Features of Mysticism and Confusion in the Poetry of Licentiousness in the Early Abbasid Era

Abstract

Entering the world of poets of Licentiousness in both poetic and cultural terms is not without its awe, as the student faces many dangers and difficulties; for they are, as entrenched in Arab culture, the rogue poets who strayed from the bonds of religion and society, and who transgress the values, morals, customs, and traditions of society. They are also the poets who, in most cases, are accused of heresy, alongside being the innovative poets in contrast to the calls for preserving the old.

   This intersects with the world of Sufi poets – a realm of hidden secrets and the pursuit of truth, and a rebellion against the mainstream in poetry and conduct.

     A careful examination of the poetry of debauchery and Sufism leads to the assertion that they share multiple characteristics and attributes, intertwining the old with the new in their verses, tradition with innovation, preservation with development, debauchery with asceticism, formality with popularity, and popularity with philosophy.

     This diversity represents, to a great extent, a profound response to the lived experience and the new ideas and philosophies of their respective eras.

     The discerning student tracing the poetry of debauchery finds, through careful and conscious reading, elements of confusion, doubt, alienation, and estrangement, and at times also a sense of asceticism and Sufism. From this diversity and richness, research seeks to find approaches that connect the poetry of debauchery and Sufism due to their shared characteristics and attributes, despite the significant differences between the two experiences, and between the direction and purpose of each.