Jāmī

Jāmī, in full Mowlanā Nūr Od-dīn ʿabd Or-raḥmān
Ebn Aḥmad (b. Nov. 7, 1414, district of Jam—d. Nov.
9, 1492, Herāt, Timurid Afghanistan), Persian
scholar, mystic, and poet who is often regarded as
the last great mystical poet of Iran.
Jāmī spent his life in Herāt, except for two
brief pilgrimages to Meshed (Iran) and the Hejaz.
During his lifetime his fame as a scholar resulted
in numerous offers of patronage by many of the
contemporary Islāmic rulers. He declined most of
these offers, preferring the simple life of a mystic
and scholar to that of a court poet. His work is
notably devoid of panegyrics. His prose deals with a
variety of subjects ranging from Qurʾānic
commentaries to treatises on Ṣūfism (Islāmic
mysticism) and music. Perhaps the most famous is his
mystical treatise Lava’iḥ (Flashes of Light), a
clear and precise exposition of the Ṣūfī doctrines
of waḥdat al-wujūd (the existential unity of Being),
together with a commentary on the experiences of
other famous mystics.
Jāmī’s poetical works express his ethical and
philosophical doctrines. His poetry is fresh and
graceful and is not marred by unduly esoteric
language. His most famous collection of poetry is a
seven-part compendium entitled Haft Awrang (“The
Seven Thrones,” or “Ursa Major”), which includes
Salmān o-Absāl and Yūsof o-Zalīkhā. Although this
collection is modeled on the works of the
13th-century romantic poet Neẓāmī, it bears Jāmī’s
unmistakable mark of originality and intellectual
vigour.