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ФАЛС
A
ФА
NIETZSCHE AND ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY
JA’FAR KHOLMUMINOV
Doctor of Philosophical sciences (DSc), TSUOS
Аbstrаct. The reading of the works of the great German philosopher, famous writer and poet Fridriech Nietzschе
(1844-1900) shows that his wise Eastern philosophical and artistic thinking was sufficiently enjoyed. In this article,
The views of Nietzsche are the philosophical views of the East – the works of Zarathustra (Zardusht) “The Avesto”
and works of Mavlana Jalal ad-din Rumi “Masnaviyi ma`navi” comparatively analyzed and researched.
Keywords аnd expressions:
Fridriech Nietzsche, God, the West, Western world, the East, Oriental,
Oriental world, Oriental philosophy, Oriental philosophers, Islam Oriental world, Muslim Oriental world,
Zarathustra,“Thus Spoke Zarathustra…”,“The Avesta”, Perfect man, Renaissance, Mansoor Khallaj,
Mavlana Jalal ad-din Rumi, Nietzsche’s Madman, humans.
Аннотация. Улуғ олмон файласуфи, машҳур ёзувчи ва шоир Фридрих Ницше (1844-1900) асарлари
мутолааси унинг донишманд Шарқ фалсафий ва бадиий тафаккуридан етарли даражада баҳраманд
бўлганлигини кўрсатади. Мазкур мақолада Ницше қарашлари Шарқ фалсафий қарашлари – Зардушт
“Авесто”си ва Румийнинг “Маснавийи маънавий” асарлари билан қиёсий равишда таҳлил ва тадқиқ этилади.
Таянч сўз ва иборалар:
Фридрих Ницше, Худо, Ғарб, Ғарб дунёси, Шарқ, Шарқ, Шарқ олами,
Шарқ фалсафаси, Шарқ файласуфлари, Ислом Шарқ олами, Мусулмон Шарқ олами, Зардушт,
"Зардушта шундай гапирган ...", "Авесто", Комил инсон, Уйғониш даври, Мансур Холлайж, Мавлоно
Жалолиддин Румий, Нитсше жинниси, одамлар.
Аннотация. Чтение произведений великого немецкого философа, известного писателя и поэта
Фридриха Ницше (1844-1900) показывает, что его мудрое восточное философское и художест-
венное мышление пользовалось достаточно большим удовольствием. В данной статье воззрения
Ницше представляют собой философские воззрения Востока - сравнительно проанализированы и
исследованы произведения Заратустры (Зардушта) «Авесто» и произведения Мавланы Джалал ад-
дина Руми «Маснавийи маънави».
Опорные слова и выражения: Фридрих Ницше, Бог, Запад, Западный мир, Восток, Восток,
Восточный мир, Восточная философия, Восточные философы, Исламский Восточный мир, Мусуль-
манский Восточный мир, Заратустра, «Так говорил Заратустра…», «Авеста», Совершенный человек,
Возрождение, Мансур Халладж, Мавлана Джалал ад-дин Руми, Безумец Ницше, люди.
Introduction.
Fridriech Nietzschе a genius, who managed to make a great revolution in world
philosophic thinking, who called the Western people, who was seeing nightmares, for awakening,
alertness, who offered a hand of help to the crowd, who was floating like a straw in the muddy river of
lack of thoughtfulness, who tried to enlighten the Western skies, covered with clouds of pride and
conceit, greed and violence, by the Oriental sun – Zarathustra’s thinking, who was destined to disappear
like such as Mansoor Khallaj, Avicenna, Ibn al-Arabi, Ayn ul-quzzat Hamadani, Nasimi, Mashrab,
Bruno, Copernic and others - the suns of the world of thinking for their untraditional thoughts and
disturbing the traditionalist illusionists and lovers of appearance. He had a unique intellect and way of
thinking and with his works “The Birth of Tragedy”, “Human, All to Human”, “The walker and His
Shadow”, “The gay Science”, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”, “The Bitter Wisdom”, “The Twilight of Idols,”
“ECCE HOMO” and “Antichrist” he first astonished Europe and later Asia.
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In “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” Friedrich Nietzsche “equalled himself with Zarathustra, who
combined in himself a conscious that is beyond the range of his capabilities.”
1
He tries to create a
symbol of an ideal of a man – Over man, who is ready to annihilate things and people that are
enemies to humankind and life, who is a saviour, who is powerful, brave and loyal. Like the great
thinkers, who created a symbol of a Perfect man – Muhy ad-din Ibn al-Arabi, Farid ad-din Attar,
Jalal ad-din Rumi, Hafiz Shirazi, Abdurahman Jami, Alisher Navoi, Abd ul-qadir Bedil etc.
Main content.
“Thus Spoke Zarathustra”… Is a rare work that sounded in Uzbek in translation
of master writer and scholar Ibrohim G'ofurov. As we read this book, we almost forget that the
author had written it in German, and it is a translation that we are reading. For the artist of Uzbek
word art (though translated from Russian!), managed to translated it to suit the aesthetic taste of
Uzbek readers, that the Uzbek way thinking can easily digest it, and found and used the Uzbek
suitable equivalents of the words, names, phrases, expressions, definitions and aphorisms. Of course,
one day, the translation specialists will probably compare the labour of our writer with the original text
and intermediary language; but the point now is that with the help of this very translation, the Uzbek
people had an opportunity to face Friedrich Nietzsche’s world vision or philosophy, they perceived it in
a state that is suitable to their literary desire and aesthetic taste, not only did they perceive it, but also
discovered it. In our opinion, now, there is nodiv in our country, who has not read, or at least leafed
through, or minimum heard about “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” (of course, I mean those with self-
consciousness, educate people). Prominent political scholar, researcher of social sciences, philosopher
and historian scholar, talented publicist and great lover of our literature and arts, doctor Political sciences,
professor Narzulla Juraev was also one of the first among hundreds of thousands of intelligent people in
our country, who loved the unique way of thinking, which, at the same time is oriented to everydiv, of
“For Everydiv and Nodiv” (second edition of “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”). The difference here was
that professor Narzulla Juraev thoroughly studied the book of Zarathustra “The Avesta” while comparing
its translation into Uzbek by famous poet and translator Asqar Mahkam, who prepared it for publishing,
with the Tajik text of “The Avesta,” comparatively studied and edited it, entered the work of Nietzsche
not only as a sociologist and a philosopher, but also a historian, source information specialist and an
“The Avesta” scholar. As a result, he put the first step in this school: he wrote an essay of “From
supplication to praying” and published it in a respectable journal. The essay was welcomed by scientific
and literary community.
From mysterious and legendary Oriental world, Western thinkers always looked for human
selfless that had been left in ancient times, simple human relations that are free from artificial and
imposter praises, free from any malice and selfishness, especially for sincerity and love.
Great English writer of XX century Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), went to travels full of
different adventures and dangerous situations in beautiful countries of Eastern and South Asia like
India, Singapore, Burma, China, Malaysia and Indonesia and wrote the following: “In a civilised
society, man loses his individuality, for man has to obey dozens of laws and rules, orders and
discipline. Culture becomes a mask that hides our faces. And people in this countries did not put any
mask on their face to adapt to the society. One could clearly see their individuality.”
2
Having been
to Asian countries, he compared life styles of Oriental people with the culture of Western countries,
“Maugham compared people of large cities of Europe with a bag of stones. After repeated friction,
the stones get evenly smooth. While, the people of Tahiti, Burma, Indonesia, who live far from
1
ЎзМЭ, 6. – Тошкент: “Ўзбекистон Миллий Энциклопедияси” Давлат илмий нашриёти, 2003. – Б.368.
2
Алишер Отабоев. “Ҳаёт яшаб ўтиш учун берилган.” / Сомерсет Моэм. Ёмғир. Ҳикоялар. Инглиз тилидан
Алишер Отабоев таржимаси. – Т.: “Akademnashr”, 2014. – Б.138.
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civilisation do not get their “edges” smoothed away or lost. The features, specific to human nature
can clearly be seen.”
1
Later, the author, who bravely confessed the limited and boring life, which,
of course, seemed very interested among friends, fellows and beautiful women, he approached the
Oriental theme again and proceeded describing lives of people, who were free from all the paths,
the Western people had passed, and looked for the answer from experience of foreign people. In his
short stories, he author contradistinguished the novelty of Oriental world vision against
traditionalism in European people`s character. Maugham’s personages, who find themselves in
Tahiti, Samoa, Burma or India, find it difficult to adapt to the culture in these countries. The authors
comments this as the fact that the West and Oriental world had distanced away from each other and
became two different worlds. Many personages in his works stay in these unknown countries for
good. One of them says: “I had not known that I had a soul until I came here.”
2
Friedrich Nietzsche,
who was born 30 years before Somerset Maugham and died before him was one of the first, who
raised the Oriental factor for discussion in his “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” With this book he stepped
into the world of thinking as an Orientalised Western philosopher: he spoke with Zarathustra, he
saw himself in Zarathustra’s symbol, and Zarathustra in his own symbol. Zarathustra in his
imagination is not detached from real life, from the nature and universe that surrounds human world,
but it is its integral part. Zarathustra is Over man, who can dive into the endless and borderless sea
of the universe, who can freely swim in it, who can obtain pearls of wisdom from it.
While Narzulla Juraev describes his thoughts about relationship Zarathustra and Nietzsche, he
concludes that “Equality of Zarathustra and Nietzsche is clearly seen in the style of the book. Indeed,
the authors equates himself with a religious person, he talks to him, in many cases, he talks on behalf
of Zarathustra, and synthesises Zarathustra’s ideas with his own inner feelings. Although, the places
they had been born were located in different continents, though they were separated by a long magic
historic time (the times they had lived is spoken by almost three thousands of years), harmony of
views is demonstrated as an unprecedented event but which occurs very naturally. It is so much
natural, so much pure and beautiful that trying to separate them from each other or trying to
understand them separately from each other would lead to a serious mistake. In this book, the author
talks with Zarathustra as his contemporary, very close friend. He tries to directly explain his ideas
via Zarathustra and he manages to do so very naturally.
3
Analysing Nietzsche’s way of thinking, he
notes that “Nietzsche’s style of narration, form of expression of thought has a sharp and bright
peculiarity as opposed to the style of European wise men” And gives the following explanation to
it: “First of all, he narrates any hard, massive thought, any sentence that turns the intellect up and
down, rolled with overwhelming emotion and bustling passion. On the second hand, he directly
addresses the Oriental phenomenon, and lives in its world. He sees himself in the symbol of
Zarathustra, who had elected and devoted to. Therefore, Nietzsche’s style is very similar and very
close to that of the texts of “The Avesta”. “The Avesta” influenced Nietzsche so much that even
their styles of narration are very similar to each other.”
4
As we read he work, we suddenly feel that
Nietzsche’s addressing the “Oriental phenomenon” evolutionally turns into the central position in
the book of Uzbek scholar.
1
Алишер Отабоев. “Ҳаёт яшаб ўтиш учун берилган.” / Сомерсет Моэм. Ёмғир. Ҳикоялар. Инглиз тилидан
Алишер Отабоев таржимаси. – Б.138.
2
Алишер Отабоев. “Ҳаёт яшаб ўтиш учун берилган.” / Сомерсет Моэм. Ёмғир. Ҳикоялар. Инглиз тилидан
Алишер Отабоев таржимаси. – Б.138-139.
3
Нарзулла Жўраев. Тахайюл, тасаввур, тафаккур. Нитше таваллоси. – Тошкент: “Yangi asr avlodi”, 2015. – 26-27.
4
Нарзулла Жўраев. Тахайюл, тасаввур, тафаккур. Нитше таваллоси. – 34.
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The main point is that the thinking style and ideological dispute between East and West is a
problematic issue. It dates back from the times known to and imaginable by us to Alexander the
Greats time, and the triumphant campaigns of Persian Empire – Achamenids to Ancient Greece long
time before that. We do not know what ancient Persians obtained from Ancient Greece (we do not
mean material wealth), but one this is clearly known that except for the fact that Alexander the Great
arranged a campaign to Iran and Turan land, and killed their thirst of hundreds of years revenge, and
saw the most rare pearl of human culture treasure “The Avesta,” and burned all copies of it because
of his great envy and enmity, and sent one or two copies to Greece. So, how can we say that Ancient
Greece and with its help the Western Word did not taste “The Avesta?” If at the first stage of
European Renaissance started in Italy in XIV century, why does anydiv, especially Western
scholar want to think of the initial rise and development era in the Islam Oriental world Renaissance
in IX-XII centuries (there is some uncertainty in this issue: firstly, tis Renaissance had started in
VIII century, for intellectual Renaissance in Islamic history was initiated during that age.
Philosophic schools of Islam education – Islam theology schools of Mu’taziliya, Ash’ariya,
Moturidya etc., tasawwuf doctrine and philosophy of irfon (Islamic theosophy) developed during
this era. Secondly, this Renaissance did not cover the entire Oriental nations and countries, but only
covered the Islam Oriental world)? Oriental world always acknowledged what they took from the
West. This can be seen in philosophic works of Faraby and Avicenna, and commentaries of Ibn
Rushd to Aristotle’s works. But, for some reason, Western world always try to hide, avoid to
acknowledge this, or pretend not to know anything about it. If left ignored, Western world event try
to relate the roots of tasawwuf doctrine to Ancient Greece philosophy, especially to Neo-Platonism
and Christina doctrine. For, it is not a secret that the mysteries of tasawwuf doctrine, its moral-
spiritual rise, the philosophy that astonishes and attracts human intellect for hundreds of years has
been surprising the world community. Actually, it is not a secret to anydiv that this eternal doctrine
was originated from Khizr source of Islamic thinking. So, there is no need to look for “Father,”
“Mother” and “Child” for it. In “Eternal recurrence or Oriental philosophy in Nietzsche’s
interpretation” part of “Supplication, imagination, thought,” while writing about the relationship
between dialogues between Oriental and Western civilisations, Nietzsche’s attitude to “The Avesta”
and Ancient Oriental religious-philosophic thinking, Narzulla Juraev came to a conclusion:
“However deeply Nietzsche studied the ancient Oriental ideas, at no less degree he developed the
idea in his specific way, and disclosed new aspects of it. He developed the idea of eternal recurrence
in Europe in his own specific way.”
1
Our great master Najmiddin Komilov also expressed his views about intellectual disputes
between East and West in his works, researches and observations. For instance, in the following
thoughts, he wrote in his works confirm that this dispute has been and is still vital: “Disrespectful
attitude to Oriental people culture is not only specific to literary critics, but also widely practices
among European philosophers, historians” , “Though V. Jirmunsky briefly mentions the importance
of translation from Arabic language n Andalucía in XII-XIII centuries, he expresses doubt to Spanish
scholars Mendes Pedal and Anise Palasiоs’ thoughts about influence of Oriental poetry to lyrics of
Troubadours.”
2
Our master N. Komilov proved the groundlessness of the biased views that West
being ruler of East, and the West had taken much more than they can believe, and the Oriental world
had also learned something from the West. The only thing we can add here is that while the West
1
Нарзулла Жўраев. Тахайюл, тасаввур, тафаккур. Нитше таваллоси. – 43.
2
Нажмиддин Комилов. Тафаккур карвонлари. – Тошкент: “Маънавият”, 1999. Б.12.
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is the symbol of rational thinking – intellect and realism, the Oriental world is the symbol of
irrationalism – the symbol of emotions and romanticism. While one man’s soul contains both
intellect and emotions, this ancient world cannot either exist without these two things. Thus, the
Oriental and Western words are an integral div that consists of things. It is a single div, where
one merges with the other. Day loses its sense without night, and if there is no winter, spring becomes
an ordinary season. And humankind cannot live by being backed up by intellect only or permanent
emotions only. Luckily, there has been and there are scholars in Europe, who acknowledged the
Oriental world contribution. Great writers and poets like Dante, Goethe, Byron, Ch. Dickens, M.
Arnold, S. Maugham, T.S. Elliot, M. Lermontov, S. Esenin, L. Aragon and prominent European
translators and scholars like G. Ette, A. Arberry, E. Fitzgerald, I.M. Katarsky, A.A. Fet, N.G.
Chernyshevsky, M.L. Mikhaylov, V.A. Zhukovsky, N. Konrad, I.Y. Krachkovsky, E.E. Bertels, I.
Braginsky, J. Sarton, G. Thomson, V. Bartold and I.A. Orbelie highly esteemed the rich and ancient
history, culture, civilisation, literature and art of the Oriental world and became its promoters and
lovers. This list can be continued and supplemented with names of a number of great philosophers
of the West like Hegel and Bacon. As a philosopher, and poet and a writer, the great German thinker
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) take a special position in this list.
In 1230’s Church inquisition was established on the basis of several documents, announced by
Pope Gregory IX. Not long later, the bill “Ad extirpada,” declared by Pope Innocent IV in 1252,
gave inquisition a legal and organisational status. According to this status, inquisition was given
permission to torture the accused during investigations. At this time, the Islam Oriental world had
to face invasion of Mongols: Oriental civilisation had to endure oppression, despotism and ignorance
for almost two hundred years when Amir Timur achieved power and might. In this situation the
inertia of Oriental Renaissance started illuminating then West: this was a logical continuation of the
Renaissance that had started in the East long times ago. Western writers and poets and philosophers
started addressing Aristotle’s metaphysics and Plato’s idealism on one hand and philosophic
heritage of Faraby, Avicenna and Ibn Rushd, also the religious schools of basics of Christianity,
patristic and scholastics on one hand and life-giving ideas, rational thinking of Islam – philosophy
of Quran – knowing God on the other hand. As a result, literature and philosophy that look like
Western but Oriental in their inner meaning were developed. Using our Master Najmiddin
Komilov’s words, “Dante read Latin translation of works of Avicenna and Ibn Rushd. In addition,
Great Albert, Roger Bacn, Sigerius Brabanty, Jilber de la Poirre, Guido Qualkanti, whom the poet
liked, were lovers of Oriental philosophers.”
1
Timurids era brought a new Renaissance era to a significant part of Muslim East. The Oriental
world started breathing new breezes: it gained political might, a centralised kingdom and a specific
management system; people were freed from Mongol oppression and despotism, and obtained
liberty and human rights; the notions of honesty, justice, religion and conviction were transferred
from hearts to tongues; education, meaning and morality starting obtaining their supporters; science,
literature and culture developed; people’s economic state was seriously improved in comparison
with the previous epoch and as a result, people achieved a level, when they could read and enjoy;
the most important side of this was that the sun of philosophic thought resumed spreading its rays:
philosophers, thinkers, wise people, historians, literature scholars resumed creating works that
astonished the humankind. The second season of Oriental Renaissance merged with the first
Renaissance era of the West...
1
Нажмиддин Комилов. Тафаккур карвонлари. – Тошкент: “Маънавият”, 1999. Б.75.
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But, unfortunately, this happiness did not last long: the enmity and antipathy between Timuride
princes brought the Great kingdom that their grandfather had built to crisis and decline. The sun of
thinking starting setting again, the flames of science, art, literature and philosophy faded… The Western
world was not much better either. Muslim Oriental world was bogged in fanaticism, heresy and
superstition. While the West developed well, and tried to oppress the Oriental world to own endless
wealth. Western man wished to enjoy the dirty hands of material world. The want of wealth, material
life, large investments and owning the world drowned the Western man’s feelings into the bog of
interests, contaminated his spirit with greed and immorality. The world of human like machines or
machine like humans became a reality together with sky scraper towers, high and posh buildings, cars
shining like peacocks. But human spirit got lower and lower, smaller and smaller, the heights of feelings
and thought got fractured and started falling. Values and human value was spaced in the abode of
meaninglessness. In this situation, it was philosophy that came to help: as the philosophy of will,
philosophy of life, philosophy of humans, philosophy of existentialism (in Heidegger’s philosophy –
inner essence of human materiality), philosophy of values… With the purpose of saving humankind
from lack of thinking… But, no yelling of any optimistic philosophy managed to help the West, who
lost its Christ and who submersed into material want: Darwin’s biological and Freud’s doctrine of
psychic-analysis urged the West to kin relation with monkeys, wolves and vampires. The number of
both good “-isms” and bad “-isms” grew colossally. Marxism was the first then, Nazism and fascism
stepped in as results of inhuman doctrines. This cholera was more terrible than the horrors of inquisition.
The sun of thinking had already set in the West. A world that was deprived of thinking, consideration
and ordinary human relations was created… Oswald Spengler’s “The Western Sunset,” Patrick
Buckenen’s “The Death of Europe” describe these bitter truths…
In his new work, Narzulla Juraev tried to be as close as possible to be in line with Friedrich
Nietzsche, not to lose for a single second his style, his way of thinking, the heat of his soul and tried
to go deeper in his world of thought. And without knowing it, he gets close to Nietzsche, he talks to
Nietzsche’s soul, he gets involved in discussions with him, sometimes he shouts like Nietzsche, and
becomes unable to hide his emotions, sufferings and inner feelings. Such Nietzsche style type
narrative flow takes him into its powerful waves...
Similarly to Nietzsche equalling himself with Zarathustra, removing the difference between himself
and Zarathustra, Narzulla Juraev also gets involved in a thinking contest, spiritual conversations with
Nietzsche, and as a result, in these powerful waves the reader seems to be sometimes seeing Nietzsche’s
intensive, revolting symbol, sometimes seeing the Uzbek thinker, who is seemingly calm, but whose
inwardly sincerely face is revolting with the flame of love to life and humankind. In the work, the author
addresses great thinkers of Islam Oriental world like Farabi, Avicenna, Ibn al-Arabi, Mavlana Rumi,
Muhammad Gazzal, Aziziddin Nasafi, Alisher Navoi, and Ancient Indian philosophy, when required.
He tries to compare Nietzsche’s views with the views of these philosophers.
We are aware from history of philosophy that great Oriental philosophers Farabi, Avicenna, Al-Kindi
and Ibn Rushd commented works of Aristotle and other Ancient Greece philosophers. We even know that
some works of Ancient Greece philosopher have reached only owing to comments or translations of these
thinkers. But we should always bear one thing in mind: commentaries are mere commentaries, they are
not originals. For in his comments, the commentator attempts to disclose the issue raised in the original
text on the basis of the criteria of his world vision, degree of thinking and interpretation. In other words,
the commentator explains what he has perceived and understood by having read the original text. In
addition, he tries to add what he wants and, as a result, something new is added to the world of science,
some new thought, some new idea is created. Professor Narzulla Juraev also proceeds with commenting
S H A R Q M A S H ’ A L I
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Nietzsche’s works, especially “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”: he puts Nietzsche’s view through the mill of his
thinking and draws for the reader a map of Friedrich Nietzsche’s inner world, which he imagines, perhaps
wants to be like him. Thus, ultimately it is not Nietzsche itself, but a Nietzsche, commented by an Uzbek
philosopher. As a result, to some extent, Nietzsche becomes an ideal person for the Uzbek author and in
Nietzsche’s example, the author sounds to be seeing either Zarathustra, or a philosopher, who fell in love
with Oriental philosophy and finally himself. This can be proven by a number of issues, raised in the book.
For instance, Nietzsche has a famous expression: “God is dead!” Nietzsche first used the expression “God
is dead” in his work, published in 1882 “The Gay Science,” before he wrote “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”.
This is how it is given: “Haven't you heard of that madman who in the bright morning lit a lantern and ran
around the marketplace crying incessantly, 'I'm looking for God! Where is God!' (emphasis is ours – J.Kh))
Since many of those who did not believe in God were standing around together just then, he caused great
laughter. Has he been lost, then? asked one. Did he lose his way like a child? asked another. Or is he hiding?
Is he afraid of us? Has he gone to sea? Emigrated? - Thus they shouted and laughed, one interrupting the
other. The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his eyes. 'Where is God?' he cried; 'I'll
tell you! We have killed him - you and I! We are all his murderers.”
1
In its turn, this phrase, which reminds us “Anal-Haq” yelling of Mansoor Hallow in early Middle
Ages Islam Oriental World, who shook the Muslim World is nothing but an expression that is
untraditional, which sound inappropriate to human ears, and considered to be a heresy to the people
of faith. This phrase, which is first given in Part 125 “Madman” of the book “The Gay Science” and
which has been a cause of many discussions in the West and East for over 100 years, is commented
in a specific way for the first time by an Uzbek scholar Narzulla Juraev: “By writing this, Nietzsche
wants to say that, first of all, humankind is not yet perfect, it still requires upbringing. Humans
feelings of Faith, Conviction, Justice and Truth are weak. On the contrary, vileness, lowliness,
hypocrisy and lack of faith are boiling in human blood. On the other hand, the story of madman is a
specific, incomparable reflection of Over man in Nietzsche’s philosophy. This is a very hard,
suffering psychological state. This is a dramatism, which calls humans to think, ponder, which turns
the thoughts about human being upside down, which shudders one’s heart and causes spiritual
storms and psychological hurricanes. Perhaps, it is tragedy!
Saying “God is dead!” is so much difficult. But, is the distance between God and his creature,
Highest creature and humankind not increasing more due to limited world vision of humans, their
complex behaviour, weak faith, incomplete moral and cultural degree?”
Just imagine: saying “God is dead” is so atheistic. But the madman, who says it is surrounded
by so many Godless people, who are mocking at God. What does Nietzsche want to say? Is he an
atheist philosopher? At one instance, the author denies it and we are of the same opinion. Here the
Madman is a symbol of alert intellect and awake heart. IN reality the real madmen, the real atheists
are those who surround him. With this the Madman, i.e., Nietzsche’s Over Man wants to say: the
humankind is dead, the humaneness is dead! Can the dead humankind have God? For it is men, who
is supposed to comprehend and confirm existence of God! The man, whose soul, conscious-feelings
and thinking ability are dead can’t surely have an existing God!
Friedrich Nietzsche’s Madman rings the bells by saying “God is dead!” He tries to divert those,
who are bogged in greed, immorality, wealth, pride, lack of thought, unconsciousness, ignorance
and violence, who have lost their human essence to the correct Path, he wants to call them for honest
1
Нитше Ф. Стихотворения, философская проза. – Санкт-Перербург: Художественная литература, 1993. – С.376.
S H A R Q M A S H ’ A L I
185
and therefore, he shouts: “Is it the high time to light a candle during the bright sunshine day?, in this
environment, covered with darkness.
To some extent, Nietzsche’s expression “God is dead! Gets closer to Mansoor Khallaj’s “I am
God!,” the Madman’s words “ran around the marketplace during the daylight time crying
incessantly, “I'm looking for God! I'm looking for God!” repeat the following lines of Mavlana Jalal
ad-din Rumi’s in somewhat other form in “Devoni Kabir”:
اب خیش ید
رهش درگ تشگ یمه غارچ
تسوزرآ مناسنا و ملاولم دد و وید زک
1
Meaning: While walking in the town street with a lantern in his hand during the day, the sheikh said,
“I am sick of genies and devils and jinns, I have a dream of seeing a human being. Of course, this is a
discussion to be proven and difficult to be proven. These two situation may, on one hand, have been
taken from Oriental thinkers, on the other hand, these may well be Nietzsche’s own thoughts. Whatever
it was, this is an example, where the Western and Oriental worlds are not strange to each other. The most
important thing is that the man “trying to light a lantern during the day time” is Nietzsche’s Madman, in
other words, this Over man, who has realised the fact that the Western sun of thinking was setting, that
the philosophic guiding light was fading, and therefore, who was too much suffering and in horror
because of it. This man does not stop ringing the bells even today, when the furious tsunamis, storms,
hurricanes and earthquakes of globalisation that are shaking the world.
Friedrich Nietzsche’s spellbinding, madman like, revolting and uprising spirit was a state,
frequently present in most Oriental thinkers. For the purposes of saving their souls from softening
and material lover sharia supporters, the tasawwuf people commented this state as “shathiyot,” i.e.,
divine falling into emotional (jazba) state and involuntarily uttered in the state of unconsciousness,
therefore forgivable words.
Mavlana Jalal ad-din Rumi did not quite like philosophy. He mentioned it both in “Masnaviyi
Ma’navi” and “Devani kabir.” But what kind of philosophy did he not like? That is what is important.
He denies the philosophy that cannot discuss the beautiful shining of Absolute Creature in the
universe, that is free from divine falling into emotional state, that is ignorant of beautiful and full of
contradictions material world of Man, blind, without feelings and activity, without love and passion,
using Goethe’s words – the philosophy that only consists of dry chit-chat, which is incapable of
comprehending the essence of the world and man. Possibly, it is therefore, like Nietzsche’s Madman,
Rumi cries because of helpless, feeble, thoughtless-motionless crowd:
لولم مدش نایرگ تیاکشرپ قلخ نیز
ه نآ
تسوزرآ مناتسم ی هرعن یوه و یا
ع کشر ز اما و لبلب ز مرتایوگ
ما
تسوزرآ مناغفا و مناهد رب تسا رهم
2
Meaning: I am sick of this weeping crowd, who knows nothing but complain. I want to hear the
thundering noise and cries of the drunken. I can singer much better than a nightingale, but due to envy
and malice of the crowd, I sealed my mouth and dream of crying (my voice to be heard / uttered).
1
ن ساسا رب .ایننامز یفطصم راتساریو . تاحلاطصا و تاغل ینعم و حرش اب .یخلب دمحم نیدلا للاج انلاوم ی هدورس .یزیربت سمش عماج ناوید
هخس
.رفنازورف نامزلا عیدب ی
-
،سودرف :نارهت
۱۳۷۴
.
.ص
۲۲۹
.
2
د
نعم و حرش اب .یخلب دمحم نیدلا للاج انلاوم ی هدورس .یزیربت سمش عماج ناوی
هخسن ساسا رب .ایننامز یفطصم راتساریو . تاحلاطصا و تاغل ی
.رفنازورف نامزلا عیدب ی
-
،سودرف :نارهت
۱۳۷۴
.
.ص
۲۲۹
.
S H A R Q M A S H ’ A L I
186
Conclusion.
...One day a fox was passing by from under a vineyard and stopped under a large
vine with beautifully ripe grapes that were shining from golden rays of the sun. She jumped so many
times to reach the grapes. But could not reach it. Then the poor animal lost her wish and said “Puff,
what a stinky bunch of grapes?!” and walked on away… The moral of the story is that there have
been so many people in human history who tried to get fruits of the vast vineyards of the world of
spirit and thinking, which are the centre line and substance of human phenomenon in human history,
and left walked away by saying “Puff, it turned out to be nonsense!” We can see the proof of this in
the examples of the geniuses of intellect and thinking – in tragedies of Mansoor Khallaj, Ayn ul-
quzzat Hamadani, Giordano Bruno, Nasimiy and Boborahim Mashrab, in examples of Faraby,
Avicenna and Omar Khayyam, in symbols of Ibn al-Arabi and Mavlana Rumi, in examples of Farid
ad-din Attar, Hafiz, Abdurahman Jami and Alisher Navoi, in destinies of Micolaj Copernic, Leonardo
da Vinci and Galileo Galilee and bitter fates of Abd ul-qadir Bedil, Ahmad Danish, Friedrich Nietzsche,
Albert Camus, Abd ul-rahim Fitrat and Chulpan, who did not fit in the range of weak and feeble intellect
of the crowd that are ready to sell their bodies, faith for money, material good and position and fame,
whose level of thinking was in very unnatural and extraordinary horizons, even the worlds were so
narrow in front of whose endless range of imagination and thinking.
Had the malicious and inquisitor intellect not won, Mansoor Khallaj would not have been hanged,
torn into pieces, burnt and his ashes would not have been thrown on the Dajla River, Avicenna would
not have been convicted for homelessness, exile and thrown into dungeons, Giordano Bruno would not
have been burnt alive, Ayn ul-quzzat, Nasimi and Mashrab would not have been hanged, Fitrat, Chulpan
and Nasir Usman would not have been repressed. Unfortunately, we can find so many morally poor
people, who take Chinese and Turkish markets a real life, who lough at morally sound and educated
people by calling them madmen, who have lost their human features, who are bogged in ignorance and
vileness, who think that the entire pasture is theirs and who are vexed with endless chewing, who found
money but not intellect. Friedrich Nietzsche describes such people in the following way: “There are the
terrible ones who carry about in themselves the beast of prey, and have no choice except lusts or self-
laceration. And even their lusts are self-laceration. They have not yet become men, those terrible ones:
may they preach desistance from life, and pass away themselves! There are the spiritually decaying ones:
hardly are they born when they begin to die, and long for doctrines of weariness and renunciation. They
would rather be dead, and we should approve of their wish! Let us beware of awakening those dead ones,
and of damaging those living coffins!
They meet an invalid, or an old man, or a corpse - and immediately they say: “Life is refuted!”
1
Thank God that any demonstration of race, religious, belief, national, political, social and any
other forms of discrimination are banned by state and laws. Fortunately, there are still many people,
who value and care for humanness, education and thought. Otherwise, destinies of Khallaj and
Aynulquzzot, Bruno and Nasimiy, Galileo and Mashrab, Fitrat and Cho’lpon would definitely be
repeated. Otherwise, Rumy’s “sheikh” would be lighting a lantern during day time to look for a
human being, otherwise Nietzsche’s “Madman” would be looking for “lost God” by lighting a
lantern during the sunshine lit day. Fortunately…
1
Нитше Ф. Зардушт таваллоси. – Тошкент: “Янги аср авлоди”, 2007. – Б.39.
