ABSTRACT
Reflecting on some anecdotes and narratives in mystical texts reveals that certain characters and protagonists occasionally undergo character substitution, such that the character associated with an anecdote in one book differs from that in another, despite the presence of common themes and elements. Since the character is the most important element of the plot, each character has specific actions and functions, and characters and their functions are therefore inseparable. In view of this important principle, the authors and narrators of mystical texts repeatedly altered the characters of the anecdotes they transmitted in order to enhance variety and appeal, increase their dramatic potential, facilitate the communication of mystical teachings, and make a greater impact on their audiences. This transformation begins with at least two characters and sometimes involves as many as fourteen. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, this study examines character substitution in nineteen mystical texts dating from the fourth century to, at most, the ninth century AH. By selecting thirty-five anecdotes related to the subject, it investigates the reasons and motivations behind this storytelling technique and demonstrates the extent to which the author's mystical experiences, ideological tendencies, aspirations and idealizations, as well as fidelity to the original text and source available to the author, influenced the substitution of characters in the anecdotes.
Introduction
Anecdotes play a crucial role in mystical texts and constitute one of their most significant components. Authors use these anecdotes to convey their intended meanings and enable readers to examine the worldview and mystical framework of a particular mystic from the perspective of anecdotes. Characters in these anecdotes are often associated with mystical experiences. Sufi texts generally contain instructive anecdotes. Consequently, these works place considerable emphasis on the stories they contain, using them to educate disciples and exert a profound influence on them. Mystical anecdotes serve multiple purposes, including instruction, providing variety, enhancing appeal, and facilitating the understanding and simplification of complex themes. Moreover, these stories incorporate the distinctive customs and conduct of the Sufis and make the mystical worldview more accessible to their audiences.
In addition to these purposes, another noteworthy feature of mystical anecdotes is the phenomenon of "character substitution." This occurs when an anecdote originally attributed to certain characters in one book is later attributed to different characters in another text. Although the subject of the anecdote remains the same, its characters and protagonists are changed. Various reasons and motivations underlie this substitution. It is important to note that in this type of storytelling, functions and characters are inseparable. Each character has their own actions and specific function. Furthermore, the substitution of a character often leads to changes in other elements of the story, such as time, place, dialogue, level of detail, perspective, and narration. This is because the character, as the most important element of the plot, influences the other components and elements of the story. Nevertheless, the central idea of the anecdote remains unchanged.
Authors and narrators of mystical literature frequently express their sentiments, emotions, convictions, desires, and mystical experiences through the perspective and consciousness of their favored characters. By shaping the characters' identities, they effectively convey their own aspirations, objectives, and motivations.
Various texts relate the anecdote known as "The Sea and Gold Fishes in the Mouth" to a wide range of individuals, including renowned figures such as Dhu'l-Nun al-Misri, Ibrahim Adham, and Malik ibn Dinar, as well as lesser-known or unidentified individuals such as Ibrahim Saad, Abu Rihana, the dervish on the ship, a young man wearing patches, and a man in rags.
Literature Review
The investigations conducted to date indicate a lack of independent studies devoted specifically to this subject. The available sources provide only limited and fragmented information. In her book Narrative structure of mystical anecdotes, Rezvanian (2010) examines the narrative structure of three mystical texts: Kashf al-Mahjub, Asrar al-Tawhid, and Tadhkirat al-Awliya. In the chapter entitled "Similar Stories in Terms of Content and Authorial Perception," she analyzes the common elements among the anecdotes found in these three books.
In his 2016 book Sources of the Sun, Heydarzadeh Sardroud analyzes Sufi anecdotes in the Masnavi. He examines these anecdotes under the broader theme of "A Review of Rumi's Actions," as well as under the more specific category of "Character and Characterization," focusing on the principal character of the anecdote under discussion. The process of transforming one character into another is also mentioned.
In the article "Character Development in Stories Similar Attar’s and Molavi’s," Heydari examines and explains the common elements in the stories of Attar and Molavi, as well as Rumi's influence on the narratives of his predecessors, particularly Attar. Through a detailed analysis of the texts in question, the author provides a comprehensive account of character substitutions and the underlying reasons and motivations for these changes and interventions.
Methodology
The objective of this research is to investigate the process of character substitution in mystical anecdotes. Specifically, it examines the ways, purposes, and motivations underlying the substitution of characters. To address this question, the author employs a descriptive-analytical approach to examine nineteen mystical texts, focusing specifically on anecdotes in which character substitution occurs. Attar's Tadhkirat al-Awliya has been selected as the primary and fundamental source because of the high frequency of this phenomenon and the substantial number of relevant anecdotes found in it, with thirty-six instances identified.
Findings
The principal objective of the present study is to investigate the underlying reasons for the phenomenon of character substitution in major works of Sufi mystical literature. The findings demonstrate that character substitution in mystical narratives may be attributed to one or more of the following factors: the narrator's personal disposition, lived experiences, and profound admiration for particular spiritual authorities; ideological orientations and the sanctification of prominent figures within the Sufi tradition; intra-order ideological tendencies aimed at constructing a distinct Sufi identity and affirming the superiority of intuitive spiritual cognition over philosophical reasoning and theological disputation; familial relationships and genealogical or marital affiliations, together with the narrator's idealizing imagination and wishful projection, employed to reinforce the spiritual eminence (farrahmandi) and charismatic authority of eminent Sufi masters; disparities in the sources and textual materials available to authors and transmitters of mystical narratives, on the one hand, and the later author's adherence to earlier textual authorities, on the other; the deliberate substitution of one Sufi master for another in order to enhance the persuasive power of the narrative and increase its rhetorical impact upon the audience; the author's attempt to absolve a well-known and revered mystic of error or moral lapse; the close companionship and association of like-minded disciples; similarity in the personal names of the characters featured in the narratives; paronomastic resemblance and phonetic affinity among the family names of the characters; and, finally, the intention to communicate the moral and mystical message embedded in the narrative more effectively and to leave a more profound and enduring impression upon its audience.
Conclusion
Anecdotes, widely recognized as prominent and influential components and motifs in mystical texts, serve a crucial purpose in facilitating the comprehension of Sufi themes and enhancing their impact on audiences. They also contribute to moral instruction by strengthening the resolve of disciples and encouraging them to persevere in their actions. These stories can be examined from various perspectives in terms of their structure and content. One notable aspect is the representation of characters across different mystical texts.
For a variety of reasons, such as personal interest in a particular individual or mystic or the desire to establish their own spiritual authority, the author or narrator of a mystical text may intervene in the actions and identities of the characters in an anecdote. This may involve correcting errors or shortcomings attributed to a revered figure or demonstrating the dominance of love and mystical intuition over logic and rationality by substituting one character for another.
Substituting one character for another in a story can significantly affect various aspects of the narrative, including its setting, timeframe, narrator, perspective, dialogue, level of detail, brevity, outcome, and purpose. Although contemporary readers may prioritize the moral and epistemological outcomes of reading a story over the identity or characterization of its protagonists, it is important to recognize that the authors of mystical texts pursued their own objectives, interests, and motivations by altering the identities of the characters associated with these stories. This is particularly evident when a later text portrays an anecdotal character in a manner that contradicts the name and attributes associated with that character in earlier and more foundational Sufi texts.