Comparative Study of Mystical Journey from Viewpoints of Lady Amin, Theologian, and Teresa of Avila

Practical mysticism or spiritual journey is the cornerstone of mysticism. Theoretical mysticism is the interpretation and explanation of findings out of practical mysticism. Mystics allocate various stages for mystical journey. Therefore, the foundation for the stages and positions overlap one another so that there appears to be no specific differences between them. In other divine religions there are mystics who have come to intuition through mystical journey. Lady Amin and Teresa of Avila are among the well-known Islamic and Christian mystics. Both of them have personally experienced the stages of spiritual journey and have explained about them in their works of art. Teresa of Avila has explained the spiritual journey in the seven stage "Interior Castle" whereas Lady Amin has narrated the journey stages in her book titled "Spiritual Journey by Saints (Sayr va Sulūk dar Ravish-i Awliyāʼ-i Allāh) through eight stages. The result of comparison between their spiritual journey states depicts that the main elements and stages of spiritual journey for them have a lot in common and that there are no particular differences observed. There are however some minor differences only when there is a mystical mood apparent. Their explanations seems as if these two mystics have finally reached the revelation through intuition