Risalat ul Ghufran, a Divine Comedy

work by al-Maʿarrī

Also known as: “Risālat al-ghufrān”

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July 13, 2026

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Risalat ul Ghufran (The Epistle of Forgiveness) is a work by the renowned Arab poet al-Ma'arri. Written in the 11th century, it is often compared to Dante's Divine Comedy due to its allegorical journey through the afterlife.1

In this work, al-Ma'arri describes a visit to paradise where he encounters pre-Islamic poets who have been forgiven. The poem is known for its intellectual depth, pessimistic outlook, and skeptical humanism, reflecting al-Ma'arri's unique vision. The work also contains critiques of Arabic literature and touches upon themes of social justice and the avoidance of procreation to spare future generations from life's suffering.1

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al-Maʿarrī
Brackenbury, Risalat ul Ghufran, a Divine Comedy, 1943), in which the poet visits paradise and meets his predecessors, heathen poets who have found forgiveness. These later works aroused some Muslim suspicions. Al-Fuṣūl wa al-ghāyāt (“Paragraphs and Periods”), a collection of homilies in rhymed prose, has even…
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Brackenbury, Risalat ul Ghufran, a Divine Comedy, 1943), in which the poet visits paradise and meets his predecessors, heathen poets who have found forgiveness. These later works aroused some Muslim suspicions. Al-Fuṣūl wa al-ghāyāt (“Paragraphs and Periods”), a collection of homilies in rhymed prose, has even…
Read More

Arabic literature
Wine poetry
…Epistle of Forgiveness”; English translation: Risalat ul Ghufran: A Divine Comedy), in which a sheikh travels to paradise to ascertain the treatment of prominent pre-Islamic figures in the light of Islamic codes of behaviour, and al-Aʿshā and other pre-Islamic poets are made to justify their graphic depictions of pre-Islamic revelry…
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…Epistle of Forgiveness”; English translation: Risalat ul Ghufran: A Divine Comedy), in which a sheikh travels to paradise to ascertain the treatment of prominent pre-Islamic figures in the light of Islamic codes of behaviour, and al-Aʿshā and other pre-Islamic poets are made to justify their graphic depictions of pre-Islamic revelry…
Read More