Works of Hadj Nemat



Introduction

Hadj Nemat is the author of numerous works of prose and verse in both Kurdish and Persian. His writings set forth on the one hand the results of his research on the Ahl-e Haqq doctrine, including its customs, rituals, and beliefs, and on the other hand adopt a critical stance toward the differences and deviations that had emerged within this community over time. Beyond this, his works also present mystical teachings and highly beneficial recommendations directed at seekers of an authentic spirituality. Finally, his writings feature prayers and counsel, together with descriptions of his internal states and spiritual experiences, as well as juxtaposing the pain of separation from the Beloved and the joy of union with the Truth.

Among his works, only Shahnameh-ye Haqqiqat [The Book of the Kings of Truth], which is comprised of more than fifteen thousand verses of Persian poetry, has been published to date. Compared to a Holy Book by the great scholar and orientalist Henry Corbin, The Book of the Kings of Truth expounds upon the history of the religions, the ranks and states of the prophets and saints, as well as the influential personalities throughout human history, all from Hadj Nemat’s own distinct spiritual perspective.

The Book of the Kings of Truth is thus a metahistory in which Hadj Nemat focuses not on traditional depictions of historical personalities, but rather on the spiritual aspects and true essences of these figures. Hence, it is not historical events that he is concerned with per se, but the spiritual realities that in the other world induced the occurrence of these events. He also situates each of the historical figures in this work within the angelology of the Ahl-e Haqq.