The Manifestation of Woman as a Şūfī Motif in Modern Arabic Poetry: Abdul Wahāb al-Bayyātī as an Example

Abstract

The contemporary Arab poets have used the motif of women in their works to convey a variety of messages. Indeed, in many poetical works, the woman has played the role of an objective formula through which the modern Arab poet conveyed his idea, as if the woman were a mask. In fact, the woman is shown as a wide-ranging icon that helps the poet attain great ambitions and change the world around him. This image of the woman is influenced by the female character as depicted by medieval Sufi writers who regarded the woman as one of the major foundations of their writing. Consequently, they would select their female characters, give them glamorous names, and make them target of their writings. The content of the Sufi practices centered on love and craving. They considered that created woman their earthly mistress who aided them to reach their supreme lover, God. These Sufi rituals have profoundly impacted modern-day Arab poets. For purposes of focus, our work will discuss the echo of women in two poetical works of Abdul Wahāb al-Bayyātī. We seek to examine why this poet who is believed to represent modern writers, is magnetized to the Sufi image of woman. We assume that the Sufi treatment of women in modern Arabic poetry offers new insights into the dynamic potential of the motif and suggests a new critical approach.