Marmara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi

Öz

Language possesses a significant place in Sufism. Since in sûfî writings a metaphorical language is used in order to transmit the wisdom of the words. This is also aimed to hide
the deep spiritual meaning from those who are alien and even hostile to Sufism. There are also other reasons why a metaphorical and a symbolic language is used by Sufis such as: the limitation of the language in transmitting the sûfî experience, choosing the elected audience (hawass) for the message, the difficulty of expressing sûfî ecstasy in words and
similar other reasons. In sûfî literature this usage is called “mantiku’t-tayr / the language of the birds” a phrase taken from the holy Quran. The belief that prophet Suleiman knows
all the spoken languages is implied in this nomenclature. This language is also used in order to explain the unity of being (wahdat al-wujud). This article intends to study the nature
of “mantiku’t-tayr” as used in Mathnawi and in the other works of Rumi.