ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY IN GREEK LITERATURE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MUHAMMAD'S (SAW) ASCENT(AL-MI'RAJ) AND DANTE'S 'DIVINE COMEDY'

Abstract

The article endeavors to compare the event of "Al-Mi’raj" in Islam and the "Divine Comedy" in Greek literature. During Al-Mi'raj, the Holy Prophet surveyed a variety of sinners and also witnessed their punishments. He also met different Prophets at various levels of the sky. In the same way, in Divine Comedy the Pilgrim also visited different sinners and their punishments.  The purpose of the study is that how Dante Alighieri is influenced by the event of Al-Mi’raj to write his poem the "Divine Comedy". The study is qualitative in nature and Susan Bassnet theory of comparison is used to explore it. The study aims to find out the basic similarities between Prophet’s Al-Mi’raj and Divine Comedy and how this epic has affected the Christians. Moreover, the paper will disillusion the readers that Dante is influenced by the event of Al-Mir'aj in Islam in writing his poem as most of the Christians are ignorant about the teachings of Islam and so of the fact.