Water and Its Various Forms in Persian Mystical Literature (Based on Ibn Arabi's School from the 7th to 9th centuries)

One of the widely used metaphors in Ibn Arabi's school, used to illustrate Plurality in unity, is the metaphor of water and its various forms. From the point of view of Ibn Arabi and his followers, water is a symbol of existence that is multiplied in various forms such as drop, the sea, wave, river, snow, moisture, cloud, snow and even gem, rose water and living creatures. Malleability, purity, vitality, fluidity, motion, magnificence, covering, and astonishment are among the characteristics of water and its forms which are emphasized in Ibn Arabi's school and the poets influenced by him in Persian literature. In this article, we intend to examine this key metaphor of Ibn Arabi's school in the field of Persian poetry and prose from the seventh to ninth centuries, with emphasis on the works of Sa'deedin Hamuyi, Fakhreddin Iraqi, Azizeddein Nasafi, Sheikh Mahmud Shabestari, Shah Nematollah Vali, Shah Qasim Anvar and Jami.