Conference Paper

A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah

Volume: 1 Number: 4 October 31, 2025
EN TR

A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah

Abstract

This article compares common Sufi concepts and themes found in the poetry of Hafez of Shiraz and Yunus Emre, two renowned poets of Islamic Sufism. Based on his work, Lisân-ül-Ghayb (The Language of the Unseen), Hafez-ı Shirazi offers a brief overview of the poetry of Hafez and Yunus Emre, the founder of Turkish Sufi poetry. Both poets were renowned contemporary scholars of the shining galaxy of Islamic Sufism. Despite living in different geographies, both poets were nourished by the mystical atmosphere of the same period. Their poetic narratives, grounded in the Quran and the Sunnah, explored fundamental concepts such as vahdet-i vücud (unity of being), fana (Annihilation), divine love, universal unity, and the afterlife. While Hafez's Persian ghazals embody the idea of divine unity, steeped in profound contemplation and inner intoxication, Yunus Emre's Turkish poems convey a similar truth with simple language and a style that resonates with the people. This article exemplifies the parallels between the metaphysical perceptions of these two mystical poets: the nothingness of humanity in the face of God's oneness, and the idea that every being in the universe is a reflection of God. The mystical approaches developed by both poets, inspired by the Quran, offer not only an understanding of individual salvation but also a proposed moral system based on social peace and love. Yunus's simple truths, expressed in Anatolian Turkish, and Hafez's profound metaphors, adorned with symbols, are considered two interpretations of the same truth in two different cultural contexts. This study aims to illuminate the unifying power of mystical poetry in the Islamic world by revealing the shared intellectual and spiritual roots of these two poets.

Keywords

References

  1. The Holy Quran
  2. Aktüccar, H., (1984), Yunus Emre Hayatı, Sanatı ve Eserleri, Gökşin Yayınları
  3. Anushe, H. (1384). The Encyclopedia of Persian Literature in Anatolia and the Balkans, II, The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Tehran, Samt Publication
  4. Demirci, M., (1997), YunusEmre'deİlahîAşkveİnsanSevgisi, İstanbul, Kubbealtı Neşriyatı Emre, Yunus. (1948). Divan, Abdolbaghi, Barli, Istanbul
  5. Golkarian, G. (1387). Yunus Emrenin Secilmis Siirleri tercumesi, Tabriz, Yaran & Moheg Publishing
  6. Hafez, shams al-din. (1382). Divan Khwajeh Shams al-Din Mohammad Hafez Shirazi, edited by Mohammad Ghazvini, Qasim Ghani, Qom, Negaran Qlam Press
  7. Halabi, A. (1376). The principles of mysticism and mystics' status, Tehran, Asatir
  8. Hojviri, A. (1358). The Revealing of the covered (Kashf al-Mahjub), corrected. v. jokofeski, Tahuri, First edition.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Anatolia Language, Literature and Culture

Journal Section

Conference Paper

Publication Date

October 31, 2025

Submission Date

July 14, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 30, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 1 Number: 4

APA
Zahedi, B., & Ghafari, A. (2025). A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah. Bilimsel Mistisizm Ve Edebiyat Dergisi, 1(4), 44-52. https://doi.org/10.32955/neujsml2025141126
AMA
1.Zahedi B, Ghafari A. A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah. neujsml. 2025;1(4):44-52. doi:10.32955/neujsml2025141126
Chicago
Zahedi, Bahman, and Ali Ghafari. 2025. “A Survey of Common Mystic Meanings and Concepts in the Works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah”. Bilimsel Mistisizm Ve Edebiyat Dergisi 1 (4): 44-52. https://doi.org/10.32955/neujsml2025141126.
EndNote
Zahedi B, Ghafari A (October 1, 2025) A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah. Bilimsel Mistisizm ve Edebiyat Dergisi 1 4 44–52.
IEEE
[1]B. Zahedi and A. Ghafari, “A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah”, neujsml, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 44–52, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.32955/neujsml2025141126.
ISNAD
Zahedi, Bahman - Ghafari, Ali. “A Survey of Common Mystic Meanings and Concepts in the Works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah”. Bilimsel Mistisizm ve Edebiyat Dergisi 1/4 (October 1, 2025): 44-52. https://doi.org/10.32955/neujsml2025141126.
JAMA
1.Zahedi B, Ghafari A. A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah. neujsml. 2025;1:44–52.
MLA
Zahedi, Bahman, and Ali Ghafari. “A Survey of Common Mystic Meanings and Concepts in the Works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah”. Bilimsel Mistisizm Ve Edebiyat Dergisi, vol. 1, no. 4, Oct. 2025, pp. 44-52, doi:10.32955/neujsml2025141126.
Vancouver
1.Bahman Zahedi, Ali Ghafari. A survey of common mystic meanings and concepts in the works of Hafiz and Younus Emrah. neujsml. 2025 Oct. 1;1(4):44-52. doi:10.32955/neujsml2025141126

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