Contemporary Wisdom

The Mystical Narratives of Rumi and Attar in the Light of Bakhtin's Theory

Document Type : Biannual Journal

Authors

Hannaneh Anssari 1
Maryam Saneapour 2
Shahla Eslami 3

1 Ph.D. Candidate of Philosophy, SR.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Faculty of Occidentalism and Studies of Science

3 Assistant Professor of Philosophy SR.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Iran

https://doi.org/10.30465/cw.2026.51875.2108
Abstract
 
Abstract:
This study examines classical Iranian mystical narratives through the dialogic lens of Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory. The primary aim is to investigate how time and space, the role of the narrator and audience, and the production of meaning are represented within Bakhtin’s narrative framework, and subsequently to analyze classical Iranian mystical narratives from a Bakhtinian perspective. Thus, the central research question is: How can Bakhtin’s dialogical theory be applied to analyze and interpret the narrative structure and meaning-making in classical Persian mystical texts, specifically the works of Rumi and Attar?
The research adopts a descriptive-analytical method based on library studies. Findings reveal that the mystical narratives of Rumi and Attar, contrary to the common perception of them as monologic and linear texts, possess a profoundly dialogic, nonlinear, and multi-layered structure. In these texts, time and space are represented symbolically and cyclically, serving as tools for expressing inner spiritual journeys. The narrator appears in fluid, multifaceted, and metaphorical forms, creating a polyphonic space. Consequently, Bakhtin’s theoretical framework proves to be an effective tool for uncovering the dynamic, dialogic, and complex dimensions of narrative within the Iranian mystical tradition.
Keywords: Narrative, Dialogic Imagination, Chronotope, Dialogism, Iranian Mystical Narratives, Bakhtin.
 
Introduction
The present study investigates how Bakhtin’s dialogic framework can illuminate the narrative mechanisms of classical Persian mystical texts. Rather than pursuing a comparative or cross-cultural inquiry, this research employs Bakhtin’s theoretical model as an analytical instrument for understanding the structural and semantic organization of mystical storytelling in Rumi and Attar. In Bakhtin’s view, narrative is a living social act in which meaning arises from the interplay among text, author, and audience. Similarly, in Persian Sufi literature, meaning is not fixed but continually renewed through symbolic narration, layered voices, and the reader’s interpretive engagement. This convergence makes Bakhtin’s theory a fitting tool for analyzing mystical narratives that merge linguistic creativity with spiritual introspection.
Materials & Methods
The research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology grounded in textual interpretation and conceptual application. The primary sources include Bakhtin’s theoretical works (The Dialogic Imagination, Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics) and selected mystical narratives from Masnavi-ye Ma’navi and Mantiq al-Tayr.
The study proceeds in three analytical phases:
1.       Conceptual clarification of Bakhtin’s core notions—chronotope, dialogism, and polyphony—within the philosophy of narrative.
2.       Textual analysis of mystical narrative structures in Rumi and Attar, focusing on the representation of time and space, the fluidity of the narrator, and the interpretive participation of the audience.
3.       Interpretive synthesis, demonstrating how these concepts operate within the internal structure of the texts.
The approach is theoretical-analytical rather than comparative: Bakhtin’s concepts are used as a lens to dissect the inner logic of mystical narrative without extending the study to the domain of classical Islamic poetics.
4.        
Discussion & Results
The analysis reveals that Bakhtin’s dialogic concepts resonate deeply with the narrative strategies of Persian mystical literature.
1.       Chronotope (Time-Space Unity): In Mantiq al-Tayr, the journey of the birds unfolds across seven symbolic valleys that correspond to states of spiritual evolution rather than physical geography. This circular, inner temporality parallels Bakhtin’s notion of the chronotope, in which time and space merge as a single experiential continuum. Similarly, in Masnavi, the recurrence of symbolic motifs—the reed flute, the tavern, the desert—transforms space into a psychological landscape of self-discovery.
2.       Narrator and Voice: Both Rumi and Attar construct multi-layered narrative voices that blur the boundaries between author, character, and symbol. The reed in Masnavi or the hoopoe in Mantiq al-Tayr act as mediating narrators through which mystical experience becomes dialogic. This polyphonic structure aligns with Bakhtin’s idea of narrative as a site of multiple consciousnesses rather than a single authoritative voice.
3.       Audience and Meaning: Iranian mystical narratives require the reader’s active participation in the discovery of meaning. Their non-linear and allegorical nature transforms reading into an interpretive act, consistent with Bakhtin’s belief that meaning emerges through ongoing dialogue between text and audience.
These findings indicate that Bakhtin’s theoretical model, though born in Western modernity, provides a productive framework for unveiling the inherent dialogism of Persian mystical narrative traditions.
 
Conclusion
This research concludes that Bakhtin’s dialogic theory, when employed as an interpretive framework rather than a comparative one, offers a profound understanding of Persian mystical storytelling. The structural dynamics of Rumi’s and Attar’s works demonstrate that meaning in mystical narrative is never static but continually negotiated through interplay among time, voice, and reader. The study highlights how the concepts of chronotope, dialogism, and polyphony can serve as effective analytical tools for exploring spiritual and linguistic complexity in Iranian mysticism. By applying a single theoretical lens consistently, the research preserves methodological coherence and avoids dispersing into broader historical or comparative discussions. Ultimately, the study affirms that mystical narrative—like Bakhtin’s concept of dialogue—reflects the living, open-ended nature of human understanding.
 

Keywords

Narrative
Dialogic Imagination
Chronotope
Dialogism
Iranian Mystical Narratives
Bakhtin

Subjects

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