The Zoroastrian in ‘Attārʹs Tadkiratuʹl-Awliyā’

Zoroastrians are present in many early works of Persian Islamic literature. The works of the twelfth-century poet from Khurasan, Farīd al-Dīn ‘Aār, are no exception. In his masterpiece of classical Sufi hagiography, Takiratuʹl-awliyā’, Zoroastrians, almost always referred to as gabr, play a role that differs from that which one usually encounters in early Persian Sufi hagiographies. In ‘Aārʹs hagiography, Zoroastrians are generally portrayed as sources of spiritual guidance, rather than exemplifying the more common motif of Zoroastrians as unbelievers. This article will offer some possible reasons for the predominance of Zoroastrians in Takiratuʹl-awliyā’, rather than Christians or Jews. The ideas of the Russian Formalist, Viktor Shklovsky, concerning what he calls enstrangement, offer one way of approaching the unique role that Zoroastrians play in his hagiography. In addition to exploring Shklovskyʹs ideas as a means to understanding the role of Zoroastrians, this article will present an overview of Zoroastrians in medieval Khurasan and vestiges of Zoroastrian ideas in Islamic Persian culture.