Seir Al Ibad Ila Al Ma’ād and Divine Comedy: A Comparative Study

Subject Areas : Mytho

بهجت السادات  حجازی ¹ (استادیار دانشگاه شهید باهنر کرمان)

Received: 2015-05-25 Accepted : 2015-05-25 Published : 2010-09-23

Keywords: comparative literature, inspiration, Imagination, Devine Art,

Abstract :

    Divine Comedy composed by Dante Alighieri (1265 –1321) is considered to be the greatest literary work in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. On the surface the book describes Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise but at a deeper level it allegorically represents the soul's journey towards God. It has been said that The Book of Arda Viraf, The Epistle of Forgiveness (Risālat al-ghufrān by Abul Ala Maarri), The Gospel and Iliad of Homer had left impression on Dante. Also, Sanā'ī Ghaznavi (died around 1131), Persian Sufi poet, in his work, “Seir Al Ibad Ila Al Ma’ad”, speaks about spiritual journey and the world of Divinity. The present article, by studying the similarities and differences between the two works, tries to discover if Seir Al Ibad Ila Al Ma’ad is the forerunner of Divine Comedy.