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1 Department of Persian Language and Literature Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.22108/jpll.2026.147168.1975
Abstract
Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ by Attār of Nishapur is one of the most significant works of Persian mystical prose from the sixth century AH. Written in a rhythmic and rhymed style, it narrates the lives and spiritual ranks of the Sufi saints. Among its various parts, the introductory sections of each chapter occupy a distinctive discursive position, for in them Attār employs balanced, rhymed prose to represent the sanctity and eminence of the saints. Drawing on Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and focusing on the three metafunctions—ideational, interpersonal, and textual—this study analyzes the discourse of these rhymed introductions. The research method is descriptive-analytical and based on qualitative analysis of selected samples. The corpus consists of seventy-two introductory passages from Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ, examined in terms of syntactic structures, lexical choices, and discursive context. The findings reveal that through the use of rhymed structures, material and mental processes, and referential pronouns, Attār constructs a “sacred, didactic, and laudatory” discourse in which language functions as a means of representing mystical experience and reinforcing the saints’ spiritual authority. The ideational metafunction relies on descriptive and transitive structures; the interpersonal metafunction highlights relations of reverence and humility between the speaker and the subject; and the textual metafunction maintains linguistic cohesion and balance through rhythm and rhyme. Overall, the systemic-functional analysis demonstrates that Attār’s rhymed prose is not merely aesthetic but functional, reproducing mystical and ideological meanings through the linguistic system.
Movahedi rad, M. and irani, N. (2026). Discourse Analysis of the Rhymed Introductions in Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ within Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic Framework. Research on Mystical Literature, (), -. doi: 10.22108/jpll.2026.147168.1975
MLA
Movahedi rad, M. , and irani, N. . "Discourse Analysis of the Rhymed Introductions in Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ within Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic Framework", Research on Mystical Literature, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22108/jpll.2026.147168.1975
HARVARD
Movahedi rad, M., irani, N. (2026). 'Discourse Analysis of the Rhymed Introductions in Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ within Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic Framework', Research on Mystical Literature, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22108/jpll.2026.147168.1975
CHICAGO
M. Movahedi rad and N. irani, "Discourse Analysis of the Rhymed Introductions in Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ within Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic Framework," Research on Mystical Literature, (2026): -, doi: 10.22108/jpll.2026.147168.1975
VANCOUVER
Movahedi rad, M., irani, N. Discourse Analysis of the Rhymed Introductions in Tadhkirat al-Awliyāʾ within Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic Framework. Research on Mystical Literature, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22108/jpll.2026.147168.1975
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