Origins
The origins of this work are shrouded in mythology. Most accounts of the poem's construction derive from Shayk ibn al-Farid's grandson, Ali sibt Ibn al-Farid in his biographical work Adorned Proem to the Diwan (Dibijat al-Diwan), heralding his grandfather's legacy and many of the stories surrounding it. According to Ali, Umar ibn al-Farid "would fall into deathlike trances for days, then recover and spontaneously recite verses directly inspired by God; these verses were then collected to form this long ode". In another story related by Ali, it is said that Umar received instruction from the prophet Muhammed himself, requesting that he title it as the "Poem of the Sufi Way", instead of the original title intended by Umar ibn al-Farid, "The Diaries of Hearts and the Gardens' Sweet Scents".
Read more about this topic: Sufi Way
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