The Conference of the Birds is a famous Sufi allegorical poem.
Sufism is the spiritual aspect of mystical Islam.
This poem dates back to the 12th century in Iran. It is written by Farid ud-Din Attar, a pharmacist well-educated in Arabic and medicine.
The Invocation enjoins us that we are busy with the luxury of things, and we are in confusion with things, with what we call knowledge.
We are reminded that everything originates from God.
The Conference of Birds also refers to a famous Hadith.
“Seek knowledge even if you have to go as far as China” is a well-known saying in the Muslim world.
It has its origin in the hadith—oral sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.
The hadith emphasised the Prophet’s desire that the ummah broaden their knowledge of the world.
It implicitly acknowledged that in China, there was much knowledge even in the 6th century AD.
Lwh @ Tbilisi
30 April 2025.
