An Analysis of Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi’s Lughat-e Muran (Language of Ants)

Abstract

In the article, a translation and an analysis of Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi’s Lughat-e Muran have been given. Distinctly from other works by the author, the work has no united plot line and is presented under the titles of different chapters and events. At the same time, 29 Koranic verses, wise sayings of gnostic sheikhs and various poems in Arabic and Persian are present in the work. It has a special place among Suhrawardi’s gnostic tractates in Persian. The article has studied the plot line, content, main idea and the system of characters in the work. This work is as rich with symbolic characters as other works by Suhrawardi. In the beginning of the work, the author notes that it is devoted to gnostic pathway. It includes many allegories and gnostic tories written by the involvement of characters as ant, turtle, hoopoe, peafowl, owl, chameleon and etc.