Hafiz and the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry

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detachment.^300 This spiritual ideal of detachment, represented by the inspired lib-

ertine and theqalandar, is praised by Ḥāfiẓ in another celebrated verse:

I serve the will andespritof that One

Who commits to flames his own security,

Who wears the rags of beggary, yet knows the lore of alchemy.

A thousand enigmas subtler, finer spun than

A strand of hair lie here. – Not everyone

Who shaves his scalp can understand theqalandar.^301

Throughout hisghazals (where two references to theqalandarīrite^302 and four to the
qalandarhimself^303 appear), Ḥāfiẓ flagrantly flaunts his fondness for this holy
vagabond’s anti-materialistic ideals.^304
The poet also drew heavily onmalāmatīdoctrines,^305 at least ten of which he
espoused, as Khurramshāhī has demonstratedinextenso.A summary of these doc-
trines is as follows:

• Submitting oneself to public censure and blame, while not fearing – indeed, not
  being offended at – the accusations and slander of religious fundamentalists.


• Renunciation of ambition for worldly rank, status, accompanied by indifference
  to being known for personal probity and goodness. Being reckless vis-à-vis polit-
  ical conciliations conventionally made to protect one’s reputation, along with
  disregard for fame and name.


• Avoidance of any ostentatious display of ascetical piety and sanctimony, evading
  all public self-promotion of personal religiosity.


• Renunciation of hypocrisy (in order to cut off the root of hypocrisy, he even
  severely castigates himself to the point of calling himself a hypocrite so as to
  better censure hypocrisy).


• Having a critical outlook on all conventional social institutions: religious,
  academic, governmental, mystical (e.g. mosque, madrasa andkhānaqāh).


• Renunciation of all claim to charismatic powers and visionary experiences.


• Concealing the shortcomings and covering up the faults and foibles of others.


• Repudiation of conceit,amourpropre, egotism and self-satisfaction in the struggle
  against and mortification of the lower soul (nafs).


• Affecting shamelessness, feigning impiety, irreligiosity, perversity and blas-
  phemy. The best example of this is Bāyazid’s breaking of his fast during the day
  in public, although he was travelling, and hence by Canon Law was permitted to
  do this – so people would imagine him to be impious.


• Salvation through love.^306

ḤāfiẓandtheReligionofLoveinClassicalPersianPoetry