Gulshan-i Raz
Encyclopedia
Gulshan-i Raz or Gulshan-e Raz (Persian : گلشن راز) or Rose Garden Of Secrets is a collection of poems written in the 14th century by Sheikh Mahmoud Shabestari
. It is considered to be one of the greatest classical Persian
works of the Islamic mystical tradition known in the west as Sufism. The poems are mostly based on Irfan
, Islam
, Sufism
and sciences dependent on them.
The book was written about 1311 in rhyming couplets. It was written in response to seventeen queries concerning Sufi metaphysics
posed to "the Sufi literati of Tabriz" by Rukh Al Din Amir Husayn Harawi (d. 1318). It was also the main reference used by François Bernier
when explaining Sufism to his European friends (in: Lettre sur le Quietisme des Indes; 1688). In English the book's title is variously given as "Garden of Secrets," "The Garden of Mystery," "The Mystic Rose Garden," or "The Secret Rose Garden."
This is the opening verse of Gulshan-i Raz :
Mahmud Shabistari
Mahmūd Shabistarī is one of the most celebrated Persian Sufi poets of the 14th century.-Life and work:Shabistari was born in the town of Shabestar near Tabriz in 1288 , where he received his education. He became deeply versed in the symbolic terminology of Ibn Arabi...
. It is considered to be one of the greatest classical Persian
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
works of the Islamic mystical tradition known in the west as Sufism. The poems are mostly based on Irfan
Irfan
‘Irfān literally means knowing/awareness. The term is often translated as gnosis, however it also refers to Islamic mysticism. Those with the name are sometimes referred to as having an insight into the unseen...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
and sciences dependent on them.
The book was written about 1311 in rhyming couplets. It was written in response to seventeen queries concerning Sufi metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
posed to "the Sufi literati of Tabriz" by Rukh Al Din Amir Husayn Harawi (d. 1318). It was also the main reference used by François Bernier
François Bernier
François Bernier was a French physician and traveller. He was born at Joué-Etiau in Anjou. He was the personal physician of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for around 12 years during his stay in India....
when explaining Sufism to his European friends (in: Lettre sur le Quietisme des Indes; 1688). In English the book's title is variously given as "Garden of Secrets," "The Garden of Mystery," "The Mystic Rose Garden," or "The Secret Rose Garden."
This is the opening verse of Gulshan-i Raz :
به نام آنکه جان را فکرت آموخت / چراغ دل به نور جان برافروخت
In the name of Him who taught the soul to think,
and kindled the heart's lamp with the light of soul