JALAL AL-DIN RUMI
(1207-1273 C.E.)
Jalal al-Din Mohammad Ibn Mohammad Ibn Mohammad Ibn Husain al-Rumi was born in
604 A.H. (1207/8 C.E.) at Balkh (now Afghanistan). His father Baha al-Din was a
renowned religious scholar. Under his patronage, Rumi received his early
education from Syed Burhan-al-Din. When his age was about 18 years, the family
(after several migrations) finally settled at Konya and at the age of 25, Rumi
was sent to Aleppo for advanced education and later to Damascus. Rumi continued
with his education till he was 40 years old, although on his father's death Rumi
succeeded him as a professor in the famous Madrasah at Konya at the age of about
24 years. He received his mystical training first at the hands of Syed Burhan
al-Din and later he was trained by Shams al-Din Tabriz. He became famous for his
mystical insight, his religious knowledge and as a Persian poet. He used to
teach a large number of pupils at his Madrasah and also founded the famous
Maulvi Order in Tasawwuf. He died in 672 A.H. (1273 C.E.) at Konya, which
subsequently became a sacred place for dancing derveshes of the Maulvi Order.
His major contribution lies in Islamic philosophy and Tasawwuf. This was
embodied largely in poetry, especially through his famous Mathnawi. This book,
the largest mystical exposition in verse, discusses and offers solutions to many
complicated problems in metaphysics, religion, ethics, mysticism, etc.
Fundamentally, the Mathnawi highlights the various hidden aspects of Sufism and
their relationship with the worldly life. For this, Rumi draws on a variety of
subjects and derives numerous examples from everyday life. His main subject is
the relationship between man and God on the one hand, and between man and man,
on the other. He apparently believed in Pantheism and portrayed the various
stages of man's evolution in his journey towards the Ultimate.
Apart from the Mathnaui, he also wrote his Diwan (collection of poems) and
Fihi-Ma-Fih (a collection of mystical sayings). How- ever, it is the Mathnawi
itself that has largely transmitted Rumi's message. Soon after its completion,
other scholars started writing detailed commentaries on it, in order to
interpret its rich propositions on Tasawwuf, Metaphysics and Ethics. Several
commentaries in different languages have been written since then.
His impact on philosophy, literature, mysticism and culture, has been so deep
throughout Central Asia and most Islamic countries that almost all religious
scholars, mystics, philosophers, sociologists and others have referred to his
verses during all these centuries since his death. Most difficult problems in
these areas seem to get simpli- fied in the light of his references. His message
seems to have inspired most of the intellectuals in Central Asia and adjoining
areas since his time, and scholars like Iqbal have further developed Rumi's
concepts. The Mathnawi became known as the interpretation of the Qur'an in the
Pahlavi language. He is one of the few intellectuals and mystics whose views
have so profoundly affected the world-view in its higher perspective in large
parts of the Islamic World.