{"id":164769,"date":"2020-09-28T12:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T11:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=164769"},"modified":"2020-07-11T10:41:10","modified_gmt":"2020-07-11T09:41:10","slug":"rumi-30-sep-1207-17-dec-1273","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2020\/09\/rumi-30-sep-1207-17-dec-1273\/","title":{"rendered":"R\u016bm\u012b (30 Sep 1207 \u2013 17 Dec 1273)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn al-R\u016bm\u012b, Mawl\u0101n\u0101 –\u00a0 Sufi Mystic and Poet<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

R\u016bm\u012b<\/strong>, in full Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn R\u016bm\u012b<\/strong>, also called by the honorific Mawl\u0101n\u0101–<\/strong>born in Afghanistan died in Turkey–the greatest Sufi<\/a> mystic and poet in the Persian language<\/a>, famous for his lyrics and for his didactic<\/a> epic Mas\u0304nav\u012b-yi Ma\u02bfnav\u012b<\/a><\/em> (\u201cSpiritual Couplets\u201d), which widely influenced mystical thought and literature throughout the Muslim world<\/a>. After his death, his disciples<\/a> were organized as the Mawlawiyyah<\/a> order.<\/p>\n

R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s use of Persian and Arabic in his poetry<\/a>, in addition to some Turkish and less Greek, has resulted in his being claimed variously for Turkish literature<\/a> and Persian literature<\/a>, a reflection of the strength of his influence in Iran<\/a> and Turkey<\/a>. The influence of his writings in the Indian subcontinent is also substantial. By the end of the 20th century, his popularity had become a global phenomenon, with his poetry achieving a wide circulation in western Europe and the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Early life and travels<\/h2>\n

Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn\u2019s father, Bah\u0101\u02be al-D\u012bn Walad, was a noted mystical theologian, author, and teacher. Because of either a dispute with the ruler or the threat of the approaching Mongols, Bah\u0101\u02be al-D\u012bn<\/a> and his family left their native town of Balkh<\/a> about 1218. According to a legend<\/a>, in N\u012bsh\u0101p\u016br<\/a>, Iran, the family met Far\u012bd al-D\u012bn \u02bfA\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101r<\/a>, a Persian mystical poet, who blessed young Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn. After a pilgrimage to Mecca<\/a> and journeys through the Middle East<\/a>, Bah\u0101\u02be al-D\u012bn and his family reached Anatolia<\/a> (R\u016bm, hence the surname R\u016bm\u012b), a region that enjoyed peace and prosperity under the rule of the Turkish Seljuq dynasty<\/a>. After a short stay at Laranda (Karaman), where Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn\u2019s mother died and his first son was born, they were called to the capital, Konya<\/a>, in 1228. Here, Bah\u0101\u02be al-D\u012bn Walad taught at one of the numerous madrasahs<\/a> (religious schools); after his death in 1231 he was succeeded in this capacity by his son.<\/p>\n

A year later, Burh\u0101n al-D\u012bn Mu\u1e25aqqiq, one of Bah\u0101\u02be al-D\u012bn\u2019s former disciples, arrived in Konya and acquainted Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn more deeply with some mystical theories that had developed in Iran. Burh\u0101n al-D\u012bn, who contributed considerably to Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn\u2019s spiritual formation, left Konya about 1240. Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn is said to have undertaken one or two journeys to Syria (unless his contacts with Syrian Sufi circles were already established before his family reached Anatolia); there he may have met Ibn al-\u02bfArab\u012b<\/a>, the leading Islamic theosophist whose interpreter and stepson, \u1e62adr al-D\u012bn al-Qunaw\u012b, was Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn\u2019s colleague and friend in Konya.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The influence of Shams al-D\u012bn<\/h2>\n

The decisive moment in R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s life occurred on November 30, 1244, when in the streets of Konya he met the wandering dervish<\/a>\u2014holy man\u2014Shams al-D\u012bn<\/a> (Sun of Religion) of Tabr\u012bz<\/a>, whom he may have first encountered in Syria. Shams al-D\u012bn cannot be connected with any of the traditional mystical fraternities; his overwhelming personality, however, revealed to Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn the mysteries of divine majesty and beauty. For months the two mystics lived closely together, and R\u016bm\u012b neglected his disciples and family so that his scandalized entourage forced Shams to leave the town in February 1246. Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn was heartbroken, and his eldest son, Sul\u1e6d\u0101n Walad, eventually brought Shams back from Syria. The family, however, could not tolerate the close relation of Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn with his beloved, and one night in 1247 Shams disappeared forever. In the 20th century it was established that Shams was indeed murdered, not without the knowledge of R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s sons, who hurriedly buried him close to a well that is still extant<\/a> in Konya.<\/p>\n

This experience of love, longing, and loss turned R\u016bm\u012b into a poet. His poems\u2014ghazal<\/em>s<\/a> (about 30,000 verses) and a large number of rob\u0101\u02bf\u012by\u0101t<\/a><\/em> (\u201cquatrains\u201d)\u2014reflect the different stages of his love, until, as his son writes, \u201che found Shams in himself, radiant like the moon.\u201d The complete identification of lover and beloved is expressed by his inserting the name of Shams instead of his own pen name at the end of most of his lyrical poems. The D\u012bv\u0101n-e Shams<\/em> (\u201cThe Collected Poetry of Shams\u201d) is a true translation of his experiences into poetry; its language, however, never becomes lost in lofty spiritual heights or nebulous<\/a> speculation. The fresh language, propelled by its strong rhythms, sometimes assumes forms close to popular verses. There would seem to be cause for the belief, expressed by chroniclers, that much of this poetry was composed in a state of ecstasy, induced by the music of the flute or the drum, the hammering of the goldsmiths, or the sound of the water mill in Meram, where R\u016bm\u012b used to go with his disciples to enjoy nature. He found in nature the reflection of the radiant beauty of the Sun of Religion and felt flowers and birds partaking in his love. He often accompanied his verses by a whirling dance<\/a>, and many of his poems were composed to be sung in Sufi musical gatherings.<\/p>\n

A few years after Shams al-D\u012bn\u2019s death, R\u016bm\u012b experienced a similar rapture in his acquaintance with an illiterate goldsmith, \u1e62\u0101l\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn Zark\u016bb. It is said that one day, hearing the sound of a hammer in front of \u1e62al\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn\u2019s shop in the bazaar of Konya, R\u016bm\u012b began his dance. The shop owner had long been one of R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s closest and most loyal disciples, and his daughter became the wife of R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s eldest son. This love again inspired R\u016bm\u012b to write poetry.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Manuscript illumination from the Mas\u0304nav\u012b-yi Ma\u02bfnav\u012b of R\u016bm\u012b, 1295\u201396; in the British Museum (MS. OR. 7693, fol. 225 b.). Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co. Ltd.<\/p><\/div>\n

After \u1e62\u0101l\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn\u2019s death, \u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn Chelebi became his spiritual love and deputy. R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s main work, the Mas\u0304nav\u012b-yi Ma\u02bfnav\u012b<\/em>, was composed under his influence. \u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn had asked him to follow the model of the poets \u02bfA\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101r and San\u0101\u02bei<\/a>, who had laid down mystical teachings in long poems, interspersed with anecdotes<\/a>, fables, stories, proverbs, and allegories<\/a>. Their works were widely read by the mystics and by R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s disciples. R\u016bm\u012b followed \u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn\u2019s advice and composed nearly 26,000 couplets of the Mas\u0304nav\u012b <\/em>during the following years. It is said that he would recite his verses even in the bath or on the roads, accompanied by \u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn, who wrote them down. The Mas\u0304nav\u012b<\/em>, which shows all the different aspects of Sufism<\/a> in the 13th century, often carries the reader away with loose associations of thought, so that one understands what subjects the master had in mind at a particular stage of his life. The work reflects the experience of divine love; both \u1e62al\u0101\u1e25 al-D\u012bn and \u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn were, for R\u016bm\u012b, renewed manifestations<\/a> of Shams al-D\u012bn, the all-embracing light. He called \u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn, therefore, \u1e0ciy\u0101\u02be al-\u1e24aqq (\u201cLight of the Truth\u201d); \u1e0diy\u0101\u02be <\/em>is the Arabic term for sunlight.<\/p>\n

Death and legacy<\/h1>\n

R\u016bm\u012b lived for a short while after completing the Mas\u0304nav\u012b<\/em>. He always remained a respected member of Konya<\/a> society, and his company was sought by the leading officials as well as by Christian monks. His burial procession, according to one of R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s contemporaries, was attended by a vast crowd of people of many faiths and nationalities. His mausoleum, the Green Dome, is today a museum in Konya; it is still a place of pilgrimage, primarily for Turkish Muslims.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tomb of Jal\u0101l al-D\u012bn R\u016bm\u012b, founder of the Mawlaw\u012byah order of mystics, Konya, Turkey – Fred J. Maroon\/Photo Researchers<\/p><\/div>\n

\u1e24us\u0101m al-D\u012bn was R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s successor and was in turn succeeded by Sul\u1e6d\u0101n Walad, who organized the loose fraternity of R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s disciples<\/a> into the Mawlawiyyah<\/a>, known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes because of the mystical dance<\/a> that constitutes<\/a> their principal ritual<\/a>. Sul\u1e6d\u0101n Walad\u2019s poetical accounts of his father\u2019s life are the most important source of knowledge of R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s spiritual development.<\/p>\n

Besides his poetry<\/a>, R\u016bm\u012b left a small collection of occasional talks as they were noted down by his friends; in the collection, known as F\u012bhi m\u0101 f\u012bhi<\/em> (\u201cThere Is in It What Is in It\u201d), the main ideas of his poetry recur. There also exist sermons and a collection of letters (Makt\u016bb\u0101t<\/em>) directed to different persons. It is impossible to systematize his ideas, which at times contradict each other, and changes in the use of symbols often puzzle the reader. His poetry is a most human expression of mystical experiences, in which readers can find their own favourite ideas and feelings\u2014from enthusiastic flights into the heavens to matter-of-fact descriptions of daily life.<\/p>\n

_______________________________________________<\/p>\n

Annemarie Schimmel<\/a> – Former professor of Indo-Muslim Culture, Harvard University, and author of <\/em>Gabriel’s Wing; Islamic Calligraphy; and others.<\/em><\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 Britannica.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sufi Mystic and Poet – R\u016bm\u012b\u2019s use of Persian and Arabic in his poetry, in addition to some Turkish and Greek, has resulted in his being claimed variously for Turkish and Persian literature. The influence of his writings in the Indian subcontinent is also substantial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":163623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[214],"tags":[900,642,868,2006],"class_list":["post-164769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biographies","tag-biography","tag-literature","tag-poetry","tag-rumi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}