А NARRATIVE ABOUT SABA CITIZENS IN THE WORKS BY THE SUFI POET ABULMANIKH QARGHALY
The article provides a literary analysis of the poetic work by the Sufi poet Abulmanikh Qarghaly "Hikayat ath-thalith" ("The Third Story") based on the Qur'anic chapter "Saba". Introducing additional aspects of narrative, fantastic details as twelve features of Saba city given by Allah's grace into the story, Qarghaly offers a vivid interpretation to it. He makes reference to Nimrod, King of Babylon, a legendary image of the salamander as well as to some episodes in Qur'anic stories about the Prophet Musa. The use of plenty of various details, images and story lines in "Hikayat ath- thalith" by the Tatar poet adds ethnic colour to it. Hyperboles suggested by Qarghaly make it unique and emotionally expressive. At the same time "Hikayat ath-thalith" presents a utopia, an ideally perfect place common people dream about. Qarghaly focuses attention on ethic problems and in the excursuses urges readers to learn a lesson from the edifying stories. At the end of his narrative Abulmanikh Qarghaly makes the conclusion that whoever disobeys Allah will be punished.