Abstract:
This article studies the research works about Attar published from 1991 to the end of 2019. The aim of this study is to investigate the quantity and quality of the research in academic journals. The research works have been reviewed in three terms including historical course of development, approaches adopted to Attar's works and thematic axes. In recent years, 280 articles have been published in 45 scholarly journals. Also, 452 authors from 88 the state universities, Azad University, Payame Noor University, and non-collegiate centers have contributed to the writing of the articles. The result of this study shows a growth in the number of the research papers about Attar in the eighties and nineties. Among Attar's works, Mantiq al-Tair is at the forefront of the research. The main topics of research in these years include the ‘Content study of Attar’s works’, ‘Analysis of Attar's works based on literary theories’, ‘Structural, linguistic and rhetorical analysis of Attar’, ‘Comparative study’ and ‘Criticism of Attar’s works and thought’. Since the mid-eighties, there have been changes in the content analysis and the attitudes toward the content of Attar's poetry. Even his thoughts have been criticized. The main direction of the studies ever conducted is the comparative analysis of Attar's works with international works as well as the analysis of his works based on literary theories, which has been increasing since the eighties. However, there is little research on the linguistic and rhetorical issues in Attar’s works.
Machine summary:
In this regard, during these years, 280 articles have been published in 45 scientific-research journals, and 452 authors from 88 national, Azad, Payame Noor, and non-university institutions have participated in writing the articles.
This study has been conducted with the aim of identifying the quantity and quality of Attar studies in scientific research and historical progression, the number of journals, and the participation of universities and authors.
The articles have been examined in terms of the number of journals, participation of universities, names of authors and their academic degrees, publication date of the article, research structure, subject and content, and approach to Attar's works; the notes were prepared based on these items and then categorized and analyzed.
The author of this article, who examined Shafiei-Kadkani's works regarding Attar, states: "In this article, we endeavor to encapsulate the vast ocean of research of this esteemed professor and, in short, introduce his great effort to those interested in the mystical works of Persian literature" (Kampani Zare, 1393: 32).
For a comprehensive and complete search, all humanities journals that were suspected of having published articles about Attar were examined; these journals belonged to the groups of Persian Literature, Theology, Islamic Studies, Philosophy and Religion, and Sociology.
Persian Language and Literature, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch: This journal is currently not on the list of approved journals by the Ministry of Science, but it was examined in this research and 30 articles have been published in it.
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