Types of Anxiety in Attar's Thought and Works

Attar is a poet full of anxiety and pain who sees the truth of human life and existence in taking on a spiritual journey and ascension to connect with the origin of creation. Attar's anxiety starts from the moment of human descent and continues until the moment of the soul's return and ascension. This anxiety and apprehension of the poet is not philosophical and self-discovered, but is based on religious teachings, mystical tradition, and models and heroes of the path of spiritual conduct, whose lives and thoughts have been narrated by Attar himself. This article examines and analyzes the types of anxiety in Attar's thought and works, based on Paul Tillich's theory of existential anxiety, using a descriptive-analytical method. Attar's movement in the path of conduct is more based on existential anxiety than passion and enthusiasm, which is the result of descent from the heaven and the initial sin. Attar's existential anxiety is not limited to the field of conduct and extends to the field of personal and social life and his stories. How anxiety appears in these stories is based on an intense inner transformation, occurring instantaneously, and then repentance and compensation. This transformation and internal revolution occurs due to various human, divine or natural factors. The way characters in the story react to anxiety ranges from maximum acceptance to complete denial. Anxiety in Attar's works is not limited to a specific time due to its continuous presence in the character's mind and its constant return and repetition. The effort to overcome anxiety by setting absolutist standards leads to mystical and religious perfectionism, which forms the final structure of the poet's thought.