Attar

Farid al-Din Abu Hamid Muhammad Attar of Nishapur (c. 1145–1221) was one of the great Persian Sufi poets, mystics, and biographers. Born in Nishapur, he occupies an eminent place in the history of Persian mystical writing. In both poetry and prose, he wrote with unusual force and beauty about divine love, the spiritual path, and the search for knowledge of God.

Attar was a prolific author. His best-known works include Mantiq al-Tayr, Ilahi-nameh, Musibat-nameh, Asrar-nameh, and the prose collection Tadhkirat al-Awliyaʾ. Mantiq al-Tayr is among the great masnavis of Persian literature and Sufi thought. Through the allegorical journey of the birds, it explores the soul’s search for truth.

Attar holds a particularly high place in the Sufi tradition. Later mystical poets, most notably Jalal al-Din Rumi, acknowledged his influence. Themes of love, spiritual poverty, self-knowledge, and nearness to God run through his work and have spoken to generations of readers.

Attar died in Nishapur in 1221. His name endures among the foremost poets and thinkers of Persian Sufism.