well as being the work which
explains the theoretical fundamentals of Sufism, Mantik-at-Teyr is the work written by the poet having high poetic
ability. Although the poetic expressions, symbols and metaphors have been used inSherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub of
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, it reflects concretely the main points of Khalvatiyyah sect, seven stages of Sufi path, and describes
the cases salik has passed in these stages.
KEYWORDS : Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Mantik-at-Teyr, Hudhud

Received: Sep 01, 2016; Accepted: Sep 22, 2016; Published: Sep 26, 2016; Paper Id.: IJELOCT20165

INTRODUCTION
The rich literary heritage of the genius Sufi poet and thinker Sheikh Faridaddin Attar had great influence on the
development of the following Islamic literature. Hundreds of interpretations and naziras (a poem written to resemble
another poem in form and subject) were written to Ilahiname, Esrarname, Mukhtarname, Tazkiratul-Ovliya,
Mantik-at-Teyr works of the poet after his death who had reflected even the finest moments of all stages of mystic
journey in his works. Furthermore, his poems were translated into many languages and spread. The role of Attar in the
development of the Azerbaijani Sufi literature is irreplaceable. The representatives of a lot of Sufi movements spread in
Azerbaijan used widely the motives and plots of Attars works, as well as the representatives of Khalvatiyyah sect.
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, the great representative of the XV century Khalvatiyyah sect, also admired the literary
heritage of Attar and wrote Attars couplets in his works, where appropriate. Attars influence is obviously seen in all
works of Seyid Yahya. Sheikh Faridaddin Attar worked on the all moments and theoretical points of Sufism and left a rich
literary heritage. Seyid Yahya Bakuvi also tried to express his ideas in Attars style and methods both in his ghazals
(a kind of eastern poem), works of poetry such as Kashful-Esrar, Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub, Haft makam and
chehel manazil and in the works of prose such as Shifaul-Esrar, Esraral-vudu, Rumuzat-al-Isharat,
Kashf-al-qulub, etc. A large part of Excellency Seyid Yahya Bakuvis literary legacy was written in persian language.
Mainly, these works can be divided into 3 catogories: poetical booklets, proses and lyric works.
Poetical Works: Manazilul-ashiqin, Atvarul-Gulub, erhi- Esmayi-Samaniyye, erhi-Meratibe-Asrarul-gulub,
Sharkh-i-Gulshani-raz, Bayanul-elm, Gisseyi-Mansoor
Proses: Acaibul-Gulub, Ma la budde batiniyyah (Asrarul-vudu-ves-salat), Kashful-Gulub, Ramuzul-arat,
Makarime-akhlaq
Lyric Works: Ghazals, Risala fi Salatun-Nabi, Manaqibe-Amiralmominin Ali
Poetical Works: Manazilul-ashiqin, Atvarul-Gulub, erhi- Esmayi-Samaniyye, erhi-Meratibe-Asrarul-gulub,
Sharkh-i-Gulshani-raz, Bayanul-elm, Gisseyi-Mansoor
Proses: Acaibul-Gulub, Ma la budde batiniyyah (Asrarul-vudu-ves-salat), Kashful-Gulub, Ramuzul-arat,
Makarime-akhlaq
Lyric Works: ghazals, Risala fi Salatun-Nabi, Manaqibe-Amiralmominin Ali

Impact Factor (JCC): 4.5629

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

Seven Valleys in Sheikh Faridaddin Attars and Seyid Yahya Bakuvis Works

29

Mantik-At-TeyrAnd Sherhe-Meratibe-Esrare-Qulub
Great sufi poet and thinker of XIII century Shaikh Faridaddin Attars influence is clear seen in Seyid Yahya's
Persian works. As Faridaddin Shaikh Attar, Seyid Yahya wrote in a style which was close to simple and clear parlance, and
folk speech. However, unlike Shaikh Attar Faridaddins works, we dont see word-paintings, figurative expressions and
different stories in Seyid Yahyas literary legacy. In both Seyid Yahya and Attars works there are parlance and power of
inspiration. Like Attar, Seyid Yahya also treats the readers in a friendly way, tries to convince them sincerely like a father
who wants to protect them by speaking about his own life and experiences, to keep safe from danger on the path to fair
God, to lighten their ways 1 . We had the honor of translating most of Excellency Seyid Yahyas Persian works into
Azerbaijani language .
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi completes the Rumuzat-al-Isharat by giving Attars couplet in the final:


(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler II, pace.120)
(Hundreds of thousands blood drops had trickled from my heart till I found a small drop from that ocean).
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi valuing Attars heritage as an endless ocean benefited specially from his Mantik-at-Teyr
and used Attars expression methods, characters and plots in his works such as Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub
(The interpretation of the stages of heart mysteries), Haft makam and chehel manazil (Seven moments and forty stages).
The Mantik-at-Teyr work of Sheikh Faridaddin Attar is noteworthy with its high poetical features. Particularly,
it is very interesting that in the beginning of the work each bird embodies a concrete group of people, for example, the
goose paying attention to clearness by always being in the water, resembles the religious people who perform ablution,
obey the religious rules, prefer facial appearance and forget about inner world; the nightingale crying for the love of flower
resembles the poet who glorifies the love; the partridge living in the mountains resembles the ascetic who has no interest in
the luxuries of the world.
But Seyid Yahya Bakuvis works almost dont contain such kind of poetic expressions and allegorical metaphors.
His Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub work is specifically about the seven valleys which the pilgrims pass through.
In Attars work the birds passed through seven valleys-the stages of talab (wish), ashk (love), marifat (decency), heyrat
(admiration), istighna (self-sufficiency), faqir, and fena (mortality) and begha (immortality) with the headship of Hudhud
and met with the Truth. Only thirty birds among thousands of birds achieved to see Simurg by passing the difficulties and
hardships of this burdensome journey. Here Simurg embodies the God and se morg (thirty birds) personalize the pilgrims
of Gods way. In the end of the journey the birds seeing themselves in a shining mirror eventually understood that the
meaning of Simurg was thirty birds. According to Sufis, this material world and its luxuries are only the dusts on the
surface of the mirror. If you manage to remove these dusts, you will be able to see the Truth (God).

Nezaket Memmedli, ,Seven valley in Sheyk Faridaddin Attar `s and Seyid Yahya Bakuvi`s work , Elmi

Aratrmalar (Science Researches), Baku, Pace N..629-635

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Nezaket Memmedli &Muhammad Fuzuli

Both of the works have been written on the basis of system of seven. In Mantik-at-Teyr the questions of the
birds to Hudhud, answers of Hudhud to these questions and a variety of stories have been included, as well as the
description of seven valleys. Despite of these stories, questions and answers, the logical connection between the parts
describing each of these seven stages dont get broken. Probably, therefore the parts describing these stages were collected;
composed in a small masnavi (the name of a poem written in rhyming couplets) named Haft vadi (Seven valleys) and
added to the list of Attars works by the secretaries of following period.
To our mind, the Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub work of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi had also been written as nazira to
Haft vadi. Here the valley of talab (wish) was also noted. According to Attar, if the salik (a person who engages in
Islamic spiritual path or Sufism) leaves his being completely and gets rid of all connections with this material world, he
will be able to enter the valley of wish. Seyid Yahya describes the valley of wish in this way:


(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler, II, pace 82)
(Sacrifice both your being and faith; then you will be able to see the beauty of your Beloved).
But Sheikh Faridaddin Attar describes the valley of wish as following:




(Sheyk Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, pace 198)
(If you encounter with evil and faith, you will need to know both of them equally in order to open this door.
After the door opens, you will see neither evil, nor faith. None of them exists behind the door!)
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi summarizes his thoughts about the first valley in this way:




(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler, II, pace 85)
(If you can get off my being and your being, the Friend (God) will appear and you will get rid of having dual
character. If you can pass through these stages, this will mean you are in love and you deserve the best features of divine
love).
The second valley is the valley of ashk (love). Attar begins to glorify the valley of love as following:

Impact Factor (JCC): 4.5629

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

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31

(Sheyh Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, pace 2012)
(Now the valley of love appears; everyone reaching here takes the fire of love).
Main points of the valley of love are to burn into the flames of love, to set fire to human features and to destroy
them. In this section Attar compares the love with the mind. He writes about the superiority of love over the mind and
weakness of mind before the love. The mind is only a guide determined for human in order him not to lose his way leading
to love. But when it comes to love, it is impossible to lose your way. None of the right, left, past, future, evil and faith
exists for the ashik (the person who loves) burning into flames.




(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler,II, 86)
(Here the love is a fire, but the mind is smoke; when the love comes, the mind moves away. The mind isnt a
master in the passion of love. The love is more superior than the poor mind!)
The attribute of the valley of love in Seyid Yahya Bakuvis work is a fire:








(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler, II, page 87)
(The second valley is the love; this love releases you from all whispers. It causes fire in your soul. The heat of that
fire puts the ashik in a difficult situation. This fire burns the soul out. It becomes a guide, a leader and beloved friend of the
soul till endlessness.)
According to Seyid Yahya, divine love is a fire burning in the soul and heart of salik, it can bring both respect and
shame to him. Love is the essence of everything. It is a jewel and everything else is its box. The entire world consists of the
manifestations of invisible God. Human heart is the mirror of soul. But the soul is the mirror of divine being. When human
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Nezaket Memmedli &Muhammad Fuzuli

heart reaches the same stage with the love, everything gets out of his sight. First provision of enamourment is self-sacrifice.
In order to begin this way you should make self-sacrifice. Seyid Yahya thought that the love is like the right way.
When the divine love settles in the human heart rancour, hatred and worldly desires perish:


(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler, II ,page 88)
(When the sun lightens the home, the shade disappears).
After the valley of love the valley of decency appears. Attar presents this valley as following:


(Sheyk Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Teyr, page 210)
(In the next stage the endless valley of decency appeared).
According to Attar, when the sun of decency arises, each saliks eyes open in respect with his being and he begins
to see and to understand the divine truths. But it isnt everyones deed to be a diver in the ocean of decency. Here is such a
dangerous place that:


(Sheyk Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, page 211)
(Thirst achieves perfection here; hundreds of thousands of bloods become permitted here.)
According to Seyid Yahya:




(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler,II, page 91)
(The decency becomes integrated with the love, and creates kingdom. After you face with the way of wisdom, the
Friends beauty is seen.)
In Seyid Yahyas opinion, if you lighten your heart with the lights of oneness by purifying it from all human
attributes, the beauty of Truth will appear in front of you and its each feature will increase your wise. Then the waves of
decency will slowly surround you in the ocean of wisdom. The poet thought that you need to make sacrifice your mind,
soul and heart on the way to the Beloved in order to reach the peak of kamali-marifat (the decency of wisdom).
In the valley of decency Seyid Yahya frequently used the expressions such as Bahre-irfan (the ocean of wisdom),
Impact Factor (JCC): 4.5629

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

Seven Valleys in Sheikh Faridaddin Attars and Seyid Yahya Bakuvis Works

33

sharabe-marifat (the wine of decency). According to Attar, thousands of mysteries hidden under the cover are disclosed
to the salik in the valley of decency. In this valley thousands of people have been lost and disappeared without reaching the
end of the way.
The poet writes that in the valley of decency a strong tendency arises related to the perfection and purification
from all faults by being stimulated by the impeccability of God. The essence of decency- to know, to understand and to
conceive justify entirely in this stage. Attar says to his reader that if he doesnt know, he should try to make efforts and to
require knowledge:


(Sheyh Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, page 211)
(If you dont know, try to learn. Shame! Otherwise, you will be the same with an ignoramus.)
The forth valley is the valley of istighna (self-sufficiency). In this valley salik should give up all activities related
to the material world. Istighna means not to depend on anything or not to attach yourself to anything in Sufism.
The saliks passing the stage of decency find out that they depend on only God and need only Him. They lose all their
connections with the material things and remove everything from their life, but God. Furthermore, istighna term is also
used to sign that God doesnt need anything. In this regard, istighna is used as a feature of Mashuka (sweetheart).
Around Mashuka a lot of ashiks (loving person) sacrifice themselves and love her. But she doesnt care about them.
This case embodies the saliks who always pray; try to be on the way to God and burn into the flames of divine
love. All of them want the Truth, but God doesnt need their prayers. God is not in need of anything. Sheikh Faridaddin
Attar highly appreciates the valley of istighna. Here is such a place that all stars of the universe are just a spark in
comparison with it. All particles of the world are a little drop beside it.
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi specially stresses the meaning of istighna related to mashuka. God has all the features of
enamourment, to be loved, beauty and love. If the entire world would perish, this would not affect His beauty.
The fifth is the valley of tovhid (oneness). According to sufis, tovhid has 3 stages:

Tovhidi-efal;

Tovhidi-sifat;

Tovhidi-zat (the being of God)

Tovhidi-efal is a stage in which the salik admits that all the things and beings have been created by God.

Tovhidi-efal is a stage in which salik recognises that all the human features such as science, powers, self-control are gifted
by God, and humans are not uncontrolled creatures. And Tovhidi-zat is a stage in which the salik finds out that the creation
and oneness of God is eternal. The believer knows that all the things are created by God and all the processes are
controlled by Him. The believers concern about himself of Truth, but not His signs or attributes.
Sheikh Faridaddin Attar considers the valley of tovhid as the place of Manzile-tecrido-tafrid
(isolation and loneliness). After the salik reaches the real tovhid stage he thinks of nothing and nobody, except God.
Although he is among the people, his heart always beats by remembering God. The existence of God is pure and forever:
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Nezaket Memmedli &Muhammad Fuzuli

(Sheyk Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, page 221).
(He is the superior of all the things, thats why a human being cannot be eternal like Him!)
According to Seyid Yahya, in order to enter the valley of tovhid you firstly need to be isolated from all the
material things. Generally, the tasavvuf is described as isolation or as a horse the salik rides. The traveller of the way of
Truth should be absolutely isolated from world and all material things in order to pray God. In this valley dual character
cannot exist:


(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler, II, page 97)
(We and I cannot exist in this valley together. You should take the cover of your being!)
This and that, I and you, time and place are the concepts belonging to only this world. When the salik
reaches the ocean as a drop, existence and disappearance become the same for him.
The sixth is the valley of heyrat (admiration). Sheikh Faridaddin Attar calls it the valley of grief and yearning.
According to the poet, the sorrow, pain and yearning are the travelling companions of the salik. When the salik is surprised
by the greatness and magnificence of God, he conceives his weakness and loses his being. He becomes unaware of both
himself and the world:






(Sheyk Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, page 226)
(If someone would ask that Im mortal or eternal, or both of them, or none of them, I would say: I know nothing,
nothing, and nothing. I love, but I dont know whom. Im neither Muslim, nor non-believer. Then who am I? What am I?)
Seyid Yahya shares the same opinions with Attar in respect of the valley of heyrat:


(Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler,II, 98)
(After the soul is filled with this admiration, hundreds of thousands of yearnings will settle there).
Impact Factor (JCC): 4.5629

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

Seven Valleys in Sheikh Faridaddin Attars and Seyid Yahya Bakuvis Works

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In this valley a fire burning in the saliks heart causes disappearance of both evil and faith. Then the sadness
begins to cover his heart and the salik is surrounded by the waves of the ocean of admiration.
According to both of the thinkers, admiration is a very high stage. It appears after the long lasting observation of
God. After the salik approaches Him, he sees the more mysterious and glossy beauties of God, and his admiration
increases.
The seventh is the valley of faqir (the word 'faqir' refers to the one who is self-sufficient and only possesses the
spiritual need for God) and fena (mortality) in Mantik-at-Teyr. According to Sheikh Faridaddin Attar, the main feature of
this valley is to forget you and to live with the existence of Truth. The both world are only a drop of this ocean of fena.


(Sheyh Feriduddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, page 223)
(The person going into this valley of heart will reach the eternal disappearance and become free).
In this valley all differences and features disappear and the salik reaches the stage of sameness:


(Sheyk Feriduddin Attar, Sheyk Ferudiddin Attar, Mantik-at-Tayr, page 223)
(After throwing into the fire, the lute and wood become burn out together.)
The seventh is the valley of fena inSherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub. All the knowledge disappears here.
The salik being aware of his sweetheart forgets him. He gets rid of his being and reaches the disappearance. According to
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, in the valley of fena such secrets are disclosed that they exist only between human and God. No one
else can access them:


(Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler, II, page 99)
(He learnt this mystery together with God. The one knowing this secret became Adam).
After giving his entire human attributes to the fena, he goes into the depth of its ocean. He sees the divine lights of
God and knows the secrets of existence through these lights. With the power of divine words he begins speaking. So, Seyid
Yahya completes the work. Addressing to God, he says that he has spent his life with wishing Him, and his expectation
from God is only Himself.

RESULTS
While analysing both works comparatively, similarities in the ideas, spiritual closeness, the similarities in the
expression and style are obvious. In Sheikh Faridaddin Attars work the writing of stories conforming with the content
between the parts describing the valleys, the questions and answers of the birds being allegoric characters, figurative
www.tjprc.org

editor@tjprc.org

36

Nezaket Memmedli &Muhammad Fuzuli

expressions and metaphors prove that the poet wrote this work for a wider readership. As well as being the work which
explains the theoretical fundamentals of Sufism, Mantik-at-Teyr is the work written by the poet having high poetic
ability. Although the poetic expressions, symbols and metaphors have been used inSherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub of
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, it reflects concretely the main points of Khalvatiyyah sect, seven stages of Sufi path, and describes
the cases salik has passed in these stages. The laconism, simple and clear writing style of the work shows that it has been
written for the murids (students) who were freshmen of Khalvatiyyah sect.
REFERENCES
1.

Sheikh Faridaddin Attar Nishaburi, Mantik-at-Teyr, Revision and int erpretation: Doctor Kazem Dezfoliyan, Tehran,
Entesharate-Taliye, 1371

2.

Attar Sheykh Farudid-din, Divan, Tahran, 1381

3.

Attar Sheykh Farudid-din, Ilahiname, Tahran, 1345

4.

Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, Kolliyate-Divane-ms Tebrizi, Tahran, 1383

5.

Musayeva A. Seyid Yahya Bakuvis manuscripts, Elm and hayat journal, 9, 19857.

6.

M.Rihtim, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi and Khalvatiyyah, Baku, Gismat, 2005

7.

Seyid Yahya esh-Shirvani al Bakuvi and Shefa al Esrar, prepared by Mehmet Rihtim, Baku, Elm, 2010

8.

Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Sherhe-meratibe-esrare-qulub, the copy of the transcript (Turkey, Chorum, Hasan Pasha il-Halk
Library, 19Hk 2101)

9.

Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Haft makam and chehel manazil, the copy of the transcript (Turkey, Chorum, Hasan Pasha il-Halk
Library, 19HK 2101)

10. Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler,Baku, Nurl ar, 2014

11. Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Risaleler II, Baku, Nurlar, 2014
12. Nezaket Mammadli The poem Mantik-at-Teyr of Sheikh Faridaddin Attar and Sherh-i Meratib-e Kulub of Seyid Yahya
Bakuvi, Scientific Researches journal, Baku, 2003, page No.44-55

Impact Factor (JCC): 4.5629

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1