“You made fragrant Our Name, so We make you Fragrant”: Bishr the Barefoot

Abstract

The article includes a Russian translation of the chapter devoted to Bishr Haf in Farid al-Din ʻAṭṭār's Memorial of God's Friends. Bishr the Barefoot (d. 842) was an early Suf saint, famous for his righteousness, selfess devotion and asceticism. The chapter is a narration of his spiritual biography. It is comprised of sayings of the mystic and stories connected with his life, which remained in the tradition. The main concepts discussed in the chapter are absolute trust in God (tavakkul), asceticism (zuhd) and contentment (riżā). Bishr Haf is also a character in ʻAttar's poems. The story about Bishr and the name of God can serve as an illustration of ʻAṭṭār's vision of poetry and the poet's role.