Cosmology in the Drawings of Fażlallāh Astarābādī’s Jāvdānnāma
Fatih UsluerThis article aims to discuss the meaning of the circular drawings in Hurufism’s founding text, Jāvdānnāma, written by Fażlallāh Astarābādi (d. 1394), the founder of Hurufism. By closely reading four distinct manuscripts of Jāvdānnāma, I list all eight circular drawings in the manuscripts with Arabic translations in this article. I then introduce the Ḥurūfī doctrine and discuss how the medieval and early modern Ḥurūfīs interpreted and discussed them. Finally, through a discussion of traditional medieval cosmology, I put the circular drawings in their proper context. This article demonstrates how Fażlallāh merged traditional cosmological knowledge with Hurufi philosophy. Through these circular drawings, Fażlallāh and his disciples clearly positioned human beings (adam) at the center of creation and supported this belief through their interpretation of cosmology. Neither Jāvdānnāma nor its interpretations nor the circular drawings have been published or studied in depth. The interpretation of these circular drawings not only provides a foundation for future research on Hurufi doctrines but also provides a new perspective for traditional cosmological studies.
علم الفلك في أشکال جاودان نامه لفضل الله الحروفي
Fatih Usluerإن الهدف من هذا البحث هو شرح األشکال الدائرية في کتاب جاوداننامه لفضل الله األسترابادي، مؤسس الحروفية في القرن الثامن الهجري. نقّم األشکال الدائرية من مختلف المخطوطات لجاوداننامه ََ نتطرق إلی شروح الحروفيين لفقرات هذه األشکال مع ذکر العبارات وشرح سياقاتها وتسلسلها، و ِن ومفرداتها. وفي النهاية، نبحث في تطّر علم الفلك التقليدي ومقارنته مع نتائج البحث. أظهرت هذه الدراسة أ ّ فضل الله جمع علم الفلك التقليدي مع فلسفته، ور ّز علی تطبيق فلسفته عليه، وبفضل شروح ُظهر الدراسة أن الحروفيين يرون أ ّ اإلنسان يقع في الحروفيين انجلت معاني هذه األشکال أكثر. و ِبت باللهجة الجرجانية الفارسية، وشروحاتها في حيز مرکز الخلق والعالم. بقيت جاوداننامه التي المخطوطات، والبحوث التي تناولت الحروفية تجنبت دراسة هذه األشکال، وأن هذا المقال سيمکن الباحثين من إجراء دراسة أعمق وأشمل لفلسفة الحروفية، ويعطي وجهة نظر أخری لبحوث علم الفلك التقليدي ومقارنتها مع غيرها.
Fazlullah Hurufi’nin Câvidân-nâme’sindeki Şekillerde İlm-i Felek
Fatih UsluerBu makale, Fazlullah Esterâbâdî (ö. 1394) tarafından yazılmış olan Hurufiliğin temel metni Câvidân-nâme’de geçen dairevî şekilleri açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır. Makalede öncelikle Câvidân-nâme’nin dört nüshasında geçen toplam sekiz farklı dairesel şekil Arapça tercümeleriyle birlikte verilmiştir. Bu dairelerde yazılmış olan ibareler Hurufi felsefesine göre açıklandıktan sonra Hurufi düşünürler tarafından bunların nasıl yorumlandığı gösterilmiştir. Son olarak da bu çizimler geleneksel kozmoloji ilmi açısından değerlendirmeye tabi tutulmuştur. Makale, Fazlullah’ın geleneksel kozmoloji ile Hurufi felsefesini nasıl bağdaştırdığını göstermektedir. Fazlullah ve talebeleri bu çizimlerde ve yorumlarında görüleceği gibi varlığın merkezine “insan”ı koymuşlar ve bu inancı kozmoloji yorumlarıyla desteklemişlerdir. Daha önce Câvidân-nâme ve bu eserde geçen şekiller yayınlanmamış ve tahlil edilmemiştir. Bu dairevi şekillerin yorumu Hurufilik üzerine yapılacak araştırmalar için daha sağlam bir zemin sağlamanın yanında geleneksel kozmoloji araştırmaları için de yeni bir perspektif sunacaktır.
Following the execution of Fażlallāh Astarābādī by Mīrānshāh in 796/1394, a considerable number of caliphs and disciples were left behind, possessing intellectual background to ensure the continued survival and transmission of his works to future generations. The most significant and comprehensive work of Fażlallāh is undoubtedly the Jāvdānnāma. In his Kursīnāma, Fażlallāh’s caliph ‘Alī al-A’lā states that in 788/1386, the secret of the Quran emerged from Fażlallāh and that the main book, Jāvdānnāma, was written. This was initially composed in a disorganized manner on various rolls of paper. Following his death, he made some annotations and markings to facilitate the organization of these papers. Fażlallāh himself named the book Jāvdānnāma, a designation explained by the Quranic assertion that those who desire the face of Allah ‘will remain there eternally’ ( َد َ ِيها َ يِخا). In other words, this book leads to the knowledge of eternity, where everything perishes, and only His face remains.
Jāvdānnāma-ye Kabīr is primarily written in the Gurgan dialect of Persian, which is no longer spoken and is mixed with standard Persian. The fact that this work was written over a long period of time and under different physical conditions has led to the existence of long and monolithic chapters as well as short sections, memorable notes, and fragmentary sentences.
Three works in world literature have been written in this dialect, all related to Hurufism. In addition, all of these works contain sentences written in standard Persian and Gurgan dialect. These works are Fażlallāh’s Jāvdānnāma-ye Kabīr and Muhabbatnāma, and Fażlallāh’s disciple Sayyid Ishāq’s Mahramnāma.
Jāvdānnāma-ye Kabīr contains a total of eight circular figures, each drawn on a different page and accompanied by notes written inside them. The notes are in Persian and the Gurgan dialect of Persian, and include Arabic verses and hadiths. This article aims to elucidate the significance of these circular drawings. A close reading of four distinct manuscripts of Jāvdānnāma-ye Kabīr has enabled the identification of all eight circular figures, which are presented here with Arabic translations. The article then introduces the Ḥurūfī doctrine and discusses how medieval and early modern Ḥurūfīs, especially Hamza Bey, interpreted and discussed these figures. Finally, the article discusses the traditional medieval cosmology and places the circular drawings in their proper context.
Hamza Bey is the only Ḥurūfī author who has commented on these figures. Our knowledge of Hamza Bey is somewhat limited, but it is recorded that he died in 1033/1623. In addition the terms “Hamza Bey” and “Hamza Efendi” were used to refer to him, his Turkish commentaries suggest that he lived in the Ottoman geography. Hamza Bey represents the final link in the chain of succession, which began with Fażlallāh’s caliph ‘Alī al-A’lā and continued through Mīr Fāżılī, Mīrzā Dastburīda Muhammad and Jāwidī. Similar to his master Jāwidī, Hamza Bey composed commentaries on Fażlallāh’s works. He wrote two distinct commentaries on Jāvidānnāma. The first commentary is represented by three copies (Millet Library, Ali Emiri Persian, no. 1046, in the margin of the copy of Jāvidānnāma; Basel University Library, Tschudi, M VI 70, ff. 1b-148a; Basel University Library, Tschudi, M VI 71, ff. 68b-169b) and the second commentary is represented by a single copy (Basel University Library, Tschudi, M VI 71, ff. 68b-169b).
This article illustrates how Fażlallāh integrated traditional medieval cosmology with Hurufism philosophy. Through these circular drawings, Fażlallāh and his disciples clearly position human beings at the center of their beliefs and supported this belief through an interpretation of cosmology. Neither the circular drawings themselves nor their interpretations have been published or subjected to in-depth study. The interpretation of these circular drawings not only provides a more solid foundation for future research on Hurufi doctrines but also offers a novel perspective on the study of traditional medieval cosmology.
