The Stylistics of Noz’hat-ul-Oqul fi Lataif el-Fusul and Uncertainty about Attributing It to the Author of the Jawame ul-Hikayat va Lavame ul- Ravayat

Introduction

Text stylistics is one of the most important ways to reach the historical boundaries of works; by studying the stylistics of a text and examining its linguistic, intellectual, and literary domains, one can determine its type of prose and its period. Therefore, what is important in these studies is form and content. Bahar defines style as: "Style in literary terms refers to a specific method of perceiving and expressing ideas through the combination of words, choice of vocabulary, and mode of expression-style gives a literary work its own unique aspect in terms of form and meaning. Therefore, style in its general sense is the realization of a literary type of perception in the world that determines the main characteristics of its product (a composed or written work)", (Bahar, 2014: 1/16). Bahar considers form and content as important in determining style (Bahar, 2014: 1/17). Farshidvard also refers to the importance of form and content in determining style: "Style emerges from the combination of spiritual and formal features of a literary work" (Farshidvard, 1999: 2/219). Mahjoub considers style as the expression of the writer's or poet's thought in his own special way (Mahjoub, n.d: 49). Shamisa considers three conditions of a special perspective, selection, and deviation from norms necessary for achieving style (Shamisa, 2001: 15). However, today there are different approaches to style that can be referred to for further understanding of stylistics (Fotouhi, 2012: 125-196). In any case, it must be acknowledged that what is important in the analysis of the style of a work is the formal and content analysis that encompasses the three linguistic, intellectual, and literary domains. These three domains can help us in determining the type of prose and its historical boundaries.

Methodology

The method of collecting information in this study is library research and data extraction. This research was conducted using an analytical-descriptive method, and its statistical population includes the book "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul fi Latayef el-Fosool" and books on stylistics.
 

Discussion

The present study aims to examine the stylistic features of the text in the three linguistic, intellectual, and literary domains using textual data, while enumerating the features of the handwritten version of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul fi Latayef el-Fosool" by Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Muhammad Yahya Aufi. Since the name of the writer and the date are not mentioned in the single manuscript of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" (Ayatollah Marashi Library No. 9084), this research aims to determine its historical period and type of prose based on stylistic features. The present research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, and based on the conducted analysis, the linguistic features of this text date back to the sixth to eighth centuries. Moreover, from a literary point of view, it is a technical prose that focuses mainly on description and literature. It has benefited from new literary industries based on technical prose, such as simile, metaphor, innovative themes, interpretive use of letters, and author's analogies. From an intellectual perspective, this work is included in texts that represent Islamic ethical concepts. The author's respect for Shia Imams is also evident in the text. However, based on the present research, there is doubt and skepticism about attributing the text "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" to the author of "Jawame ul-Hikayat". The reasons for this suspicion are as follows:

Inconsistency in attributing the authors of these two works to Abdur Rahman Aufi

 In the twenty-fourth chapter of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul fi Latayef el-Fosool", which is written about gratitude, the author speaks of Abdurrahman Afui, who is the great uncle of the author: "It has been narrated from Abdurrahman Auf-may God be pleased with him that he is the great uncle of the author of these chapters..." (Aufi, n.d: 110 a). The same phrase appears at the beginning of a story in "Jawame ul-Hikayat" in the fourteenth chapter of the second part, which is about gratitude, with the difference that instead of uncle, ancestor is mentioned: "It is reported that Abdul Rahman Auf - may God be pleased with him - who is the ancestor of the author of the book.." (Musafa, 2014: 367.  

No reference to "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" in other works of Aufi

If we are based on Aq Qala's claim that "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" is from the author of "Jawame ul-Hikayat", there are two possibilities for when this text was written. One is the same one given by Safari Aq Qala, which is based on the fact that this text was written before "Jawame ul-Hikayat": "The author of these lines thinks that Aufi wrote "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" before "Jawame ul-Hikayat", and later, when he wanted to compose a huge text such as "Jawame ul-Hikayat", he wrote parts of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" is included in the text. The fact that confirms this point is that at the beginning of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul", the author mentioned his two books named Ghoniyat el-Awsaf and Maniyat el-Wasaf, as well as Zubadat ol-Maali, and if he had written this work after his two voluminous and valuable works - "Lobab ol-Albab" and "Jawame ul-Hikayat", as a result, he should have mentioned those two writings in the preface of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul". (Safari Aq Qala, 1391: 14). The opposite of this possibility can also be true. What can be the reason that the name of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" is not mentioned in the "Jawame ul-Hikayat" and "Lobab ol-Albab"?! If there was no reference to other works of Aufi in any of the mentioned texts, this concern would not have arisen in the minds of the writers. In the historical books, there is a mention of Lobab, Jawme and the translation of Faraj bad al-Shadat, but there is no mention of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul". Can't this be a place of doubt?! The second possibility, which is not considered by Safari Agh Qala, is that he wrote "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" after the "Jawame ul-Hikayat" and "Lobab ol-Albab". If so, one should ask oneself what is the reason for not mentioning this great work of his in the preface of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul"? While in the preface of this book, the author of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" has even mentioned his booklet, but he has never mentioned the two great works of "Jawame ul-Hikayat" and "Lobab ol-Albab" (Aufi, n.d: 1a). It seems that this issue also creates doubt in identifying these two aufis as one.

Incompatibility of the style of the Jawame ul-Hikayat with Noz’hat-ul-Oqul

In stylistics, Bahar has pointed out a key point in connection with the "Jawame ul-Hikayat". He believes that: "It is better to obtain the true style of Aufi from the "Lobab ol-Albab"; because it is not clear whether a story is written by him or it is directly quoted from a Persian book (Bahar, 2013: 3/38). According to Bahar's opinion, these anecdotes can be directly quoted from another Persian book. This case can seem reasonable to the owner of "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul". Based on this, can these similarities be a convincing and sufficient reason to recognize them as one?
 

Conclusion

"Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" is a technical prose written by Abu Tahir Muhammad Aufi, in which its technicality is reduced in some parts of the text to match the narrative style. However, it cannot be denied that the majority of this text is technical. The stylistic features of the text and the use of poetry by poets before the seventh century place this text in a period before the seventh century. Linguistically, there are stylistic features in it that belong to texts from the sixth to eighth centuries. Some of these linguistic features include: the letter "ya" indicating continuity, omission of pronouns referring to verbs, writing "Ke" connects letters as "kei", special pronunciations and writings, neglected Persian and Arabic words. From an intellectual point of view, "Noz’hat-ul-Oqul" includes narratives with Islamic ethical content. Throughout these narratives, in addition to their content, important mystical figures such as Bayazid Bastami, Junaid Baghdadi, Mansur Hallaj, Rabia bint Qazdari are mentioned. Respect for Shia Imams is also seen in these narratives. From a literary point of view, it has extensively used various literary industries based on its stylistic features. These industries include: simile (in various forms), metaphor (in various forms), various types of allegory, various types of ambiguity, innovative thematic compositions, interpretive use of letters, and author's analogies. In the final part of this research, the authors conclude that the attribution of this work to Aufi (the owner of "Jawme ul-Hikayat") is doubtful.