Poetic and Functional Potentials of the "Line"Metaphorin Muhammad Füzuli's Layli and Majnun
Abstract
One of the symbols and metaphors employed in Muhammad Füzuli's Layli and Majnun is the line (writing). In this work, the metaphor attains both an inner (esoteric) and an outer (exoteric) meaning. Majnun (Qays) is a lover who strives to practice the art of love through writing. The line, or writing, becomes both his object of inspiration and his instrument of cognition.In Sufi teaching, before anything else, the concept of line (writing) is associated with the Divine Tablet (Lawh al-Mahfuz)-the celestial record in which all of God's decrees are inscribed. Fundamentally, a line represents the drawn form of a letter, Word, or thought. Within the discipline of Sufism, the beautiful rendering of this form gave rise to what is known as ḥusn al-khaṭṭ-the art of beautiful writing (calligraphy).In the process of writing beautifully, the human being seeks to create aesthetic forms that reflect his love for al-Ḥusn al-Muṭlaq-the Absolute Beauty. Everything inscribed with a beautiful line functionas a mirror reflecting the Divine Being. From the Sufi perspective, the "line"metaphor we seek to interpret encapsulates "writing"as divine information that shapes and determines human destiny.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Islamic Thought and Society Studies
Turkish Literature and Culture
Linguistic
Cultural
and Literary Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of The Scientific Mysticism and Literature
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 61–69
- Publication date
- 4 February 2026