The Contrast of Spatial Metaphors in Ahmed Ghazali's Savanih al-Ushshaq and Rozbehan Baqli's Abhar al-Asheqin

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor,Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, encyclopedia compiling research center

10.22054/msil.2026.21672
Abstract
The language of mystical texts, due to the abstract nature of intuitive experiences, inevitably relies on the objectification of supramaterial concepts through various mental imageries, including spatial metaphors. The present study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of spatialized metaphors in two seminal 12th-century (6th AH) works: Ahmad Ghazali’s Sawanih al-Ushshaq and Ruzbihan Baqli’s Abhar al-Ashiqin. Adopting a descriptive-analytical method based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson), the findings reveal that the divergent mystical orientations of these two authors have resulted in the creation of two distinct spatial patterns. In Sawanih, Ahmad Ghazali foregrounds the "Path" schema and the "Wilderness" metaphor, utilizing space as a tool for the "negation of distance," ultimately aiming for "spacelessness" and "unity." Conversely, Ruzbihan Baqli in Abhar al-Ashiqin relies on "Container" and "Link" schemata, reconstructing space through metaphors such as the "Palace" and "Place of Manifestation" (tajalligah) to facilitate the contemplation of Beauty through a spatial hierarchy of veils. The contrast between these two patterns indicates that in Ghazali’s "Union-oriented" mysticism, space is a "veil" that must be dismantled, whereas in Ruzbihan’s "Beauty-oriented" mysticism, space is a "sacred locus of manifestation." This divergent selection of image schemata has directly influenced their linguistic styles: the inclination toward the "Point" in Sawanih leads to structural brevity (Ijaz), while the "multiplicity of containers" in Abhar al-Ashiqin results in visionary prolixity (Itnab) and a sophisticated, layered prose style

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