Concept

The Allegory of Jesus, the Stone Pillow, and Iblis in Hadiqat al-Haqiqah

In Section 48 of Sanai's Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Jesus (Ruhollah) falls asleep using a discarded stone as a pillow. He is soon confronted by Iblis (Satan), who claims that the entire material world is his domain and accuses Jesus of encroaching upon it by relying on the stone. This narrative serves as a fundamental Sufi allegory for strict asceticism and absolute detachment from the material world. It illustrates that even the most minimal earthly comfort or possession acts as an attachment, tethering the spiritual seeker to the material realm and exposing them to devilish influence. This specific motif established by Sanai deeply influenced later Sufi literature, visibly directly inspiring Attar's parallel story of Jesus and the half-brick in the Mosibat Nameh.

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Updated 2026-07-03

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course