Light and the Manifestations of Sufi Love in the Collection “Alphabet of the Soul” by the Poet Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh

Abstract

This critical study, entitled “Light and the Manifestations of Sufi Love in the Collection ‘Alphabet of the Soul’ by the Poet Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh,” seeks to explore a distinctive creative feature of the collection, namely the invocation of light and the inspiration drawn from its meanings and unique rhythms. Light occupies a vast space throughout the collection, to the extent that hardly any poem is devoid of the word “light” or related lexical items that express its semantic field and derivatives.

The applied critical analysis approaches the notion of light not merely as a single lexical item with an apparent and conventional meaning, but as a distinctive element at both the structural and semantic levels. It is also examined as a value with cultural, intellectual, and interpretive manifestations, whose significance becomes more evident through its consistent and profound presence, evolving into a symbolic equivalent under which the poet’s ideas, relationships, positions, and aspirations are subsumed.

The study focuses specifically on texts that intensively evoke meanings and imagery associated with the realms of light and Sufism, along with their spiritual manifestations. These texts are marked by dense symbolism and rich semantic and aesthetic layers. Given the strong presence of both light and Sufi elements, the study traces the manifestations of luminous imagery most closely linked to the Sufi experience—its visions, stations (maqāmāt), and states (aḥwāl)—guided by methodological insights drawn from semiotics, hermeneutics, and textual discourse analysis.

The study is structured into three main sections:

1. Light and the manifestations of Sufi love
2. Manifestations of light in the tableau of everyday life
3. The interrelation between light and the soul