Farīd al-Dīn ʻAttār’s philosophical masnavi, Mantıku’t-Tayr (The Language of Birds), stands among the pinnacles of Sufi literature. The work is an allegorical narrative of birds embarking on a journey under the guidance of the Hudhud bird to seek Simurgh (the Phoenix), their sovereign. These birds traverse seven valleys (Demand, Love, Gnosis, Detachment, Unity, Wonder, Poverty and Annihilation) that they must overcome.
At the journey’s end, only thirty of thousands of birds (Si-Murg: Thirty Birds) reach their destination. However, upon gazing into the mirror in Simurgh’s palace, they see nothing but their own reflections. ʻAttār summarizes the philosophy of Unity of Existence with this magnificent conclusion: The sought truth resides within the seeker. To seek God is for humankind to discover its perfect essence (the divine breath).