Investigation of the Manifestations of Poverty in the Honorable Book of Sahifeh Sajjadiyeh and Masnavi Ma'anavi

Abstract

Poverty is amongst the terms undergone a lot of semantic evolutions in the course of time; it is interpreted and defined differently by the lexicologists, philosophers and theosophists. It has been ranging in meaning from the lowest degrees of disgrace and inferiority to the peak of pride and esteem. There is always raised this question in the mind as to what whether destitution is truly a disgrace or an honor? Why it is sometimes so heinous that it gets the mankind close to blasphemy and occasionally so admired that instigates pride and honor? The most important goal of the present study is finding an answer to the foresaid question based on a search in the honorable book of Sahifeh Sajjadiyeh and Masnavi Ma’anavi though references have also been made to the ideas of the other elders of the canon and conduct in order to better foster the issue. This study also elaborates the positive and negative effects of the material poorness and the reason for the theosophical poverty, as well. This is done based on an analytical-descriptive method along with presentation of the evidence and examples from Sahifeh Sajjadiyeh and Masnavi’s Ma’anavi followed by interpretation and clarification of them.