Schemas in Kashf-ul-Mahjoob and Tazkirat al-Awliyā (A Case Study: Hallāj)

The depth of Hallaj's words and their being mysterious have caused the Muslim mystics to resort to a special language to reflect his states. Metaphor, in terms of the capabilities of illustration and transmission of concepts, is the most important lingual tool for explaining the inexpressible experiences of the mystics. When words fail in expressing the ideas, pictorial metaphors help the mystic to better express his/her mystical experiences and inner concepts. Using descriptive-analytical method and based on library resources, the present article attempts to show how mystics, especially Attār Neishapouri and Hujwīrī, conceptualize Hallaj's spiritual experiences and analyze his complex personality. The study shows that Attār has used metaphorical concepts more than Hujwīrī to show the mystical world of Hallaj.The results show that the motion scheme is used more than other schemas and with its help the abstract concepts of enthusiasm, vesāl (joining), knowledge, satisfaction, etc. are represented. Thus, the motion scheme is the dominant one; it shows that the mystics consider the universe to be in constant flux and evolutionary process. At the same time, it shows that Attar's style is more artistic and mystical than Hujwīrī 's style.