Exalting Virtue: Etiquette, Humility, Loyalty, And Contentment In “Hayrat ul-Abror”
This article offers a comprehensive analysis of Alisher Navoi’s Hayrat ul-Abror, the foundational poem of his Khamsa cycle, with a specific focus on its ethical philosophy and literary structure. Composed in 1483, Hayrat ul-Abror transcends its historical context to serve as a timeless moral treatise. Through poetic allegory, Navoi explores and exalts the virtues of adab (etiquette), tavoze (humility), vafo (loyalty), and qanoat (contentment), presenting them not only as personal ideals but also as foundational principles for just governance and societal harmony. The article examines how these virtues are dramatized through emblematic characters and narrative episodes, including dialogues between kings and sages, and how Navoi uses literary devices such as symbolism and allegory to encode philosophical meaning. Special attention is given to the poem’s didactic structure, which weaves together spiritual reflection, political critique, and cultural values to instruct both rulers and the general public. Ultimately, the article argues that Hayrat ul-Abror offers a poetic blueprint for ethical life, promoting a model of integrated personal and civic virtue that remains strikingly relevant in the modern world.