Problematique
10-31-2008, 02:25 AM
( For those who do not know what "Divine Comedy" is, written by Dante Alighieri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri) between 1308 and his death in 1321, is widely considered the central epic poem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_poem) of Italian literature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_literature), and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_literature). [ wikipedia definition]).
Right so, for the last few years I have developed an interest in Abrahamic religions, particularly Islam ( given the circumstances today). So, I was looking into it, and found something very,very interesting.
A fundamental aspect of faith in the religion of Islam, ( pronounced Islam, with an emphasis on the "S", not a "Z" ). Is to believe that the Prophet Muhammad, ascended to heaven with the Archangel Gabriel, through what is now known as the temple mount. From there, he was shown both paradise and hell. A short description of what he saw, in the Qur'an :
"For indeed he saw him at a second descent, Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass: Near it is the Garden of Abode. Behold, the Lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable) (His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong! For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest—"
(relating to Gabriel's descent, near what looks like a lote-tree in paradise).
Then, now the interesting part, Hell. When he desribes hell, he relates it in a way that may sound too familiar, with those who read divine comedy.
Muhammad, is shown all the circles of hell by Gabriel. Here he described it as 7 circles, while heaven is 8.
Details of the things that go on in hell, as Gabriel speaks to Muhammad:
9-The Prophet saw people who were competing to eat some rotten meat--ignoring meat that was sliced and unspoiled. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are people from your nation who leave out that which is permissible (halal), and consume that which is forbidden ((haram). "
11- The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass finger nails. Jibril said, "These are the examples of those who commit backbiting ((ghibah). ")."
10- Also, the Prophet saw people who were drinking from the fluid coming from the bodies of the fornicators, (water mixed with blood). Jibril indicated to the Prophet these were the ones who were drinking the alcohol which is prohibited .
Also, the way Dante refers to Muhammad in his work is,somewhat schismatic
"See how I rend myself! How mutilated, see, is Mahomet; In front of me doth Ali weeping go, Cleft in the face from forelock unto chin; And all the others whom thou here beholdest, Disseminators of scandal and of schism. While living were, and therefore are cleft thus."
Qur'an speaks of the punishment of those who deny it;
"96: 16. Nay, if he desist not, We will assuredly, seize and drag him by the forelock."
As I was writing this post, I found this;
In 1919 Professor Miguel Asín Palacios, a Spanish scholar and a Catholic priest, published La Escatología musulmana en la Divina Comedia ("Islamic Eschatology in the Divine Comedy"), an account of parallels between early Islamic philosophy and the Divine Comedy.
Palacios argued that Dante derived many features of and episodes about the hereafter directly or indirectly from the spiritual writings of Ibn Arabi and from the Isra and Mi'raj,Muhammad to heaven. The latter is described in the Hadith and the Kitab al Miraj (translated into Latin in 1264 or shortly before as Liber Scale Machometi, "The Book of Muhammad's Ladder"), and has some slight similarities to the Paradiso, such as a seven-fold or night journey of division of Paradise.
Dante lived in a Europe of substantial literary and philosophical contact with the Muslim world, encouraged by such factors as Averroism and the patronage of Alfonso X of Castile. Of the twelve wise men Dante meets in Canto X of the Paradiso, Thomas Aquinas and, even more so, Sigier of Brabant were strongly influenced by Arabic commentators on Aristotle. Christian mysticism also shared the Neoplatonic influence of SufisIbn Arabi. Philosopher Frederick Copleston argued in 1950 that Dante's respectful treatment of Averroes, Avicenna, and Sigier of Brabant such as indicates his acknowledgement of a "considerable debt" to Islamic philosophy. Medieval
Although this philosophical influence is generally acknowledged, many scholars have not been satisfied that Dante was influenced by the Kitab al Miraj. The twentieth century Orientalist Francesco Gabrieli expressed skepticism regarding the claimed similarities, and the lack of evidence of a vehicle through which it could have been transmitted to Dante. Even so, while dismissing the probability of some influences posited in Palacios' work, Gabrieli recognized that it was "at least possible, if not probable, that Dante may have known the Liber scalae and have taken from it certain images and concepts of Muslim eschatology". Shortly before her death the Italian philologist Maria Corti pointed out that, during his stay at the court of Alfonso X, Dante's mentor Brunetto Latini met Bonaventura de Siena, a Tuscan who had translated the Liber scalae from Arabic into Latin. According to Corti, Brunetto may have provided a copy of that work to Dante.
So, I guess my hinch was right. So, what do you think of this "work of art"? A case of plagarism?
Right so, for the last few years I have developed an interest in Abrahamic religions, particularly Islam ( given the circumstances today). So, I was looking into it, and found something very,very interesting.
A fundamental aspect of faith in the religion of Islam, ( pronounced Islam, with an emphasis on the "S", not a "Z" ). Is to believe that the Prophet Muhammad, ascended to heaven with the Archangel Gabriel, through what is now known as the temple mount. From there, he was shown both paradise and hell. A short description of what he saw, in the Qur'an :
"For indeed he saw him at a second descent, Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass: Near it is the Garden of Abode. Behold, the Lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable) (His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong! For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest—"
(relating to Gabriel's descent, near what looks like a lote-tree in paradise).
Then, now the interesting part, Hell. When he desribes hell, he relates it in a way that may sound too familiar, with those who read divine comedy.
Muhammad, is shown all the circles of hell by Gabriel. Here he described it as 7 circles, while heaven is 8.
Details of the things that go on in hell, as Gabriel speaks to Muhammad:
9-The Prophet saw people who were competing to eat some rotten meat--ignoring meat that was sliced and unspoiled. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are people from your nation who leave out that which is permissible (halal), and consume that which is forbidden ((haram). "
11- The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass finger nails. Jibril said, "These are the examples of those who commit backbiting ((ghibah). ")."
10- Also, the Prophet saw people who were drinking from the fluid coming from the bodies of the fornicators, (water mixed with blood). Jibril indicated to the Prophet these were the ones who were drinking the alcohol which is prohibited .
Also, the way Dante refers to Muhammad in his work is,somewhat schismatic
"See how I rend myself! How mutilated, see, is Mahomet; In front of me doth Ali weeping go, Cleft in the face from forelock unto chin; And all the others whom thou here beholdest, Disseminators of scandal and of schism. While living were, and therefore are cleft thus."
Qur'an speaks of the punishment of those who deny it;
"96: 16. Nay, if he desist not, We will assuredly, seize and drag him by the forelock."
As I was writing this post, I found this;
In 1919 Professor Miguel Asín Palacios, a Spanish scholar and a Catholic priest, published La Escatología musulmana en la Divina Comedia ("Islamic Eschatology in the Divine Comedy"), an account of parallels between early Islamic philosophy and the Divine Comedy.
Palacios argued that Dante derived many features of and episodes about the hereafter directly or indirectly from the spiritual writings of Ibn Arabi and from the Isra and Mi'raj,Muhammad to heaven. The latter is described in the Hadith and the Kitab al Miraj (translated into Latin in 1264 or shortly before as Liber Scale Machometi, "The Book of Muhammad's Ladder"), and has some slight similarities to the Paradiso, such as a seven-fold or night journey of division of Paradise.
Dante lived in a Europe of substantial literary and philosophical contact with the Muslim world, encouraged by such factors as Averroism and the patronage of Alfonso X of Castile. Of the twelve wise men Dante meets in Canto X of the Paradiso, Thomas Aquinas and, even more so, Sigier of Brabant were strongly influenced by Arabic commentators on Aristotle. Christian mysticism also shared the Neoplatonic influence of SufisIbn Arabi. Philosopher Frederick Copleston argued in 1950 that Dante's respectful treatment of Averroes, Avicenna, and Sigier of Brabant such as indicates his acknowledgement of a "considerable debt" to Islamic philosophy. Medieval
Although this philosophical influence is generally acknowledged, many scholars have not been satisfied that Dante was influenced by the Kitab al Miraj. The twentieth century Orientalist Francesco Gabrieli expressed skepticism regarding the claimed similarities, and the lack of evidence of a vehicle through which it could have been transmitted to Dante. Even so, while dismissing the probability of some influences posited in Palacios' work, Gabrieli recognized that it was "at least possible, if not probable, that Dante may have known the Liber scalae and have taken from it certain images and concepts of Muslim eschatology". Shortly before her death the Italian philologist Maria Corti pointed out that, during his stay at the court of Alfonso X, Dante's mentor Brunetto Latini met Bonaventura de Siena, a Tuscan who had translated the Liber scalae from Arabic into Latin. According to Corti, Brunetto may have provided a copy of that work to Dante.
So, I guess my hinch was right. So, what do you think of this "work of art"? A case of plagarism?