Moral Virtues in the Poetry of Qasemi and al-Yaziji

 
Introduction
 In Persian and Arabic literature, there are poets who devoted special attention to morality. Therefore, a large portion of their poetry are devoted to this matter. “Morality refers to a set of standards to which humans must comply” (Fouchécour, 1998: 211). Poetry, among other matters, is a reflection of moral thoughts across different cultures. Qasemi Gonabadi and Nasif al-Yaziji paid attention to virtues and moral advice in their poetry; Qasemi’s masnawīs The Essence of Poems (Zobdat  al-Ashar) and The Majority of Poems (Omdat al-Ashar), and al-Yaziji’s diwan. There are poems with didacticism themes in al-Yaziji’s diwan (Al-Fakhoury, 1995: 677). Qasemi also “focused on moral issues in all his masnawīs” (Qasemi Hosayni Gonabadi, 2015: 17).
Belief in one God and in prophets, along with the poets’ attention to and interest in the Qur’an and Qur’anic teachings and Nahj al-Balagha in their works encouraged us to compare their perspectives in terms of moral virtues.
Indeed, this study aims at examining and comparing moral virtues in the works of the two poets. The other goal of the study is to encourage the young generation’s interest in the rich and long history of the Persian language based on the ideas of Iranian scientists in the past centuries.
Knowledge, humility, honesty, patience and loyalty constitute the core of moral virtues in the two poets’ works.
The article aims to answer these questions:

What are the common moral themes in Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s poems according to Khaje Nasir al-Din al-Tusi’s category of moral virtues? How?
Are there any differences between the two authors’ attention to moral virtues?

The main purpose of this paper is to examine common moral virtues in Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s poems.
 

Methodology

 This study draws on library resources and available documents. To analyze the data, a descriptive-analytic approach is taken. In doing so, Khaje Nasir al-Din al-Tusi’s category of moral virtues in the book Nasirean Ethics is used within the American School of comparative literature. There has been no research on the comparison of moral virtues in Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s poems.
 

Discussion

 Moral virtues have always been in poets’ spotlight; poets who lived in two or more lands far from each other, but their intellectual similarities cannot be overlooked. Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s goal in using these moral virtues is to praise and honor human virtues or to encourage goodness and righteousness. “Morality means how society perceives what is wise albeit in practice than theory. That is the reason why Khaje Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and many others before him put morality under ‘practical wisdom’” (Fouchécour, 1998: 8-9).
In his book Nasirean Ethics, al-Tusi enumerates four main virtues: wisdom, courage, chastity and justice (Khaje Nasir, 1994: 109). For any of these virtues, he introduces some subcategories (Ibid: 109-117). In what follows, a summary of common moral virtues in Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s poems is presented according to al-Tusi’s category.
3.1. Wisdom
 Of al-Tusi’s subcategories for “wisdom”, “knowledge” is chosen and common points in Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s poems are briefly reviewed.
3.1.1. Knowledge
Qasemi has praised knowledge in all his poems. For example, he wrote four pages on the importance of knowledge under the title “In Honor of Knowledge and People” in The Essence of Poems (Qasemi, 2014: 182-186). He calls knowledge the water of life and a reason for survival.
Resort to knowledge and wisdom for salvation/it is the staff of life for survival and immortality (Qasemi, 2015: 184).
The magnificent features of this poem are: it is easy to understand and is sophisticated, not to mention its pleasant aesthetics.
For al-Yaziji, knowledge is the source of life and survival of the scholars’ names:
How many kings disappeared [by reputation] after their death, while scholars’ names always remain among people (al-Yaziji, 1983: 45).
Beauties of al-Yaziji’s poems are:

Positioning the word “king” before “scholars” indicates the superiority of the rank and position of knowledge and scholars over kings.
“Populace” means common people and scholars. That is, the name of ordinary knowledgeable people will be remembered but not the name of kings.

Qasemi puts emphasis on knowledge (if combined with action) and scholars.
Knowledge and practice both together to make [human beings] prosperous in this world and Hereafter (Qasemi, 2015, p. 217)
Using similes and parables, he manifests the importance of knowledge combined with action through various forms (Qasemi, 215: 161).
For Al-Yaziji, action drives life and is the source of the world’s survival:
You should resort to knowledge. So, ask for it without laziness and act on it because a wise life makes sense only through practice. (al-Yaziji, 1983: 400).
3.2. Courage
3.2.1. Humility
  For both Qasemi and al-Yaziji, humility is associated with being lofty:
Someone who practices humility, his status is as lofty as the sky, and his value is excellent. (Qasemi, 980 AH: 113).
Al-Yaziji considers humility to be the cause of nobility. It also has verses close to this theme. (al-Yaziji, 1983: 306).
He is the one whose humility is higher than dignity. Every time his rank and position rise, he tells himself to sit down and not be arrogant. (al-Yaziji, 1983: 203).
3.3. Chasity
3.3.1. Patience
Patience is a key concept in the vast Islamic culture. It is stated in the Qur'an “... God is with the patient” (Al-Baqarah: 153).
Qasemi considers patience to be a source of peace and refuge for man in hardships;
I am at the heart of the sea of hardship and suffering, but I seek refuge in patience (Qasemi, 2014: 194).
When you flower look at the face, you tore the shirt of patience
Qasemi used the beautiful metaphor “the flower’s shirt of patience being torn” and Al-Yaziji calls patience the most valuable medicine and treatment in hardships:
Patience is the most valuable thing that heals the wounded/It wounds the heart and shows the paths to God (al-Yaziji, 1983: 222).
Be patient during the difficulties, hardships, and events of the time coming one after the other (al-Yaziji, 1983: 222).
3.4. Justice
3.4.1. Loyalty
  In all his masnawīs, Qasemi strongly emphasizes keeping the promise. He believes that anyone who breaks his oath is an animal lower than a dog:
He is one of the loyal/ but a dog’s life is full of lust!
But whoever breaks his oath out of misery, he is a dog, but a disloyal one. (Qasemi, 2015: 187).
al-Yaziji also praised loyalty and considered it one of the qualities of generous people and breaking the oath is one of the characteristics of the wicked:
Fulfilling the oath is one of the virtues of honorable people, while breaching it is a feature of wretches (al-Yaziji, 1983: 324).
3.4.2. Honesty
Qasemi and al-Yaziji have repeatedly praised the virtue of honesty and honest people. Using the title highness, Qasemi praises honest people:
You practice honesty, dignity, and sincerity. Oh, my friend! May God protects you from the evils of the time!
May God bless you! May honesty be your way until the Day of Doom! (Qasemi, 2015: 197).
Al-Yaziji also praises the praised for being honest and trustful:
Those who keep their promises and avoid deception are honest people and do not lie (al-Yaziji, 1983:301).
 

Conclusion

 Persian and Arabic literature are quite similar on many grounds. Both Qasemi Gonabadi and Nasif al-Yaziji addressed moral virtues in their poetry. Such scholars as Khaje Nasir al-Din al-Tusi have written books on morality and ethics. al-Tusi developed a classification of moral virtues. Following the American School of comparative literature, common moral virtues were examined in Qasemi’s and al-Yaziji’s poetry. The analysis suggests, both poets similarly paid attention to moral virtues. The two poets wrote poems concerning such moral virtues as wisdom, courage, chastity and justice. Knowledge is one of these virtues as both poets praised cognitive certainty and knowledge combined with action. Qasemi had topics and anecdotes concerning knowledge and acting on knowledge. He wrote 70 verses on the value of knowledge and 80 verses on criticizing and condemning knowledge without action. Modesty is another common feature of the two poets’ works, which equips the modest person with honor. Mentions should be made of courage, chastity and patience on which the poets wrote verses. Loyalty was considered a virtue of the noble people, and both poets praised honesty. Qasemi also used similes and animal symbols to manifest moral virtues. Appealing literary devices can be seen in their poems.
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