مقایسه تطبیقی "مرگ" در مثنوی، فصوص الحکم و جاویدنامه

A Comparative Study of "Death" in the Masnavi, Fusus al-Hikam, and Javidnama

Abstract

Death is one of the most fundamental philosophical, mystical, and religious issues that has always occupied the minds of thinkers. This article presents a comparative study of the concept of death in three significant mystical texts: Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Ma’navi, Ibn Arabi’s Fusus al-Hikam, and Muhammad Iqbal’s Javidnama. In Ibn Arabi’s thought, death is not seen as absolute annihilation, but rather as an existential transformation and a transition from one mode of being to another on the path to divine proximity. Rumi, in the Masnavi, regards death as a rebirth and a liberation of the soul from the cage of the body, leading the human being toward a higher truth. In contrast, Iqbal in the Javidnama views death not as the end of the journey, but as a prelude to evolution and dynamism, through which the human being can attain the truth of immortality. This study demonstrates that despite their linguistic and cultural differences, all three thinkers adopt a transcendent perspective on death, viewing it not as annihilation but as a bridge to the ultimate truth. Their differing perspectives highlight various aspects of this phenomenon: Ibn Arabi approaches it through the lens of the unity of being, Rumi from the perspective of mystical love and spiritual journey, and Iqbal through the idea of social evolution and dynamic selfhood.