ABDRAHMON GOZAL’S VIEWS ON YUNUS EMRE

Abstract

This paper explores the scholarly and philosophical interpretations of the Turkish Sufi poet Yunus Emre (1238–1320) by the Uzbek literary critic and researcher Abdrahmon Gozal. It examines how Gozal perceives Emre’s mystical worldview, the linguistic and cultural characteristics of his poetry, and his spiritual philosophy of divine love and human unity. Within Gozal’s framework, Emre’s poetry transcends its medieval Anatolian context to become a universal expression of spiritual awakening, linguistic democratization, and human compassion. Drawing on comparative literature and hermeneutic analysis, this study analyzes Gozal’s arguments that Emre should be read not merely as a religious poet but as a philosopher of inner freedom. The discussion highlights how Gozal situates Yunus Emre’s thought within Turkic-Islamic intellectual history, emphasizing parallels with Central Asian Sufism and the moral psychology of Eastern literature. Ultimately, the paper argues that Abdrahmon Gozal’s interpretation revitalizes Yunus Emre as a timeless representative of humanism and divine love, bridging classical mysticism and modern ethics.