Criticism on the Theme of Angels' Deprivation of Love in Hafez Poetry

Abstract

The theme of "Angel" in Hafez thoughts, in comparison with other texts of Sufism, has undergone serious semantic transformations. Most of the well-known scholars are of the opinion that Hafez considers love as the divine deposit, which is reserved only for human beings, and of which angels are deprived. However, the comparison of the codes in Hafez poetry with other works of Sufism does not support the validity of this proposition. Hafez’s claim that angels are deprived of love is controversial because it contradicts Muslim mystics' general approach, which declares the general dominance of love in the created world. It seems that Hafez was chiefly affected by Attar Neyshaburi and believed in the general dominance of love in the whole created world, although he held that the perfection of love which is the pain of love belongs exclusively to human beings. Nevertheless, the scholars who study Hafez have largely interpreted this view of Hafez differently and through these interpretations many of the concepts found in Hafez poetry turn out to be beyond the comprehension of readers. This article attempts to explicate one of the fundamental metaphors in Sufi texts, "Dordi-e-Dard" (the remains of pain) and compare its related propositions in the poetry of Hafez and other Sufi writings, and then reviews the theme of "Angel" and its share of love in the thoughts of Hafez.

Keywords

• love
• divine deposit
• dordi-e-dard
• hafez
• attar neyshaburi