UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

EAST-WEST DIALOGUE ON JALALUDDIN RUMI AND RALPH WALDO EMERSON IN RELATION TO MYSTICISM

HOSSEINALI LIVANI

FBMK 2013 42

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EAST-WEST DIALOGUE ON JALALUDDIN RUMI AND RALPH WALDO

EMERSON IN RELATION TO MYSTICISM

By

HOSSEINALI LIVANI

Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia,

in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts

August 2013

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DEDICATED

In humble gratitude to my parents

Ali and Azra Livani

For their sacred and enduring presence

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Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate of Universiti Putra Malaysia in fulfillment

of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts

EAST-WEST DIALOGUE ON JALALUDDIN RUMI AND RALPH WALDO

EMERSON IN RELATION TO MYSTICISM

By

HOSSEINALI LIVANI

August 2013

Chairman : Arbaayah Ali Termizi, PhD

Faculty : Modern Languages and Communication

This research explores and compares the mystical and philosophical ideas of

microcosm and macrocosm in selected works of Molana Rumi and Emerson.

Excavating these ideas in the selected works helps us to understand that these two

writers have similarities of thought in the depiction of the concepts. Therefore, the

concepts have been explored from two main sections. One is from the Greek‟s

philosophical point of view and the other from the Muslim‟s. In this regard, we

investigated the history, meaning and the purpose of applying these concepts in this

research. Greek and Muslim philosophers believe that microcosm is the human being

and macrocosm is the universe or the cosmos. They called human being, the

microcosm because they believed that he is a tiny replica of the universe or the

macrocosm. Their purpose to imply these concepts in their philosophical and literary

works was to establish the relationship of Man and the universe and to consider the

position of Man in the cosmos. Both of these philosophers believe that there are

correspondences within material and spiritual dimensions of Man and the universe by

which they mirror themselves. Molana Jalauddin Rumi (1207-1273), Persian poet

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and Muslim Sufi, has dealt profoundly with the concepts of microcosm and

macrocosm, in his Masnavi-e-Manavi. Molana Rumi‟s depiction of the microcosmic

Man revolves around the Islamic concept of the “Perfect Man.” On the other hand,

the American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), shares common

mystical and philosophical roots in his collected works of the first and second series,

despite his geographical distance and abiding in a quite different historical epoch.

Although we cannot call Emerson, a mystic, this comparative study excavated the

meaning and origin of these concepts and investigates them in the works of both

writers.

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Abstrak tesis yang dikemukakan kepada Senat Universiti Putra Malaysia sebagai

memenuhi keperluan untuk ijazah Master Sastera.

DIALOG TIMUR-BARAT ANTARA JALALUDDIN RUMI DAN RALPH

WALDO EMERSON BERKAITAN DENGAN MISTIK

Oleh

HOSSEINALI LIVANI

Ogos 2013

Pengerusi : Arbaayah Ali Termizi, PhD

Fakulti : Bahasa Moden Dan Komunikasi

Penyelidikan ini mengkaji dan membandingkan idea-idea mistik dan falsafah

berkaitan dengan konsep ‘microcosm’ dan ‘macrocosm’ yang terdapat di dalam

penulisan terpilih yang dihasilkan oleh Molana Rumi dan Emerson. Berdasarkan

konsep serta analisa terperinci yang dijalankan, didapati bahawa kedua-dua penulis

ini berada pada landasan persefahaman yang sama. Konsep yang dinyatakan akan

dikaji berdasarkan dari dua sudut pandangan iaitu sudut pandangan ahli falsafah

Yunani dan Islam. Dalam hal ini, penyelidikan tentang sejarah, maksud serta tujuan

utama dalam mengaplikasikan konsep-konsep ini telah dijalankan. Ahli falsafah

Yunani mahupun Islam percaya ‘microcosm’ ialah manusia manakala ‘macrocosm’

dikaitkan dengan alam semesta atau dikenali sebagai kosmos. Berdasarkan pendapat

ahli-ahli falsafah Yunani dan Islam, ianya digelar manusia kerana dipercayai

manusia hanyalah sebuah replika kecil yang berdiri teguh di alam semesta ini.

Agenda utama dalam mengimplikasikan konsep ini dalam penulisan sastera mahupun

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falsafah adalah untuk mewujudkan perkaitan kedudukan antara manusia dan alam

semesta. Perumpamaan seperti mencerminkan diri sendiri telah diakui oleh ahli

falsafah Yunani dan Islam melalui kewujudan perkaitan material dan spiritual antara

manusia dengan alam semesta. Molana Jalauddin Rumi (1207-1273) ialah seorang

penyair Parsi dan ahli Sufi telah menggunakan secara mendalam konsep ‘microcosm’

dan ‘macrocosm’ di dalam penulisannya iaitu ‘Masnavi-e-Manavi’. Penerangan

Rumi berkaitan dengan „microkosmik manusia‟ ialah berkisar akan konsep Islamik

iaitu „Manusia Sempurna‟. Manakala tokoh transcendentalist Amerika Ralph Waldo

Emerson (1803-1882) pada masa yang sama juga turut berkongsi akan persamaan

mistik dan juga falsafah yang terdapat di dalam beberapa siri penulisannya walaupun

ianya ditulis pada era dan juga konteks geografi yang berbeza. Oleh itu, kajian

perbandingan ini mengkaji dengan lebih mendalam tentang maksud dan asal-usul

konsep ‘microcosm’ dan ‘macrocosm’ berlandaskan kepada hasil penulisan Molana

Jalauddin Rumi dan Ralph Waldo Emerson.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all I have to thank Allah for his all-embracing support during my life. I

figured out that only in “His” will, is our peace.

In the Preparation of this thesis I have especially helped by the suggestive and

thoughtful criticism of my supervisor Dr Arbaayah Ali Termizi, the senior lecturer of

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, University Putra Malaysia. Dr

Wan Roselezam Bt Wan Yahya has been of much assistance in reading the work and

ensuring me of the validity of the contents.

I am also indebted to the kindness of Professor Dr Karim Douglas Crow for advice

which he has given me in reference to my part in this work and for his suggestions

and help in some cases of difficulty.

At the end, I wish to express my thanks to four of my intimate friends Mostafa

Behzadi, Mohammad Hesam Hesamian, Moein Assgari and Saeid Jafari for all the

unforgettable memories of music, poetry and laughter we have had in the dormitory,

P1, rooms: 227 & 228.

Hosseinali Livani

30 September 2013

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I certify that a Thesis Examination Committee has met on 27th

August 2013 to

conduct the final examination of Hosseinali Livani on his thesis entitled “East-West

Dialogue on Jalaluddin Rumi and Ralph Waldo Emerson in Relation to Mysticism”

in accordance with the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 and the

Constitution of the Universiti Putra Malaysia [P.U.(A) 106] 15 March 1998. The

Committee recommends that the student be awarded the Master of Arts.

Members of the Thesis Examination Committee were as follows:

Mohd Zariat bin Abdul Rani, PhD

Associate Professor

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication

Universiti Putra Malaysia

(Chairman)

Rosli bin Talif, PhD

Associate Professor

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication

Universiti Putra Malaysia

(Internal Examiner)

Shivani a/p Sivagurunathan, PhD

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication

Universiti Putra Malaysia

(Internal Examiner)

Sandra M. Gustafson, PhD

Professor

University of Notre Dame

United States of America

(External Examiner)

NORITAH OMAR, PhD

Associate Professor and Deputy Dean

School of Graduate Studies

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Date: 17 October 2013

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This thesis was submitted to the Senate of Universiti Putra Malaysia and has been

accepted as fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts. The

members of the Supervisory Committee were as follows:

Arbaayah Ali Termizi, PhD Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication

Universiti Putra Malaysia

(Chairman)

Wan Roselezam Wan Yahya

Associate Professor

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication

Universiti Putra Malaysia

(Member)

BUJANG BIN KIM HUAT, PhD

Professor and Dean

School of Graduate Studies

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Date:

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DECLARATION

Declaration by graduate student

I hereby confirm that:

This thesis is my original work;

Quotations, illustrations and citations have been duly referenced;

This thesis has not been submitted previously or concurrently for any other degree at any

other institutions;

Intellectual property from the thesis and copyright of thesis are fully owned by Universiti

Putra Malaysia, as according to the Universiti Putra Malaysia (Research) Rules 2012;

Written permission must be obtained from the supervisor and the office of Deputy Vice-

Chancellor (Research and Innovation) before thesis is published (in the form of written,

printed, or in electronic form) including books, journals, modules, proceedings, popular

writings, seminar papers, manuscripts, posters, reports, lecture notes, learning modules or

any other materials as stated in Universiti Putra Malaysia (Research) Rules 2012;

There is no plagiarism or data falsification/fabrication in the thesis, and scholarly

integrity is upheld as according to the Universiti Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies) Rules

2003 (Revision 2012-2013) and the Universiti Putra Malaysia (Research) Rules 2012.

The thesis has undergone plagiarism detection software.

Signature:------------------------- Date:----------------------------

Name and Matric No.: ………………………………….

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Declaration by Members of Supervisory Committee

This is to confirm that:

The research conducted and the writing of this thesis was under our supervision;

Supervision responsibilities as stated in the University Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies)

Rules 2003 (Revision 2012-2013) are adhered to.

Signature: …………………….. Signature: …………………………

Name of Name of

Chairman Member of

Supervisory Supervisory

Committee: …………………… Committee: ……………………….

Signature: …………………….. Signature: …………………………

Name of Name of

Member of Member of

Supervisory Supervisory

Committee: ……………………. Committee: ……………………….

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT iii

ABSTRAK v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii

APPROVAL viii

DECLARATION x

LIST OF TABLES xiv

LIST OF FIGURES xv

LIST OF PLATES xviii

LIST OF ABBREVATIONS xx

CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the problem 10 1.1

Research Questions 11 1.2

Research objectives 12 1.3

Significance of the study 12 1.4

Scope and limitation of the study 14 1.5

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 17 Introduction 17 2.1

Greek philosophy: Microcosm and Macrocosm 18 2.2

Pythagoreanism: Man and the universe 21 2.3

Plato and his conception of microcosm and macrocosm 25 2.4

Plotinus: Man and the Cosmos 30 2.5

Microcosm and Macrocosm among the Medieval/Renaissance thinkers 32 2.6

Islamic Philosophy and Hikmat (Wisdom): Microcosm and Macrocosm 34 2.7

Islamic Philosophers and their perception of Man and the Cosmos 35 2.8

Previous studies on Molana Jalaluddin Balkhi ( Rumi) 48 2.9

Previous studies on Ralph Waldo Emerson 60 2.10

2.11 Conclusion 71

3 METHODOLOGY 74 3.1 Introduction 74 3.2 Conceptual framework of the research 75

3.2.1 The significance of a comparative method for study 76 3.2.2 An introduction to comparative literature 77

4 MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM IN MOLANA JALALUDDIN’S

WORKS 83 Introduction 83 4.1

4.1.1 Mysticism 84 4.2 Universe; the Macrocosm 89

4.2.1 Dichotomy of Spirit and Matter 89

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4.2.2 Universe; an Intelligent Being 98

4.3 Man; Microcosm and Macrocosm 101 4.3.1 Dichotomy of Spirit and Matter 101 4.3.2 Names and the Vicegerency of God 104 4.3.3 Names and the Concept of Perfect Man 108

4.4 Conclusion 115

5 MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM IN R. W. EMERSON’S SELECTED

WORKS 119 5.1 Introduction 119

5.1.1 American Transcendentalism: A Brief Introduction 119 5.2 Microcosm and Macrocosm in Emerson‟s Works 125 5.3 Conclusion 142

6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 145 Introduction 145 6.1

Summary 145 6.2

6.3 Areas for further research 155

WORKS CITED 157

BIODATA OF STUDENT 163

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 164