Rumi and the Desire for "Immortality" in Masnavi Ma'navi Journal Article

Abstract:

Death، which can somehow be linked with religion، is a major concern to all people. Mankind has nourished many grate dreams and thoughts and just these great desires have caused his flourishing and elevation ‚ and where his dreams and desires cannot be practicable‚ he realized them with makind legends and mythical characters. One of these wonderful dreams which mankind has brought in to being، is everlastingness or immortality that has been reflected either in nations legends‚ fables and mythical works ‚ such as Gilgamesh ‚ Achilles، invulnerability of Isfandyar ، or in religious narratives like Khezr. The dream of everlastingness made the mankind find a way to realize it. The human’s masterpieces throughout the history reflected this dream in an artistic language. Mawlānā’s Mathnavi is one of these masterpieces، where Mawlānā being inspired with Quran and the prophetic sentences، believes that love is the base of being، and due to the essence common to both God and mankind، i.e. the Divine Spirit breathed in mankind، he can become God-like and make himself eternal. The present article studies “the desire to eternity” in Mawlānā’s views، referring to his source of inspiration، and relying on some verses from Mathnavi and Divan-e Shams.