The Conference of the Birds

The necessity of destroying the self is one of two beliefs central to Sufism that Attar engages with consistently throughout the poem. Islam rejects idol worship, which is one reason why the Prophet Muhammad is never depicted. Attar’s notion of idolatry goes a step further, because Sufism proposes that the primary idol is the Self. Throughout The Conference of the Birds, the destruction of the Self is mentioned within every conceivable context rather than just at appropriate or convenient moments within the narrative, emphasizing that it is the primary obstacle for any of the birds, no matter their individual character. The Self is an entity dependent on pride and reputation, and there can be no progress on the path to enlightenment until the birds are indifferent to both. It appears in the context of selflessness, such as the hoopoe’s explanation of a lover as “one in whom all thoughts of Self have died” (56). The Self is also implicated in holding onto anything from the lower plane of spirituality, such as one’s own physical attributes, the memories of loved ones, and even the idea of knowledge as attainable. 

The importance of passionate love is the other central belief of Sufism on which Attar focuses the poem. Attar sees the experience of overwhelming love as the primary method to make a character indifferent to pride or reputation; therefore, it is integral to destroying the Self. Attar chooses to celebrate various types of love in this poem, and the importance of this is partly derived from the fact that the stories that focus on passionate love are often the longest. This love always rejects religious, social, or sexual conventions such as ones that defy class boundaries, like the princess and the slave (175). It is often shown through stories of homosexual love, such as the many stories of Mahmoud and Ayaz. It is also seen in stories of love between different religions, such as the story of Sheikh Sam’an (57-75), the longest story within the poem. Attar chooses types of love that would be perceived as scandalous in society in order to allegorically align with the perception of Sufism itself as scandal or blasphemy. The scandal of defying social conventions through love reflects the scandal of the spiritual enlightenment of Sufism.