Analysis of the structural and content components of Miraj-namas from the beginning to the second half of the tenth century Journal Article

Abstract:

Among Muslims, after the ascension of the Prophet (PBUH), poetic and prose narratives in Persian and Arabic emerged regarding the Miraj. These works, which can be considered an independent genre due to the presence of common structural and content indicators, are known as Miraj-namas. The purpose of writing this article was to analyze the structural and content components of this literary genre. To this end, while identifying Persian poetic Miraj-namas from the first ones to the second half of the tenth century AH, we examined the structural and content characteristics of these works using an analytical-descriptive method. Based on the research results, poets, in terms of content, have maintained a degree of integrity due to citing sources such as the Quran, traditions, and history; accordingly, we observed twenty-six similar patterns in their works. Sometimes, due to religious, jurisprudential, and theological differences, as well as the element of imagination, the number of patterns was higher in later works compared to earlier ones, and the Miraj-namas were longer. The frequent use of rhetorical devices in Miraj-namas of the Iraqi style has not been able to push the content to the margins and place literature at the center of the Miraj-namas; therefore, these works are familiar to the minds and language of the audience in terms of literary and linguistic aspects. From Sanai onwards, poetic Miraj-namas initially appeared within larger genres and gradually, at the beginning of poetic collections with unique stylistic features, continued to live among Muslim poets and were able to be recognized as an independent genre in literature despite some commonalities with other types.