Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 3، June 2026 ، issue Number 121

Dialectical Critique of the Discourse of Fear and Hope in Al‑Risala al‑Qushayriyya

Maryam Kazempour , Sohila Mousavi Sirjani (Author in Charge), Mandana Mangeli

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Islamic mystical discourse has always been defined within a context of semantic oppositions and reciprocal inner experiences, among which the most significant manifestation is the mutual and dialectical relationship between fear (khawf) and hope (raja). *Al‑Risala al‑Qushayriyya*, written by Abu al‑Qasim al‑Qushayri, one of the most important Sufi texts of the fifth century AH, elaborates extensively on these two spiritual states and examines them within the framework of the spiritual training and inner purification of the seeker (salik). The present study aims to analyze the dialectical discourse of these two concepts in *Al‑Risala al‑Qushayriyya*. Through a close rereading of the text, it seeks to uncover the reciprocal mechanisms between fear and hope and their role in the structure of mystical wayfaring. The main research question concerns how these two concepts interact as opposing yet complementary forces within the semantic system of Islamic mysticism.

METHODOLOGY: The study employs a descriptive‑analytical method with a dialectical discourse analysis approach, relying on classical Sufi sources to analyze the semantic layers of the *Qushayriyya* text.

FINDINGS: The findings indicate that fear and hope are not merely two separate spiritual stations; rather, they form two dialectical poles within Qushayri’s spiritual framework. By creating a balance between psychological contraction and expansion, they facilitate the refinement of the soul and the seeker’s closeness to God.

CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that Qushayri, drawing upon Qur’anic teachings and the Prophetic tradition, transforms the tension between fear and hope into a dynamic and educational discourse, one that can also be reread within the context of contemporary mystical psychology.

Keyword
*Al‑Risala al‑Qushayriyya* , fear (khawf) , hope (raja) , dialectical critique , mystical discourse , spiritual wayfaring.