The Mythological Background of the Story of Solomon and Azrael’s Gaze upon a Man

Abstract

received little attention from scholars until the modern era. However, such research not only helps resolve certain textual ambiguities but also reveals the intellectual and cultural currents prevalent at the time of the work’s composition. Rumi, in the Masnavi, recounts a story titled "Azrael’s Gaze upon a Man and His Flight to Solomon’s Court…" The aim of this study is to identify the primary source of this narrative. The oldest source mentioned by Foruzanfar is Hilyat al-Awliya, likely written in the late 4th century AH. Among the more recently discovered Arabic sources, the earliest is Al-Mosannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah, compiled in the early 3rd century AH. On the other hand, researchers argue that apart from the Quranic accounts, there are no authentic and reliable narrations concerning Prophet Solomon. Thus, it can be concluded that this story is fabricated and lacks genuine origins. Additionally, there are two distinct versions of this tale: one known in Western literature as Appointment in Samarra, and another with three variations in Indian literature. A comparative analysis of the Islamic, Western, and Indian versions reveals that the mythological Indian narrative is the original source. The story traveled along an East-West trajectory, entering Arabic and Persian literature before being attributed to Prophet Solomon and eventually finding its way into Rumi’s Masnavi.

Keywords: Masnavi; Prophet Solomon; Azrael; Garuda; Samarra.


Introduction
The issue of identifying the sources and origins of the anecdotes in the Masnavi has received little attention from researchers until the modern era. Therefore, this study focuses on tracing the source of the tale "Azrael’s Gaze upon a Man and His Flight to Solomon’s Court..." which Rumi narrates within the story of The Lion and the Beasts to defend the animals’ belief in the futility of resisting fate.


Research Background
The earliest source addressing this issue is Ahadith wa Qisas-e Masnavi by Foruzanfar. He argues that the original version of this tale appears in Hilyat al-Awliya, Ihya’ Ulum al-Din, Jawami‘al-Hikayat, and Yudhkaru Fihe Hamaqat Ahl al-Ibaha (2008, p. 46). The book Ma’akhiz-e Qisas wa Tamthilat-e Masnavi-ye Attar-e Nishaburi, while introducing additional sources beyond those mentioned by Foruzanfar, states that determining the original root of the story is difficult and remains speculative (San’atiniya,1990).

Parsanasab and Nikanfar, in their article "A Narrative Analysis of Twelve Versions of Solomon and the Man Fleeing from Azrael", cite seven versions of this story from the following sources, in addition to those mentioned by Foruzanfar: Bustan al-‘Arefin, Nasihat al-Moluk, Kashf al-Asrar, Rawdh al-Jinan wa Ruh al-Jinan, ‘Aja’ib al-Makhluqat, Iskandarnama, and Tafsir-e Gazor—none of which predate the 6th century AH (2011, p. 41). Jafari Qanavati and Vakilian, in Masnavi wa Mardom, mention an oral version of this story recorded in Ahvaz (2014). Thus, although these authors have cited additional sources beyond Foruzanfar’s references, none have been able to trace the story’s primary origin.


Goals, questions, and assumptions
The story "Azrael’s Gaze upon a Man..." appears in Attar’s Ilahi-Nama before Rumi’s Masnavi, and even earlier in Tusi’s ‘Aja’ib al-Makhluqat (written between 551–562 AH). Prior to Tusi, Ghazali included this story in Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (492 AH), quoting it from A‘emash and Khuythama in the chapter "Dhikr al-Mawt" (Remembrance of Death), and later repeated it in Kimiya-ye Sa‘adat. Among Arabic sources, the oldest is Al-Musannaf fi al-Ahadith wa al-Athar by Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Abi Shayba, likely compiled in the early 3rd century AH. Thus, based on available sources, the story does not predate the 3rd century AH. Regarding the authenticity of this narrative, scholars of hadith maintain that apart from Quranic accounts, there are no reliable or authentic narrations about Prophet Solomon. Therefore, this story appears to be a fabricated tale attributed to him.


Another version: appointment in Samarra
Another version of this story seems to have entered Western literature through Arabic oral or folk traditions, known as Appointment in Samarra. John O’Hara, a prominent 20th-century American writer, prefaced his 1934 novel Appointment in Samarra with a short story by W. Somerset Maugham titled Death Speaks. Though the setting and characters differ, the theme and message align with Rumi’s Masnavi.