Concept Overview

In Chapter 8, Poem 40 of Mokhtar Nameh, Attar of Nishapur urges the spiritual seeker to transcend their identification with the temporary, worldly soul. The poem elaborates on the Sufi doctrine of 'dying before dying' (mawt qabl al-mawt), asserting that attachment to physical, mundane life is equivalent to spiritual death.

Key Themes

• The Illusion of Physical Life: Attar questions the value of a life sustained only by the worldly soul, viewing it as a state of spiritual stagnation or death.
• Mystical Death (Fana): The command to 'die before dying' calls for the voluntary annihilation of the ego and worldly desires.
• Spiritual Resurrection (Baqa): By voluntarily relinquishing the ego-self, the seeker attains true, eternal life in the divine presence.