Sufism in Attar's "The Conference of the Birds" Selected Translation by Peter Avery: Representations of Mystical Experience in Islamic Literature

Abstract

In this paper, we seek to evaluate the presentation of Sufism in Attar's “The Conference of the Birds”, a Poem translated into the English by Peter Avery, in the Islamic literature. The investigation in its turn is directed on the modern writings to expose how the authors derive from the Sufi traditions the themes, the symbols, and acts to allegorize the many mystical experiences and spiritual search. The combination of literature, cultural, and also religious studies will bring in new perspectives to the study of Sufism and fiction to also enhance our understanding of the connection between Sufism and the fiction, and its importance concerning the modern Muslim identity and the spirituality.