The ultimate goal in Attar’s universe is fana: the extinction of the individual self in the ocean of God’s existence. This is not a philosophical idea but a practical death before physical death. One quatrain says: "You will not reach the Beloved’s lane / Until you dig your own grave with your own hands."
Before diving into the Book of Secrets, we must understand the author. Attar (c. 1145 – c. 1221) was born in Nishapur, a bustling city in medieval Persia (modern-day Iran). His name "Attar" means "perfumer" or "apothecary," as he ran a successful pharmacy. However, his true trade was the distillation of spiritual truths.
Attar survived the brutal Mongol invasions but is believed to have died during the massacre of Nishapur around 1221. His legacy, however, survived through his poetry. He was a primary influence on later giants like Rumi, who famously said: "Attar traveled through all the seven cities of love, while I am still at the first turn."
The Book of Secrets (Persian: Mokhtar-Nama) is one of Attar’s major works, yet it remains overshadowed by The Conference of the Birds (Mantiq ut-Tayr). This neglect is undeserved, as the Book of Secrets offers a raw, intense exploration of the inner spiritual struggle. book of secrets attar of nishapur pdf
Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār (c. 1145–1221) was a Persian Sufi poet and mystic from Nishapur whose works shaped later Persian mystical literature. His “Book of Secrets” (Persian: Asrār) is a didactic mystical poem presenting Sufi teachings through allegory, praise, and spiritual counsel. It’s less famous than his long masterpiece The Conference of the Birds (Mantiq al-Tayr) but forms part of the same poetic-mystical corpus that emphasizes the seeker’s inner journey toward God.
Finding a high-quality English PDF is challenging. Unlike The Conference of the Birds, which has multiple modern translations (e.g., by Dick Davis or Afkham Darbandi), the Book of Secrets has been partially translated.
Warning: Be cautious of "free PDF" sites that offer automatically generated or garbled texts. Always verify the translator’s name and the publisher’s metadata. The best versions come from academic repositories like Academia.edu, Internet Archive (archive.org), or university digital libraries. The ultimate goal in Attar’s universe is fana
Let us say you only find a 30-page PDF excerpt. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Attar’s Asrar-Nama is not a narrative novel; it is a collection of spiritual detonators. One single secret from the book – for instance, "The Secret of the Dog at the Door" or "The Secret of the Broken Idol" – can fuel weeks of meditation.
Unlike modern self-help, Attar does not comfort you. He writes: Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār (c
"Do not seek the secret to avoid pain. The secret is the pain."
Reading the Book of Secrets (even the Persian original with a dictionary) forces you to slow down. You cannot skim Attar. He writes in dense, diamond-like metaphors. A PDF that allows you to zoom, highlight, and search for the word "heart" (dil) is far more useful than a dusty hardcover in a library you cannot mark.