God, the mortal world and the best of God's creation, that is, mankind, have always shaped the quintessential issues of the human thought. God is One and Only and the Almighty Creator of all things and beings. It is important to note that the core of the words of Gnostics has always been Divine Names and Attributes, and in fact Gnostics consider reaching God as the ultimate goal of the mystic journey.In addition to the Gnostics, for the philosophers, poets, the literati, and other scientific groups the focal point has always been wonders of creation, the mortal world and man. In the Persian language too, poets have attempted to versify contemporary philosophical and gnostic teachings. Roodaki was not an exception in this regard. The science of Kalaam or Theology was thriving in Central Asia in Roodaki's time. Furthermore, the 4th century of the Islamic era was the age of the emergence of great philosophers and the writing of interesting books on Hikmet or wisdom and rational sciences. In short, the 4th century AH is considered a golden period in the history of science from the viewpoint of the growth of philosophical sciences. No doubt Roodaki or any other poet couldn't compose poems without being affected by these philosophical and gnostic developments.As was mentioned in our previous programmes, there remains only a small part of Roodaki's poems, yet one can asses his devotion to God Almighty through whatever poems that have survived from him. Sometimes Roodaki describes God the Almighty apart from the world and man, but at times he speaks of the relationship of God with the mortal world and with mankind. Like his contemporary philosophers, Roodaki talks of gratitude to God as an obligatory deed. Islamic theologian or Motakallemin say expressing gratitude to God for His infinite favours, depends on man's proper cognizance of the Almighty Creator. Therefore, in order to express proper gratitude for God's infinite bounties, one must develop a proper cognizance of the Almighty and His lofty attributes and dispositions. That's why Roodaki, too, considers gratitude as obligatory.He says:It is not obligatory to be generous and open-handed;But it's obligatory to thank (God) for the bounties.The wise man doesn't give up performing nonobligatory acts;How can I give up performing the obligatory ones?This quatrain shows that Roodaki was familiar with the philosophical and religious literature of his time and had used their subtle notions in his poetry.Roodaki is all praise for God, and acknowledge that it is beyond the power of humans to properly thank Him. According to the religious thoughts and gnostic literature, it is only God the Almighty who deserves unlimited praise and admiration. So if man is praised in the way God is praised, it is exaggeration and hyperbole. Roodaki says:Everybody's praise has a limit;But His praise is boundless and limitless.No surprise if Roodaki in such a position;Becomes bewildered and dumbfounded.In the holy Qur'an and the hadith, God is addressed with different names, which are attributes of His Lofty Nature. Human beings use these names or attributes while praising, and supplicating to Him. Although Roodaki has seldom referred to God's known attributes in the poems that have survived from him, he has used certain terms to address God Almighty that are not found in standard literature.What is important in using Asmaollah or the Divine Names is the nature of human needs while praying and supplicating. Roodaki has paid attention to these factors. A glance at his poetry shows that like many other poets or ordinary people, he has aware of the fact that man must beseech God in the best of manner for solving of his problems, but he had better call God with the name pertaining to the particular need. For instance, a sick man calls God as-Shaafi meaning the one who provides cure. Roodaki believes that one can overcome old age with the help of God, since His will rules everywhere and on everybody. Roodaki's ideology is that of a lover towards a beloved. In many of his poems he speaks as if he is referring to the Beloved's face and his own devotion. That is why Roodaki is of the opinion that God will not accept a prayer devoid of love and spirituality.In Roodaki's opinion every light fades in the enlightened presence of the God the besought of all. He maintains that one, who yearns to reach the Beloved, cannot be aware of himself. He says in this regard:He who is cognizant of the Beloved's love;Alas if he is aware of himself a single moment.Thus Roodaki believes that if one's whole being is filled with what he likes to call the face of the Beloved, that is God, a lover cannot be aware of his own self in such a state of ecstasy. In Roodaki's opinion Since God has created the world; he has designed it in a way that if a door of bounty is closed then He opens many other doors of bounties and graces. This belief deters man from being desperate. Roodaki says in this regard:May they learn this parable thoroughly that;If God shuts a door He opens a thousand more.God of the Throne (Arsh) created the world in a way;That people sometimes will be sad and sometimes happy.
Comments