Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Leila Sadegh Naghdeali ¹
• Narges Ansari ²
• Abdul Ali Alebooye Langeroodi ³

¹ Imam Khomeini International University

² Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.

³ Professor of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Imam Khomeini International University , Qazvin, Iran.

Abstract

Two different intellectual schools-existential psychology and Islamic philosophy-analyze the human being and their existential concerns from two distinct perspectives. Comparing these two currents in the context of existential concerns enables a deeper understanding of fundamental concepts such as death, freedom, loneliness, and meaninglessness. It contributes to an interdisciplinary and multicultural comprehension of the nature of the human self. This comparison is not merely a step toward civilizational dialogue but also contributes to the development of local knowledge and the critique of modernity. This study relies on the comparative analytical method and is grounded in two anthropological worldviews: one secular, represented by Irvin Yalom, and the other theistic, represented by Allameh Jafari. It analyzes the existential concerns experienced by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, the main character in the novel A Little Death, and explores how he confronts them. The findings reveal that both thinkers regard existential concerns as fundamental issues, but their epistemological foundations differ: while Yalom is rooted in Western existentialism and searches for meaning within the individual, Jafari emphasizes divine values and external meanings. Yalom views death and loneliness as inevitable yet potentially motivating forces, whereas Jafari sees them as opportunities for spiritual elevation. The novel A Little Death presents these concepts in a narrative framework, starting with elements that are analyzable from Yalom’s perspective, and gradually shifting toward an Islamic mystical dimension. The novel is not merely a philosophical or mystical narrative; rather, it reflects the crisis of meaning and humanity’s efforts to overcome existential anxiety in pursuit of liberation. It invites the reader to reflect on their own existential condition.

Keywords

• Existential psychology
• existential concerns
• Irvin Yalom
• Allameh Jafari
• Ibn Arabi
• the novel A Little Death

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