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Rumi Rumi, born Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi in 1207 in Balkh, Afghanistan, was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic. His life was dramatically transformed by his spiritual friendship with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi, leading him to compose profound, love-infused poetry. Rumi's works, especially "Masnavi" (Spiritual Couplets) and "Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi," explore themes of divine love, spiritual growth, and the unity of all beings, transcending traditional religious boundaries. His legacy continues to influence spiritual seekers and poets worldwide. "What you seek is seeking you." |
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Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, commonly known as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic whose profound works have transcended time and cultural boundaries.
Early Life and Upbringing
Rumi was born on September 30, 1207, in the city of Balkh, located in present-day Afghanistan, which was then part of the Persian Empire. Home
His father, Bahāʾ al-Dīn Walad, was a distinguished theologian and mystic, often referred to as "Sultan of the Scholars." Due to the impending Mongol invasions, Rumi's family embarked on extensive travels across the Islamic world. Their journey included a pilgrimage to Mecca and visits to various cities, eventually leading them to settle in Konya, located in present-day Turkey. University of Massachusetts
Education and Spiritual Development
In Konya, Rumi pursued rigorous studies in Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and Sufism. Following his father's death, Rumi, at the age of twenty-five, inherited his position as an Islamic teacher. He continued his spiritual training under one of his father's disciples, Sayyed Burhan ud-Din Muhaqqiq Termazi, practicing Sufism diligently for nine years. Rumi also traveled to Damascus, where he is said to have spent four years, further deepening his spiritual knowledge. Wikipedia
Encounter with Shams-e Tabrizi
A pivotal moment in Rumi's life occurred on November 15, 1244, when he met the wandering dervish Shams-e Tabrizi. This profound encounter transformed Rumi from a respected scholar into a passionate mystic and poet. The deep bond between Rumi and Shams led to an outpouring of lyrical poetry, expressing themes of divine love and spiritual longing. However, their intense relationship attracted envy, and on the night of December 5, 1248, Shams disappeared under mysterious circumstances, rumored to have been murdered. Rumi's grief over the loss of Shams inspired some of his most profound works, including the "Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi." Wikipedia
Literary Contributions
Rumi's literary legacy is vast, with his most renowned works being:
Rumi's teachings emphasize the following core concepts:
Early Life and Upbringing
Rumi was born on September 30, 1207, in the city of Balkh, located in present-day Afghanistan, which was then part of the Persian Empire. Home
His father, Bahāʾ al-Dīn Walad, was a distinguished theologian and mystic, often referred to as "Sultan of the Scholars." Due to the impending Mongol invasions, Rumi's family embarked on extensive travels across the Islamic world. Their journey included a pilgrimage to Mecca and visits to various cities, eventually leading them to settle in Konya, located in present-day Turkey. University of Massachusetts
Education and Spiritual Development
In Konya, Rumi pursued rigorous studies in Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and Sufism. Following his father's death, Rumi, at the age of twenty-five, inherited his position as an Islamic teacher. He continued his spiritual training under one of his father's disciples, Sayyed Burhan ud-Din Muhaqqiq Termazi, practicing Sufism diligently for nine years. Rumi also traveled to Damascus, where he is said to have spent four years, further deepening his spiritual knowledge. Wikipedia
Encounter with Shams-e Tabrizi
A pivotal moment in Rumi's life occurred on November 15, 1244, when he met the wandering dervish Shams-e Tabrizi. This profound encounter transformed Rumi from a respected scholar into a passionate mystic and poet. The deep bond between Rumi and Shams led to an outpouring of lyrical poetry, expressing themes of divine love and spiritual longing. However, their intense relationship attracted envy, and on the night of December 5, 1248, Shams disappeared under mysterious circumstances, rumored to have been murdered. Rumi's grief over the loss of Shams inspired some of his most profound works, including the "Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi." Wikipedia
Literary Contributions
Rumi's literary legacy is vast, with his most renowned works being:
- Masnavi-ye Ma'navi (Spiritual Couplets): Often referred to as the "Quran in Persian," this six-volume poetic work delves into Sufi teachings, offering stories and parables that convey deep spiritual and ethical lessons.
- Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi (The Collected Poems of Shams of Tabriz): A compilation of ghazals and other poetic forms, this collection reflects Rumi's profound love and admiration for his spiritual mentor, Shams.
- Fihi Ma Fihi (In It What's in It): A prose work consisting of Rumi's lectures and discourses, providing insights into his thoughts on various spiritual matters.
- Majalis-e Sab'a (Seven Sessions): A collection of seven sermons that Rumi delivered, touching upon key aspects of spiritual growth and understanding.
- Makatib (The Letters): A compilation of letters penned by Rumi, offering guidance and advice to his disciples and contemporaries.
Rumi's teachings emphasize the following core concepts:
- Unity of Being: The belief in the fundamental oneness of all existence, where everything is interconnected through divine love.
- Divine Love: Central to Rumi's philosophy is the idea that love is the driving force behind the universe, leading individuals toward spiritual enlightenment.
- Sufi Mysticism: Rumi's works explore the inner, mystical dimensions of Islam, focusing on personal experience and direct communion with the divine.
Notable Quotes
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you."
"What you seek is seeking you."
"Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form."
"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray."
"You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?"
"The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart."
"Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion."
"Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop."
"Don’t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will become your cure."
"Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?"
"Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off."
"When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about."
"Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being."
"Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth."
"When you let go of who you are, you become who you might be."
"You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens."
"Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life."
"The moment you accept what troubles you've been given, the door will open."
"Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
"Let yourself be guided silently by the strange pull of what you really love."
"Be like a melting snow—wash yourself of yourself."
"Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment."
"With life as short as a half-taken breath, don’t plant anything but love."
"Love is the bridge between you and everything."
"Run from what’s comfortable. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live."
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal."
"Don’t search for water. Become thirsty."
"When the soul lies down in that grass, ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense."
"Be soulful. Be kind. Be in love."
"Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love."
"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy."
"Try to be a sheet of paper with nothing on it. Be nothing. Be still."
"Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop."
"Forget safety. Live where you fear to live."
"Don’t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will become your cure."
"Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there."
"Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth."
"Knock, and it will open. Don’t stop seeking, for you’ll find."
"Love sometimes wants to do us a great favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out."
"This is a subtle truth: whatever you love, you are."
"These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them."
"Be a seeker of everyday magic."
"You were born with wings; learn to use them and fly."
"Become the sky. Take an axe to the prison wall. Escape."
"Be full of sorrow, that you may become hill of joy; weep, that you may break into laughter."
"The soul has been given its own ears to hear things the mind does not understand."
"Let yourself be broken; the more cracks you have, the more light can come through."
"Listen to silence. It has so much to say."
"Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot. Seek the path that demands your whole being."
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you."
"What you seek is seeking you."
"Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form."
"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray."
"You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?"
"The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart."
"Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion."
"Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop."
"Don’t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will become your cure."
"Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?"
"Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off."
"When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about."
"Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being."
"Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth."
"When you let go of who you are, you become who you might be."
"You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens."
"Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life."
"The moment you accept what troubles you've been given, the door will open."
"Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
"Let yourself be guided silently by the strange pull of what you really love."
"Be like a melting snow—wash yourself of yourself."
"Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment."
"With life as short as a half-taken breath, don’t plant anything but love."
"Love is the bridge between you and everything."
"Run from what’s comfortable. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live."
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal."
"Don’t search for water. Become thirsty."
"When the soul lies down in that grass, ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense."
"Be soulful. Be kind. Be in love."
"Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love."
"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy."
"Try to be a sheet of paper with nothing on it. Be nothing. Be still."
"Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop."
"Forget safety. Live where you fear to live."
"Don’t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will become your cure."
"Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there."
"Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth."
"Knock, and it will open. Don’t stop seeking, for you’ll find."
"Love sometimes wants to do us a great favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out."
"This is a subtle truth: whatever you love, you are."
"These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them."
"Be a seeker of everyday magic."
"You were born with wings; learn to use them and fly."
"Become the sky. Take an axe to the prison wall. Escape."
"Be full of sorrow, that you may become hill of joy; weep, that you may break into laughter."
"The soul has been given its own ears to hear things the mind does not understand."
"Let yourself be broken; the more cracks you have, the more light can come through."
"Listen to silence. It has so much to say."
"Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot. Seek the path that demands your whole being."