Nov 22, 2025
Abū Muḥammad Musharrif al-Dīn Muṣliḥ b. ʿAbd-Allāh, better known as Saadi is called simply as the Master in Persian for his place in classical Persian poetry. His Bustan and Gulistan takes pride of place in the canon of Islamic literary creations.
- Saadi was born in Shiraz 1210CE. He was alive during the Mongol
sack of Baghdad in 1258 who took over his homeland.
What more can we say about his socio-political and cultural context? - Saadi appears to have travelled extensively: Baghdad, India, Syria. What more can we say about his personal biography?
- Saadi’s Bustan and Gulistan are well-known. Give us a guide to reading those works and tell us about his other works. He also has an elergy to the fallen caliphate.
- What translations and secondary resources would you recommend on Saadi?
- And finally let’s end with a sample and translation.
Further Reading:
Sa'di: The Poet of Life, Love and Compassion by Homa
Katouzian
Gulistan (translated by Wheeler Thackston
Bustan (translated by G.M. Wickens)
Ali Hammoud:
https://alihammoud7.substack.com/
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