FANĀʾĪĀN, Mīrzā FARAJ-ALLĀH JONŪN b. Loṭf-ʿAlī b. Moḥammad-Reżā, poet, born in the village of Sangsar, near Semnān in 1290/1873. A shoemaker by profession, his formal education was minimal, but four years of travel (1304-8/1887-91) with his mentor, the Bahai scholar and poet Āqā Moḥammad Fāżel Qāʾenī (Nabīl-e Akbar), provided him with an opportunity to acquaint himself with Persian literature. Returning to Sangsar, Jonūn remained there until his death (21 Moḥarram 1364/6 January 1944). Jonūn left behind more than 70,000 verses of poetry and a few essays. His best-known work, Majmaʿ al-asrār treats, in more than 3,000 verses, treats man’s spiritual journey through the seven valleys (haft wādī) to attain reunion with his Creator.
Bibliography:
Āhang-e badīʿ XXV, Tehran, 1349 Š./1970, pp. 156-59.
N. Ḏokāʾī, Taḏkera-ye šoʿarāʾ-e Bahāʾī IV, Tehran, 129 Badīʿ/1972, pp. 47-48.
B. Fanāʾīān, Naḡmahā-ye jonūn I, Tehran, 1358 Š./1979, pp. 9-15.
F. Jonūn, Majmaʿ al-asrār, ed. J. Fanāʾīān, Tehran, 134 Badīʿ/1977, intro.
(Vahid Rafati)
Originally Published: December 15, 1999
Last Updated: January 24, 2012
This article is available in print.
Vol. IX, Fasc. 2, pp. 206-207