Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Biography of Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi ‘May Allah Have Mercy on Him’ (Part Two)
Disciples of Mawlana
There are so many admirers of Rumi in the world that he has captivated and amazed supporters of mysticism and Islamic culture, and even beyond that.
Poet (Translation):
There is only one point: the sorrow of love; this wonder is unique and unparalleled in every language I hear.
Who Named Jalal ad-Din Rumi?
Yes, more than eight centuries have passed since the blessed life of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad began in Balkh. Researchers in the field of mysticism have made significant strides in identifying and understanding him, more so than any other poet or mystic. Fariduddin Sepahsalar, Shamsuddin Aflaki, and Sayyid Qasim Anwar were among those who bestowed the title of Mawlana upon this illustrious son of Balkh in the year 830 AH. Mawlana Abdul Rahman Jami and Mawlana Yaqub Charkhi Ghaznavi were some of the early scholars who paved the way for Rumiology for researchers and scholars from both the East and West and wrote notable works on Rumi. Other prominent figures such as Mawlana Vaez Kashfi, Ismail Anqaravi, Mir Abdul Latif Abbasi, and Badi’uz Zaman Foruzanfar have also significantly contributed to understanding Mawlana Balkhi Rumi. The research by Western orientalists on Mawlana’s works and thoughts is also commendable.
Understanding Mawlana’s Thoughts
Mawlana Balkhi Rumi’s works generally reflect his mystical and loving thoughts, particularly those expressed after his meetings and time spent with Shams. For example, his book Masnavi Manawi is an interpretation of the spiritual emotions of a mystic and Sufi seeker who expressed himself in verse and gained worldwide fame. Mawlana believed that as long as the identity of a person’s actions does not become colored by their knowledge, they will not achieve salvation.
Characteristics of Mawlana’s Family
Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi Rumi was born into an enlightened, scholarly, and mystical family in ancient Balkh. His father, Muhammad bin Hussain Khatibi, known as Bahauddin Walad and Sultan al-Ulama, was a preacher and scholar from Balkh and a descendant of Ahmad al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him). All their ancestors hailed from Khorasan.
Mawlana in a Word!
Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi is a lasting name, a famous orator, and a high-ranking mystic whose reputation as a scholar has transcended distant borders and encompassed the entire universe.
Taking advantage of the boundless sea of mystical thoughts in the search for truth is a process of grace, eternal and endless, which has continued and will continue in the life of humanity on a grand scale.
With the elevated position he achieved in the realm of Islamic mysticism and truth-seeking culture, it can be acknowledged that Rumi was the messenger of the finest manifestations of the beauty of love, the sparks of spirituality, and the quest for truth of the original human being. In the future, these lofty thoughts and his poems will continue to shine in the hearts of humanity.
Sheikh Fariduddin Attar’s Good News to Sultan Ulama
According to one version, Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi was six years old, and according to another version, he was about thirteen when he migrated from Balkh with his father, Bahauddin Walad (known as Sultan Ulama), and their family to Nishapur with a caravan of camels carrying their cherished possessions and books. Their caravan reached Nishapur, where Sultan Ulema visited the great mystic Sheikh Fariduddin Attar.
During the meeting, Sheikh Attar pointed to his son and said: “Soon this child will ignite the hearts of the worldly-minded and create excitement and commotion among the followers of the path.” He presented him with the Asrarname (The Secret Book), which remained with Jalal ad-Din Muhammad as a cherished memory of his youth until the end of his life. Rumi benefited from it and recounted some stories from it in his spiritual Masnavi, naming Sheikh Attar with respect and admiration.
Later, Sultan al-Ulama went to Mecca with his son and performed the Hajj rituals. They then traveled through the lands of Syria, Damascus, Aleppo, Rome, and finally, after nine years of residence in various cities, they settled in Eastern Rome (Konya) at the invitation of the Seljuk emir, Ala al-Din Kayqubad.
On the Throne of Guidance and Preaching
Jalal al-Din Muhammad began to acquire literacy and knowledge from his childhood and adolescence under his father and also with Sayyid Burhan al-Din Mohaqiq al-Tirmidhi, who was one of his father’s students. When his father died in 628 AH, Rumi was about 24 years old. Considering his knowledge and competence, his father’s disciples and students placed him on the throne of preaching and guidance in his father’s place.
Burhanuddin Mohaqiq Tirmidhi’s Death
A year after Rumi’s father’s death, which occurred in 628 AH (1231 AD), Sayyid Burhanuddin Mohaqiq Tirmidhi, a loyal follower of Sultan al-Ulama and one of the great mystics of that time, traveled to Konya in 629 AH (1232 AD) and took care of and nurtured Jalal ad-Din Muhammad spiritually. He spent nine years in the company of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad before passing away in 638 AH (1240 AD) in Kayseri.
The Mawlana of Rome as the Best Role Model
The Master of Rome serves as the greatest role model for spirituality and the highest human values, not only for Persians, Dari speakers, and Muslims but also for all of humanity on earth. The aforementioned mystical thoughts of true love and the pursuit of humanism and truth are invaluable to humanity.
Rumi places great value on humanity, longing for a genuine and rare individual who is seldom found, as he states in one of his ghazals in Divan Shams:
Poet (Translation):
The sheikh wanders around the city with a lamp; the devil and the dead are bored, and my humanity is a wish.
They said that he cannot be found; we have searched. He said that what cannot be found is a wish.
The Peculiarity of the Meeting with the Shining Sun
The extraordinary encounter between Rumi and Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Malik Dad Tabrizi occurred on the 26th of Jumada al-Akhira, 642 AH, in Konya, leading Rumi to attain profound truth.
This meeting stirred a storm in Rumi’s soul and illuminated the path to his connection with the Absolute Being. Rumi became animated and passionate about his interactions with Shams, resulting in a shift in his poetic output. He ultimately left behind preaching and jurisprudence to visit the Khanaqah of the Universe, akin to the sky, and became enamored with the sun of love and spirituality.
The companionship of Rumi with Shams Tabrizi, coupled with the transformation in his mood, incited jealousy and resentment from Rumi’s disciples toward Shams, ultimately leading to Shams’s absence. During Shams’s first absence, Rumi experienced profound sorrow and set out to find him. Shams’s Great Divan is a result of Shams’s first absence from Rumi, which he composed in parting with Shams.
Shams Tabrizi’s First Absence
Shams vanished unexpectedly for the first time after 468 days of residence and connection with Rumi in Konya in 643 AH. Following Shams’s disappearance, Rumi lost interest in those who had contributed to Shams’s resentment. Shams traveled to Syria and wrote a letter to Rumi, who, in return, sent poetic correspondence to Shams, four of which are preserved in Shams’s collection.
Subsequently, Rumi sent his son, Sultan Walad, to Syria, and Shams accepted Rumi’s invitation, returning to Konya.
However, the opposition intensified, and Shams eventually disappeared for a second time. It is said that the adversaries ultimately martyred Shams on Thursday, the fifth of Sha’ban, 645 AH.
According to Rumi’s son, Sultan Walad, Rumi himself traveled to Syria twice in search of Shams, seemingly oblivious to the tragedy of Shams’s martyrdom. After many fruitless efforts and the failure to find Shams, Rumi’s heart remained sorrowful until his death.
Some time later, Rumi turned to Salahuddin Fereydun Zarkub, a goldsmith in Konya, and despite facing opposition, Rumi arranged for Salahuddin’s daughter to marry his son Sultan Walad. Following a short period, Salahuddin passed away, and Rumi chose Husamuddin Chalabi to succeed him, who was described as one of Rumi’s elite disciples and closest followers.
Continues…
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