Sufism (Islamic mysticism)
Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī
The Poet of the Beloved
- Born
- 1207 CE
- Died
- 1273 CE
- Region
- Persia & Anatolia
- Vocation
- Poet, jurist, mystic
A respected scholar of law and theology met a wandering dervish named Shams, and became one of history's greatest poets of divine love.
Life
Born in what is now Afghanistan, Rumi's family fled the Mongol invasions westward, eventually settling in Konya (modern Turkey). He inherited his father's role as a Muslim jurist and teacher.
In his late thirties, a strange, ecstatic figure named Shams of Tabriz arrived in Konya. Their friendship transformed Rumi utterly. When Shams disappeared, Rumi's grief poured out as poetry — tens of thousands of verses.
The Masnavi, his six-book epic, is often called 'the Qur'an in Persian.' Seven centuries later, he is one of the best-selling poets in the world.
Core Themes
Timeline
1207 CE
Born in Balkh
Modern Afghanistan — a great Persian cultural center.
c. 1219
Flight from the Mongols
The family journeys west through Baghdad and Mecca.
c. 1228
Settles in Konya
In the Sultanate of Rûm; becomes a respected jurist and preacher.
1244 CE
Meets Shams of Tabriz
The friendship that changes everything.
1248 CE
Shams disappears
Rumi's grief becomes poetry — the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi.
1258–1273
Composes the Masnavi
Six volumes of mystical verse, dictated to Husam al-Din.
1273 CE
Dies in Konya
His funeral is attended by Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike.
Places
The map of a life — ancient and modern.
Khorasan
Ancient Seljuk Anatolia (1207–1273 CE)
Rumi's family fled Balkh for Konya, where he founded the Mevlevi Sufi order.
Afghanistan
Modern Day Turkey
Konya remains the heart of the whirling dervish tradition today.
Khorasan
Balkh
Today: Afghanistan
His birthplace.
Seljuk capital
Konya
Today: Turkey
Where he lived, taught, and is buried.
Major Works
Epic poem
Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi
26,000 verses across six books — a spiritual epic often called 'the Qur'an in Persian.'
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Poetry collection
Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi
Thousands of ecstatic lyrics dedicated to his lost friend.
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Voices of the Guide
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you.
"You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?
"What you seek is seeking you.
"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.
Influence
Influenced by
- Ibn Arabi
- Al-Ghazali
- Persian poetic tradition
Who they influenced
- Persian, Turkish, and Urdu poetry
- Modern spirituality worldwide
Modern Impact
Why this guide still matters today.
- Poetry: one of the best-selling poets in America.
- Interfaith dialogue: his shrine in Konya draws pilgrims of every faith.
Related Council Members
Legacy
Eight centuries after his death, more people quote Rumi at their weddings than any poet alive.