The Influence of Qur’anic Rhetoric on the Construction of Mystical Metaphors in Persian Sufi Texts تأثیرِ قرآنی بلاغت بر ساختِ استعاراتِ عرفانی در متونِ فارسی

Abstract

This study examines the profound impact of Qur’anic rhetoric on the formation, evolution, and semantic depth of mystical metaphors in classical Persian Sufi literature. The Qur’an, through its highly nuanced rhetorical structure—marked by metaphor, parable, symbolic imagery, rhythmic patterning, and semantic layering—provides a foundational linguistic and conceptual reservoir for later mystical writers. Persian Sufi poets and thinkers, such as Rumi, Attar, Sana’i, and Hafez, drew extensively upon Qur’anic motifs to articulate metaphysical truths, spiritual psychology, and experiential states of the seeker’s journey toward the Divine. The research undertakes a comparative rhetorical analysis, identifying specific Qur’anic images—light, fire, water, garden, veil, journey, heart, and breath—that serve as archetypal metaphors within mystical literature. It explores how these images undergo transformation in Persian texts: shifting from theological exposition to experiential symbolism. Through this process, Qur’anic rhetoric not only enriches the metaphorical lexicon of Persian Sufism but also infuses it with an authoritative spiritual resonance. The study further investigates how Qur’anic parabolic structure, rhythmic cadence, and semantic compactness shape the stylistic and hermeneutic strategies of Sufi authors. Ultimately, the research demonstrates that Persian Sufi metaphor is not merely an aesthetic adaptation but a creative re-inscription of Qur’anic discourse. Mystical writers interpret, expand, and interiorize Qur’anic imagery to express states that lie beyond ordinary linguistic boundaries. This dynamic interaction reveals a dialogical relationship in which the Qur’an serves as both a linguistic model and a metaphysical horizon for Persian mystical expression.