Similarity of Gnostics and Manichaean mythology with Najmoddin Razi's Mirsad al-Ibad

Mirsa al-Ibad is a mystical work and is regarded as one of the major prose works in the Persian Literature and its like is almost rare among Sufi works. According to Razi during the first and second writing of this work he has been wondering for thirty years in Asia Minor, Egypt, and Rome where according to historians and scholars were the cradle of Gnostic and Manichaean thoughts and mythology therefore it is not surprising that Razi was acquainted with their mythology in this environment as he repeatedly refers to his acquaintance with the following sects such as Isma’ilis, Ebahieh, Molahedeh, and Tanasokhieh. Therefore, according to the evidence found in Mirsa al-Ibad this article is concerned with pointing out similarity in frameworks of some stories of Mirsad al-Ibad with Gnostic and Manichaean mythology.