Rumi
Sufi mystic, poet, and founder of the Mevlevi Order
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Rumi was a 13th-century Sufi mystic, poet, and the founder of the Mevlevi Order, an Islamic brotherhood. Born to a family from Balkh, his influence on Sufism and Persian literature is immense, and his translated poetry now reaches a global audience. His full name, Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, includes the epithet "Rumi," meaning "the Roman," a reference to Anatolia, which was once part of the Eastern Roman Empire and where he eventually settled.
His early life was marked by flight: the Mongol advance forced his family westward, and after stays in cities across Iran, Baghdad, and Damascus, he settled in Konya at age 19. Though exposed to Sufi thought from childhood, he was initially expected to become an Islamic scholar like his father. That path changed with the arrival of the wandering dervish Shams Tabrīzī. The two became deeply attached, and Rumi began neglecting his duties. When Shams vanished, Rumi’s grief fueled his *Divan of Shams Tabrīzī*, a turning point that sparked his poetic career.
His masterwork, the *Masnavi*, is often called a "Qur'an in Persian" and is considered one of the greatest poems in that language. Many Muslims, especially in the Turko-Persian world, rank it just behind the Quran in importance. Today, Rumi’s works are widely read across Greater Iran and Turkey, where his order is based. He has been called the world’s most popular poet, and in the United States, he has become the best-selling poet in recent years.
Rumi was born to Persian parents in Wakhsh, a village in present-day Tajikistan, where his father, Bahā ud-Dīn Walad, worked as a preacher and jurist. The family moved to Samarkand when Rumi was about five. Greater Balkh was a center of Persian culture and Sufism, and key influences on Rumi included the poets Attar and Sanai, whom he praised in his own verses. His father was also linked to the spiritual lineage of Najm al-Din Kubra.
Rumi spent most of his life under the Persianate Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, producing his works there until his death in 1273. He was buried in Konya, beside his father, and his shrine became a pilgrimage site. His followers and his son Sultan Walad founded the Mevlevi Order, known for the whirling dance of the Sama ceremony. A hagiographical account by Shams ud-Din Ahmad Aflāki, written between 1318 and 1353, mixes legend with fact, and scholars like Franklin Lewis treat it with caution.
Claims that Rumi descended from Abu Bakr or from Khwarazmshah royalty are rejected by modern scholars as non-historical hagiography. His name is also rendered as Mawlānā in Iran and Mevlâna in Turkey, both meaning "our master" or "my master."
- born
- 30 September 1207
- died
- 17 December 1273
- field
- Sufi mystic, poet, Islamic scholar
- nationality
- Persian (from Greater Balkh, lived in Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm)
- known_for
- Founder of the Mevlevi Order; author of the Masnavi and Divan of Shams Tabrīzī
Lore & Background
The rapidly advancing Mongol hordes forced his family to flee west early on in his life. After spending time in various cities across Iran, Baghdad, and Damascus, he settled in Konya with his family at age 19. Until recently, Konya had been a province of the Eastern Roman Empire, hence his name, Rumi, i.e. 'the Roman'. Although he was exposed to Sufi thought from his early childhood, he was expected to follow his father's footsteps as an Islamic scholar. However, the arrival to Konya of the mysterious wandering dervish, Shams Tabrīzī, would alter the course of his life permanently. Rumi and Shams became infatuated with each other, causing Rumi to neglect his duties. When Shams mysteriously disappeared, Rumi experienced an intense period of grief reflected in his Divan of Shams Tabrīzī. This was the defining moment in the evolution of Rumi's spiritual worldview, and marked the beginning of his poetic output. His Masnavi, often called a 'Qur'an in Persian', is considered one of the greatest poems of the Persian language. Many Muslims, particularly in the Turko-Persian cultural sphere, regard the Masnavi as one of the most important works of Islamic literature, falling behind only the Quran. Rumi's works are widely read today across his native Greater Iran as well as in Turkey, where the Sufi brotherhood he founded is based. His poems have been translated into many of the world's languages, and Rumi has been described as the 'world's most popular poet.' In the United States, he has become the best selling poet in recent years.
Reader's Guide
Rumi is most commonly called Rumi in English. His full name is given by his contemporary Faridun bin Ahmad Sipahsalar as Muhammad bin Muhammad bin al-Husayn al-Khatibi al-Balkhi al-Bakri. He is more commonly known as Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. Jalal ad-Din is an Arabic name meaning 'Glory of the Faith'. Balkhī and Rūmī are his nisbas, meaning, respectively, 'from Balkh' and 'from Rûm', as he was from the Sultanate of Rûm in Anatolia. According to the authoritative Rumi biographer Franklin Lewis of the University of Chicago, '[t]he Anatolian peninsula which had belonged to the Byzantine, or eastern Roman empire, had only relatively recently been conquered by Muslims and even when it came to be controlled by Turkish Muslim rulers, it was still known to Arabs, Persians and Turks as the geographical area of Rum. As such, there are a number of historical personages born in or associated with Anatolia known as Rumi, a word borrowed from Persian literally meaning 'Roman,' in which context Roman refers to subjects of the Byzantine Empire or simply to people living in or things associated with Anatolia.' He was also known as 'Mullah of Rum'. Rumi is widely known by the sobriquet Mawlānā/Molānā in Iran and popularly known as Mevlânâ in Turkey. Mawlānā is a term of Arabic origin, meaning 'our master'. The term Mawlawī/Mowlavi and Mevlevi, also of Arabic origin, meaning 'my master', is also frequently used for him.
Did You Know?
- Rumi's family hailed from Balkh, but he was born to Persian parents in Wakhsh, a village on the East bank of the Wakhsh River known as Sangtuda in present-day Tajikistan.
- Rumi's father, Bahā ud-Dīn Walad, was a preacher and jurist who lived and worked in Wakhsh until 1212, when Rumi was aged around five and the family moved to Samarkand.
- Rumi lived most of his life under the Persianate Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, where he produced his works and died in 1273 AD. He was buried in Konya, and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Forgive our faults; the true lover seeks God's presence itself, not paradise." — Rumi "Instead of clinging to the deceptive appearances of this world, one should turn to God from the depths of the soul, with sincerity." — Rumi "The intellect cannot comprehend the creed of love." — Rumi "The very One who makes your heart heavy and sorrowful is the same One who makes you flourish, fresh, and rose-colored. The very One who moves you to pray is the same One who grants the reward of prayer." — Rumi
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