Day of commemorating Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi; Marking great Iranian epic poet, ambassador of unity

Pars Today – May 15 is the day of commemorating Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi, the Iranian epic poet and composer of Shahnameh (Epic of Iranian Kings). Shahnameh is an eternal work which is not only an Iranian cultural heritage but also an unending treasury for the whole mankind.
Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi, mixing the national and religious identity of Iranians together, created an epic which both relates the ancient Iranian history and is full of moral and gnostic instructions. Thanks to his poetical taste, zeal and love of reviving national paragons of the Greater Iran, Ferdowsi created a great masterpiece called, “Shahnameh” in his 80-year life.
Shahnameh consists of nearly 50,000 lines and is a collection of national stories and historical accounts of the kings and heroes of ancient Iran which beautifully describes and depicts their heroic works of victory, conquest, valor, chivalry and religiosity.
Frerdowsi is undoubtedly the greatest poet who has tried to compose in pure Farsi language and his Shahnameh is among the most valuable and eternal masterpieces of Farsi language. Some researchers call his Shahnameh as the greatest epic of the world.
Shahnameh, epic beyond myth
Ferdowsi composed Shahnameh in 30 tough years. This book is a blend of wisdom, morality and Irfan (Gnostics). He cast a profound look at ancient Iran and created an inseparable bond between the Iranian culture and Islam.
Monotheism across Shahnameh
Ferdowsi starts Shahnameh in God’s name:
Praise Lord of life, God the Wise,
A worthier notion shall not arise.
These lines indicate his monotheistic view. All over Shahnameh, various epithets of God enjoy a special status and all indicate the One and Only God.
Impacted with Islamic teachings
Justice: Just kings, like Keykhosrow, symbolize divine rule.
Truthfulness and shunning lie: Ferdowsi considers lie as the greatest sin.
Trust in God: The heroes of Shahnameh put their trust in God in the hardest moments of their life.
Reference to Hereafter: Some of the lines of Shahnameh point to the Day of Resurrection and calculation of deeds in that day.
Ferdowsi and message of unity
Ferdowsi believed that truth is only one and religious differences have their roots in the limited human thoughts. People are boastful of their short-sighted and baseless thoughts. He is sad with discord among religions and stresses oneness of Truth (God).
Shahnameh compared with world epics
Deities in Iliad and Odyssey: The Greek deities, such as Zeus and Hera, are sometimes wicked and selfish.
God in Shahnameh: Pure God is Just and Merciful and always helps the pious. Accordingly, Shahnameh is the first monotheistic epic in the world which calls man to worship the One and Only God.
Ferdowsi’s message to modern world
Ferdowsi was not only an Iranian poet, but also a moral philosopher and a social reformer. His messages, such as struggle against oppression (e.g. story of Fereydūn and Zahhāk), safeguarding honesty and justice, unity alongside pluralism (respect for all religions and cultures), trust in God in crises are applicable for modern man.
Ferdowsi has revived the Iranian history and identity in Shahnameh while presenting global messages of peace, justice and monotheism to mankind. 
RM/MG