Illustration from Jami'sRose Garden of the Pious, dated 1553. The image blendsPersian poetry andPersian miniature into one, as is the norm for many works of Persian literature.
Nūr ad-Dīn 'Abd ar-Rahmān Jāmī (Persian:نورالدین عبدالرحمن جامی; 7 November 1414 – 9 November 1492), also known asMawlanā Nūr al-Dīn 'Abd al-Rahmān orAbd-Al-Rahmān Nur-Al-Din Muhammad Dashti, or simply asJami orDjāmī and in Turkey asMolla Cami, was a PersianSunni[2] poet who is known for his achievements as a prolific scholar and writer of mysticalSufi literature. He was primarily a prominent poet-theologian of the school ofIbn Arabi and aKhwājagānī Sũfī, recognized for his eloquence and for his analysis of the metaphysics of mercy.[3][4] His most famous poetic works areHaft Awrang,Tuhfat al-Ahrar,Layla wa Majnun,Fatihat al-Shabab,Lawa'ih,Al-Durrah al-Fakhirah. Jami belonged to theNaqshbandiSufi order.[5]
Because his father was from Dasht, Jami's early pen name wasDashti, but later, he chose to useJami because of two reasons he later mentioned in a poem:
مولدم جام و رشحهء قلمم جرعهء جام شیخ الاسلامی است لاجرم در جریدهء اشعار به دومعنی تخلصم جامی است
My birthplace isJam, and my pen Has drunk from (knowledge of)Sheikh-ul-Islam (Ahmad) Jam Hence in the books of poetry My pen name is Jami for these two reasons.
Jami was a mentor and friend of the famous Turkic poetAlisher Navoi, as evidenced by his poems:
او که یک ترک بود و من تاجیک، هردو داشتیم خویشی نزدیک. U ki yak Turk bud va man Tajik Hardu doshtim kheshii nazdik
Though he was a Turk, and I am Tajik, We were close to each other.[10]
Afterward, he went toSamarkand, the most important center of scientific studies in theMuslim world and completed his studies there. He embarked on a pilgrimage that greatly enhanced his reputation and further solidified his importance through the Persian world.[7] Jami had a brother called Molana Mohammad, who was, apparently a learned man and a master in music, and Jami has a poem lamenting his death. Jami fathered four sons, but three of them died before reaching their first year.[11] The surviving son was called Zia-ol-din Yusef and Jami wrote hisBaharestan for this son.
Youth seeking his father's advice on love from theHaft Awrang of Jami, in the story "A Father Advises his Son About Love"
At the end of his life he was living in Herat. His epitaph reads "When your face is hidden from me, like the moon hidden on a dark night, I shed stars of tears and yet my night remains dark in spite of all those shining stars."[12] There is a variety of dates regarding his death, but consistently most state it was in November 1492. Although, the actual date of his death is somewhat unknown the year of his death marks an end of both his greater poetry and contribution, but also a pivotal year of political change where Spain was no longer inhabited by the Arabs after 781 years.[13] His funeral was conducted by the prince of Herat and attended by great numbers of people demonstrating his profound impact.[11]
In his role as Sufishaykh, which began in 1453, Jami expounded a number of teachings regarding following the Sufi path. He created a distinction between two types of Sufi's, now referred to as the "prophetic" and the "mystic" spirit.[14] Jami is known for both his extreme piety and mysticism.[3][4] He remained a staunch Sunni on his path toward Sufism and developed images of earthly love and its employment to depict the spiritual passion of the seeker of God.[3][15] He began to take an interest in Sufism at an earlier age when he received a blessing by a principal associate Khwaja Mohammad Parsa who came through town.[16] From there he sought guidance from Sa'd-alDin Kasgari based on a dream where he was told to take God and become his companion.[17] Jami followed Kasagari and the two became tied together upon Jami's marriage to Kasgari's granddaughter.[16] He was known for his commitment to God and his desire for separation from the world to become closer to God often causing him to forget social normalities.[16]
After his re-emergence into the social world he became involved in a broad range of social, intellectual and political actives in the cultural center of Herat.[16] He was engaged in the school of Ibn Arabi, greatly enriching, analyzing, and also changing the school or Ibn Arabi. Jami continued to grow in further understanding of God through miraculous visions and feats, hoping to achieve a great awareness of God in the company of one blessed by Him.[16] He believed there were three goals to achieve "permanent presence with God" through ceaselessness and silence, being unaware of one's earthly state, and a constant state of a spiritual guide.[18] Jami wrote about his feeling that God was everywhere and inherently in everything.[14] He also defined key terms related to Sufism including the meaning of sainthood, the saint, the difference between the Sufi and the one still striving on the path, the seekers of blame, various levels of tawhid, and the charismatic feats of the saints.[18] Oftentimes Jami's methodology did not follow the school of Ibn Arabi, like in the issue of mutual dependence between God and his creatures Jami stated "We and Thou are not separate from each other, but we need Thee, whereas Thou dost not need us."
Jami created an all-embracing unity emphasized in a unity with the lover, beloved, and the love one, removing the belief that they are separated.[14] Jami was in many ways influenced by various predecessors and current Sufi's, incorporating their ideas into his own and developing them further, creating an entirely new concept. In his view, love forMuhammad was the fundamental stepping stone for starting on the spiritual journey. Jami served as a master to several followers and to one student who asked to be his pupil who claimed never to have loved anyone, he said, "Go and love first, then come to me and I will show you the way."[18][19] For several generations, Jami had a group of followers representing his knowledge and impact. Jami continues to be known for not only his poetry, but his learned and spiritual traditions of the Persian speaking world.[18] In analyzing Jami's work greatest contribution may have been his analysis and discussion of God's mercy towards man, redefining the way previous texts were interpreted.
Illustration from theBahâristân, dated 1595, with two lines of included script
Jami wrote approximately eighty-seven(87) books and letters, some of which have been translated into English. His works range from prose to poetry, and from the mundane to the religious. He has also written works of history and science. As well, he often comments on the work of previous and current theologians, philosophers and Sufi's.[3]
In Herat, his manual of irrigation design included advanced drawings and calculations and is still a key reference for the irrigation department.[20] His poetry has been inspired by theghazals ofHafiz, and his famousdivanHaft Awrang (Seven Thrones) is, by his own admission, influenced by the works ofNizami. The Haft Awrang also known as the long masnavis or mathnawis are a collection of seven poems.[21] Each poem discusses a different story such as the Salaman va Absal that tells the story of a carnal attraction of a prince for his wet-nurse.[22] Jami uses allegorical symbolism within the tale to depict the key stages of the Sufi path such as repentance and expose philosophical, religious, or ethical questions.[11][21] Each of the allegorical symbols has a meaning highlighting knowledge and intellect, particularly of God. This story reflects Jamī's idea of the Sufi-king as the ideal medieval Islamic ruler to repent and embark upon the Sufi path to realize his rank as God's 'true' vicegerent and become closer to God.[21]
Another composition of Jami is that of theKherad-name, which he composed in the tradition of theAlexander Romance, especially in that of the Persian version ofNizami Ganjavi'sIskandarnameh. He completed this work perhaps around 1485, and in it he moves the emphasis from stories about Alexander's journey and conquest to short anecdotes that display notions of wisdom and philosophy.[23][24]
As well, Jami is known for his three collections of lyric poems that range from his youth towards the end of his life called the Fatihat al-shabab (The Beginning of Youth), Wasitat al-'ikd (The Central Pearl in the Necklace), and Khatimat al-hayat (The conclusion of Life).[11] Throughout Jami's work references to Sufism and the Sufi emerge as being key topics. One of his most profound ideas was the mystical and philosophical explanations of the nature of divine mercy, which was a result of his commentary on other works.[3]
Jami is also known for his poetry influencing and being included with Persian paintings that depict Persian history through manuscript paintings. Most of his own literature included illustrations that were not yet common for literature. The deep poetry Jami provides is usually accompanied with enriched paintings reflecting the complexity of Jami's work and Persian culture.[25]
Jami worked within the Tīmūrid court of Herat helping to serve as an interpreter and communicator.[3] His poetry reflected Persian culture and was popular through Islamic East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.[3] Jami's poetry addressed popular ideas that led to Sufi's and non-Sufi's interest in his work.[14] He was known not only for his poetry, but his theological works and commentary on culture.[3] His work was used in several schools from Samarqand to Istanbul to Khayrābād inPersia as well as in theMughal Empire.[3] For centuries Jami was known for his poetry and profound knowledge. In the last half-century, Jami has begun to be neglected and his works forgotten, which reflects an overarching issue in the lack of research of Islamic and Persian studies.[3] His poetry reached theOttoman Empire, due to the poetBasiri emigrating to Istanbul.[26]
Al-Fawaed-Uz-Ziya'iya.[27] A commentary on Ibn al-Hajib's treatise on Arab grammarAl-Kafiya. This commentary has been a staple of Ottoman Madrasas' curricula under its author's nameMolla Cami.[28]
Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) His major poetical work. The fifth of the seven stories is his acclaimed "Yusuf and Zulaykha", which tells the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife based on the Quran.
Jame -esokanan-e Kaja Parsa
Lawa'ih A treatise on Sufism (Shafts of Light)
Nafahat al-Uns (Breaths of Fellowship) Biographies of the Sufi Saints
Resala-ye manasek-e hajj
Resala-ye musiqi
Resala-ye tariq-e Kvajagan
Resala-ye sarayet-e dekr
Resala-ye so al o jawab-e Hendustan
Sara-e hadit-e Abi Zarrin al-Aqili
Sar-rešta-yetariqu-e Kājagān (The Quintessence of the Path of the Masters)
Shawahidal-nubuwwa (Distinctive Signs of Prophecy)
Tajnīs 'al-luġāt (Homonymy/Punning of Languages) A lexicographical work containing homonymous Persian and Arabic lemmata.[29]
Shortly after Jami's death, and with the reconfiguration of borders, the emergence of the 'Persianate world' with empires such as Safavid, Uzbek, Ottoman, and Mughal: his works were disseminated as far as to regions such as theDeccan. The term "Persianate world", a relatively contemporary expression, would indicate regions such as Afghanistan, Iran, and a few regions in Central Asia.[31] However, contemporary scholars perceive the usage of this word in a more transnational fashion, i.e., also take into account all the regions wherein Persian as a language, culture, and tradition flourished and developed. For instance, the Indian subcontinent is one such region where Persian (ever since the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries) evolved and played a significant role. Not only was Persian the court language of theMughal Empire, but it was also the language of official discourses led by intellectuals and civil society. Although the native Persian speakers of Iran always distinguished themselves from their counterparts in South Asia. The former considered themselves as superior to the latter. Despite the politics of language and geo-cultural identity, Jami was well recognised in the Indian subcontinent, during his lifetime prior to the consolidation of the Mughal Empire. This was because of Mahmud Gavan ʿImad al-Din (d. 886/1481), a Gilani migrant who was in service of theBahman Shahs of the Deccan.[31] Gavan invited Jami to migrate to India, but the latter politely refused citing the health issues of his mother. However, when one acquaintance was tempted to migrate, Jami asserted to not quit “the Khorasanian homeland for the black land of India”.[31] Through both these instances, one can see Jami’s strong affinity with the Persianate land.
In the context of the Indian subcontinent, Jami's legacy and influence in the post-Timurid period can significantly be perceived in various instances. The first Mughal emperorZahir al-Din Babur, in his memoirBaburnama, referred to Jami as the "foremost authority of the age in all of the sciences and as a poet of such renown that the mere mention of his name is a source of blessing".[31] According to British-American professor of Persian StudiesHamid Algar, it was not Jami'sghazals orqasidas, butmasnavis such asYusuf and Zulaykha that were thought of so eminent insofar subsequent Mughal emperors post-Babur likeHumayun,Akbar,Jahangir,Shahjahan produced their own versions of the narrative as late as the nineteenth century.[31] Jami's influence on the PersianizedUrdu in the Indian subcontinent and manyUrdu poets such asGhalib has also been well documented in South Asia. For instance, one of Ghalib's contemporary biographers Mehr Afshan Farooqi, while discussing the so-called Indian style or Mughal-Safavid style in the context of the history of Persian poetry, traces the Persian influence on Urdu toBaba Fighani, a pupil of Jami.[32]
^Brill 2014, p. ix, "works of the Persian polymath ʿAbd al-RahmanJami (1414–1492) under the auspices of the Neubauer Collegium for ...".
^abcLosensky, Paul (23 June 2008)."JĀMI". Encyclopædia Iranica.
^Rizvi 2006, p. 64, "... the family moved to the city of Herat. There Jami continued his studies in the elementary subjects of language, logic and rhetoric... at the Madrasa-yi Bazar-i Khush. As a teenager, he also embarked on the study of the intellectual disciplines of rational theology, philosophy and the exact sciences...".
^abcLingwood, Chad (March 2011). "Jami's Salaman va Absal: Political Statements and Mystical Advice Addressed to the Aq Qoyunlu Court of Sultan Ya'qub (d. 896/1490)".Iranian Studies.44 (2):175–191.doi:10.1080/00210862.2011.541687.S2CID154384698.
^Lingwood, Chad (March 2011). "Jami's Salaman va Absal: Political Statements and Mystical Advice Addressed to the Aq Qoyunlu Court of Sultan Ya'qub (d. 896/1490)".Iranian Studies.44 (2):174–191.doi:10.1080/00210862.2011.541687.S2CID154384698.
^Casari, Mario (2023). "The Alexander Legend in Persian Literature". In Ashtiany, Mohsen (ed.).Persian narrative poetry in the classical era, 800-1500: romantic and didactic genres. A history of Persian literature / founding editor - Ehsan Yarshater. London New York Oxford New Delhi Sydney: I.B. Tauris. pp. 491,504–510.ISBN978-1-78673-664-2.
Algar, Hamid (2019). "Jami and the Ottomans". In d'Hubert, Thibaut; Papas, Alexandre (eds.).Jāmī in Regional Contexts: The Reception of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Jāmī's Works in. Brill.
Aftandil Erkinov A. "La querelle sur l`ancien et le nouveau dans les formes litteraires traditionnelles. Remarques sur les positions de Jâmi et de Navâ`i".Annali del`Istituto Universitario Orientale. 59, (Napoli), 1999, pp. 18–37.
Aftandil Erkinov. "Manuscripts of the works by classical Persian authors (Hāfiz, Jāmī, Bīdil): Quantitative Analysis of 17th–19th c. Central Asian Copies".Iran: Questions et connaissances. Actes du IVe Congrès Européen des études iraniennes organisé par la Societas Iranologica Europaea, Paris, 6–10 Septembre 1999. vol. II: Périodes médiévale et moderne. [Cahiers de Studia Iranica. 26], M.Szuppe (ed.). Association pour l`avancement des études iraniennes-Peeters Press. Paris-Leiden, 2002, pp. 213–228.
Contemporary Persian and Classical Persian are the same language, but writers since 1900 are classified as contemporary. At one time, Persian was a common cultural language of much of the non-Arabic Islamic world. Today it is the official language ofIran,Tajikistan and one of the two official languages ofAfghanistan.
