Rumi

Rumi
	Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, Persian poet and Sufi mystic
Tradition	Sufism, Islamic philosophy, Persian poetry, Mysticism
Influenced by	Shams Tabrizi, Attar of Nishapur, Quran
Lifespan	1207–1273
Notable ideas	Spiritual teachings expressed through poetry; emphasis on divine love and unity; founder of the Mevlevi (Whirling Dervish) order
Occupation	Poet, Theologian, Sufi mystic
Influenced	Hafez, Iqbal, Goethe, Western mysticism, Spiritual poetry
Wikidata	Q43347

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (c. 1207–1273), often simply called Rumi or Mawlānā (“Our Master”), was a 13th-century Persian-language poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic. He is celebrated for his devotional poetry and teachings on divine love, spiritual unity, and the search for God. Born in Greater Khorasan (in what is now Afghanistan or Tajikistan), Rumi spent much of his life in Konya (in present-day Turkey). His work drew on Islamic tradition and regional culture, and over the centuries it has influenced writers across the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond. In modern times Rumi has become one of the world’s most widely read poets. His ideas – often seen as emphasizing the oneness of all faiths and the power of love to unite humanity – have resonated in many cultures. Yet Rumi’s roots were firmly in Muslim Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. This article reviews his life, major writings, spiritual philosophy, and legacy, and considers how his work has been interpreted and debated.

Early Life and Education

Rumi was born on September 30, 1207, in the city of Balkh (in present-day Afghanistan) or nearby Wakhsh (now Tajikistan). He came from a learned Muslim family: his father, Bahāʾ al-Dīn Walad, was a well-known theologian, jurist, and preacher who spoke Persian and was interested in Sufi ideas. As a child Rumi accompanied his father on a religious journey to Mecca and other parts of the Islamic world. When Genghis Khan’s Mongol armies advanced on Central Asia around 1215–1220, Bahāʾ al-Dīn decided to leave Balkh. The family and their followers traveled west through Khorasan, Iraq, and Syria. According to legend, in Nishapur they briefly met the great Persian poet and mystic ʿAṭṭār, who is said to have blessed the young Rumi as a future spiritual genius. After time in Baghdad and Damascus, the family settled in 1228 in the city of Konya (then part of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia).

In Konya, Bahāʾ al-Dīn taught at a local madrasa (religious school) and led a Sufi circle. Rumi received a thorough education in Islamic law, theology, and Persian literature. Like his father, he was a Sunni Muslim of the Hanafi legal school. As a youth he studied the Qur’an, Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), Persian poetry, and philosophy. Konya at that time was a cosmopolitan trade city blending Persian, Turkish, and Byzantine cultures. Rumi learned to speak Persian (his mother tongue), and he also knew Arabic; later he would incorporate occasional Turkish and even Greek words into his poetry.

When Bahāʾ al-Dīn died in 1231, Rumi inherited his father’s position as the spiritual head of the community school. Over the next decade he became a respected Islamic teacher. He led the madrasa in Konya, taught juristic and mystical subjects, and issued legal opinions (fatwās) as a scholar. Rumi married and had several children; his two eldest sons, Sulṭān Walad and ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Çelebī, are often mentioned in sources. By around 1240, before turning thirty, Rumi had completed the Sufi training he had begun under his father’s former student Burhān al-Dīn Muḥāqqiq Tirmidhī, a Sufi master from Central Asia. At this time Rumi wrote mainly prose and poetry in Arabic or Persian, largely of a formal or didactic nature characteristic of a classical scholar.

Encounter with Shams-i Tabrīzī

The decisive turning point in Rumi’s life came in 1244, when he met the wandering dervish (Sufi mystic) Shams al-Dīn Tabrīzī. Shams had been traveling the region seeking a soul mate in spiritual quest. One famous account tells how Rumi, then riding a donkey through the Konya marketplace, was accosted by Shams with a challenge: “Who is greater, the Prophet Muhammad or the mystic Bayazid al-Bistami?” Rumi answered Muhammad, but Shams argued that Bayazid’s ecstatic declaration “Glory be to me!” proved he had achieved divine union. When Rumi agreed with Muhammad’s greatness, Shams asked why Muhammad still longed to know God, while Bayazid claimed already to know God. That question suddenly overwhelmed Rumi and he fainted from the insight. Upon awakening, Rumi recognized Shams as the spiritual teacher he had been seeking.

From that moment Rumi and Shams formed an intensely loving spiritual friendship. For about two years they spent most of their time together, meeting daily in cafes and mosques with Rumi’s disciples and family. Under Shams’s influence, Rumi was drawn away from formal scholarship into direct mystical experience. Shams urged him to follow the path of divine love rather than merely teach theology. The two men practiced zikr (remembrance of God) and sāma (listening to music or poetry for spiritual ecstasy). They would wander together in the countryside, dancing or whirling in ecstasy. Rumi’s behavior became so unusual—abandoning his students and family to Gogh wholeheartedly after God—that members of the community pressured Shams to leave Konya for a time. Rumi missed him deeply and even sent his son Sulṭān Walad to bring Shams back from Syria.

In 1247 Shams suddenly disappeared (some reports say he was murdered by one of Rumi’s jealous sons). Heartbroken, Rumi went into mourning and retreat, desperately searching for Shams. After three years, Rumi experienced a profound spiritual epiphany: he realized that Shams’s divine presence had dwelled within him all along. This revelation—that the divine Beloved was one with himself—turned Rumi into a true poet-saint. He later said, “I am Shams,” meaning that the eternal realities revealed by Shams now flowed through him. Rumi’s grief over Shams’s absence ignited a fountain of poetry. He began composing the ecstatic love poems and mystical teachings for which he is famous. By the late 1240s Rumi had transformed from a respected scholar into an inspired Sufi poet.

Major Works and Poetry

After Shams’s disappearance, Rumi became a prolific poet. His works fall into two main categories: the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrīzī (also called the Dīvān-i Kabīr) and the Maṭnawī-ye Maʿnavī. The Divan is a vast lyrical collection, while the Masnavi is a long didactic epic poem. He also produced notable prose works later compiled by disciples.

Divan-e Shams-e Tabrīzī (The Collected Poems of Shams Tabriz): This is a gigantic anthology of lyric poetry—mainly Persian ghazals (short, rhyming poems) and quatrains—dedicated to his beloved friend Shams. It contains on the order of 30,000–34,000 Persian couplets, plus some stanzas in Arabic, Turkish, and Greek. In these poems Rumi often uses the name “Shams” as a pen name, as if Shams is speaking. The tone is wildly emotional and personal. Rumi describes the agony of separation from the Beloved and the transcendence of finding God. He uses everyday imagery—wine, nightingales, deserts, taverns and the beloved’s face—to symbolize the soul’s longing for divine union. Critics have noted that Rumi’s language in the Divan can sometimes be simple and direct, as if composed in moments of ecstasy to mystical music. The Divan is still considered a musical treasure, often sung or recited in Sufi gatherings.

Masnavi-ye Maʿnavī (Spiritual Couplets): Composed from about 1260 until Rumi’s death, the Masnavi is a six-book mystical epic, totaling roughly 25,600 verses. It is Rumi’s magnum opus and is regarded as one of the greatest works of Persian literature. Each book was dictated by Rumi to his student Hüsam Çelebī. The Masnavi is essentially an encyclopedic collection of stories, parables, and moral lessons framed to teach Sufi principles. It draws on Qur’anic anecdotes, Hadith, Persian folklore, everyday life, and earlier Sufi literature. Through these stories Rumi illustrates abstract spiritual truths. For example, he tells of a lover knocking on the door of the beloved: when the lover first says “It is I,” he is rejected; only after “being cooked by the flame of separation” does he learn to reply “It is You,” gaining union with the Beloved. This tale literally shows that insisting on separate “selves” hinders union. Features of the Masnavi include its conversational style, humor, and teaching by anecdote. Scholars often describe the Masnavi as an “Sufi Qur’an” or “Qur’an in Persian,” since for many Sufi orders it holds nearly equal spiritual authority and is second only to the Quran in importance.

In addition to these poetic works, Rumi produced several prose writings (compiled by his students after his death):

Fihi Ma Fihi (“It Is What It Is”): This is a collection of 71 talks Rumi gave to disciples. Written in Persian prose, it covers various spiritual, ethical, and practical topics. Its style is much more direct and plain-spoken than his poetry. It often reads like a mystical lecture or a record of Rumi’s spoken words.

Majāles-e Sabʿa (Seven Sessions): A shorter collection of seven sermons delivered on religious occasions. The Seven Sessions also uses Persian and represents Rumi addressing Quranic teachings in familiar language.

Maqāṭīʿ (Letters) and Maktūbāt (Epistles): Letters written by Rumi to friends, patrons, and other Sufi figures. These reveal aspects of his daily life and spiritual guidance. His correspondence shows him advising disciples, resolving disputes, and discussing governance of the Sufi community in Konya.

Along with these major works, a few quatrains (rubaʿīyāt) and other shorter poems survive. All together, Rumi is said to have written about 30,000 tout-sums (verses) of poetry. He wrote mostly in Persian (the literary language of the region) but sprinkled some Arabic, Turkish and even a few Greek words into his verse.

Spiritual Themes and Philosophy

Rumi’s thought is grounded in classical Sufi teachings, yet expressed with remarkable originality. Central to his philosophy is the idea of Tawḥīd, the oneness of God. He often describes the divine as the ultimate Beloved, and human souls as lovers yearning to unite with that Beloved. In Rumi’s view, ordinary distinctions (self vs. other, believer vs. non-believer) are superficial conceits. At a deeper level, all existence is a unity; everything “is” God manifest. This concept is sometimes referred to as waḥdat al-wujūd (unity of being). Rumi teaches that the soul’s journey is to realize that the separation between Lover and Beloved is an illusion – “You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop,” as a familiar Rumi metaphor goes.

'''Love (ʿishq) is the path to achieve this realization. In Rumi’s works, love is the driving force of creation and the key to know God. He describes Divine Love in both human and cosmic terms. Earthly love, such as the love of a young man for a beautiful youth, is portrayed as a reflection or starting point; that longing naturally leads upward toward divine love. Rumi often uses images of passionate human love or intoxication to illustrate devotion to God. A common motif is the “wine” of love: in his poems, wine frequently symbolizes spiritual ecstasy, although Rumi is careful to say the wine is metaphorical, not actual alcohol. This use of familiar imagery makes his teachings vivid and relatable.

Rumi’s ethical and mystical emphasis is on surrender of the ego (the nafs) and obedience of the heart. He values sincerity and inner awareness over rote ritual. In his stories he often contrasts an orthodox religious scholar (who knows the law) with a simple devotee who loves God openly and humbly. A famous example is the short Qur’anic tale “Moses and the Shepherd,” which Rumi retells in the Masnavi: a humble shepherd is reproached by Moses for worshipping God with ludicrously human descriptions (saying he would comb God’s hair and wash His clothes). God then rebukes Moses, saying the shepherd’s devotion, though naive, was true and sweet, and that Moses should not quench that love. The moral is that any heartfelt devotion is pleasing to the Beloved. Rumi underlines that there is no single “right” way to pray or praise, only sincerity of love.

Rumi was also inclusive about religious traditions: though an Islamic scholar, he saw truth in many forms. He often praised the Prophet Muhammad and quoted from the Qur’an and Hadith, but he believed the essence of all religions was one and that people of different faiths could arrive at the same divine source. He identified mystical experiences in Christianity, Judaism, and other paths, interpreting them within a broader concept of divine love. This universalist streak has made Rumi popular across cultures, though it always sat upon an essentially Islamic foundation.

Another key theme is service and humility. Rumi frequently reminded followers that being of service to others is a form of serving God. Human love for one another and compassion are portrayed as reflections of divine love. In dozens of verses he sings of joy and gratitude even for pain, regarding adversity as the flame that refines the soul.

Musically and ritually, Rumi contributed significantly to Sufi practice. He believed in the power of dhikr (the repetition of God’s name) and sama (spiritual listening or music). Rumi himself would whirl in meditative dance, with one palm turned toward the sky and the other to earth, symbolizing receiving God’s grace and giving it back to the world. This whirling is what later became formalized in the Mevlevi Sufi order (the “Whirling Dervishes”) and remains associated with Rumi’s legacy.

Mevlevi Order and Later Life

After Shams’s departure, Rumi continued to develop his circle of disciples. By the 1260s he had become widely known as a saintly teacher. In his later years he was commonly called Mawlānā (“our master”) Rumi or Mawlāna (a Turkic honorific) and sometimes Mevlāna (the Turkish rendition). He trained his followers in the sama practices he had learned.

Rumi married three times and had several children. His eldest sons, Sulṭān Walad and ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Çelebī, played major roles after his death. Rumi’s own health declined in the early 1270s. He reportedly fell ill and became paralyzed in late November 1273. Shortly afterward, on December 17, 1273, Mawlānā Rumi passed away in Konya at the age of 66. His funeral was famously attended by people of many different faiths and backgrounds, reflecting his broad spiritual appeal. Rumi was buried beside his father in Konya. Over that evening and the next day his friends and disciples performed the first official Sama ceremony around his tomb – this now became an annual ritual on the anniversary of his death (called shab-i arūs, “night of union,” meaning union with the Beloved).

After Rumi’s death, his followers formally organized into the Mawlawī (Mevlevi) Order of Sufis. Sulṭān Walad became the head (sheikh) of the new order. The Mevlevi wove together Rumi’s ecstatic poetry with musical and dance rituals. They wore distinctive white robes and tall conical hats, symbolizing purity and tombstone. Their whirling ceremony (often held to live music and chanting) was meant to achieve spiritual trance and closeness to God. This order grew strong particularly in Ottoman Turkey; several buildings in Konya still preserve the history of Rumi and the early Mevlevis. Women were generally not allowed in formal Sufi orders, but there is evidence that Rumi’s family included women mystics who also practiced and taught his traditions privately.

Influence and Reception

Even during his lifetime, Rumi was popular in Anatolia. Within decades his fame spread throughout the Islamic world. His Masnavi was copied in manuscript around Persia, Central Asia, and South Asia. By the 14th century, Persian scholars considered Rumi one of the great masters of mystical poetry (alongside predecessors like Sanā’ī and ʿAṭṭār). Writers in South Asia, such as Mughal-era poets, revered him as a model of spiritual expression. In Central and Western Asia, Rumi was credited with refining and popularizing the Persian ghazal form of lyric poetry. For example, the 14th-century Persian poet Hāfiz praised Rumi’s Divan as unparalleled.

Rumi’s influence has also been strong in Anatolia and Turkey. Although Rumi wrote in Persian, the place where he lived and died became a center of pilgrimage and learning in his name. The Turkish language later adopted many of his couplets into folk songs and sayings. For centuries Ottoman scholars commented on Rumi’s works. Even in the late Ottoman period, Mevlevi gatherings at the Sultan’s court kept Rumi’s traditions alive. The whirling dervish ceremony became a well-known symbol of mystical Islam in the Ottoman world and later in independent Turkey. In modern Turkey Rumi is known as Mevlâna Jalâluddîn, and his tomb at the Mevlâna Museum in Konya attracts millions of visitors from around the world. His portrait and verses often appear in Turkish art, flags, and cultural paraphernalia.

Beyond the Islamic world, Rumi’s popularity grew dramatically in the late 20th and early 21st century. Beginning in the 1960s, English translations of his poems (notably by scholars who collaborated with poet Coleman Barks) introduced Rumi to Western audiences. His verses on love and spirituality struck a chord during the 1960s counterculture and later in New Age circles. By the 2000s Rumi was often cited as one of the best-selling poets in the United States. Entire books of his quotes (in loose translation) have circulated widely on the internet. High-profile figures have named children after Rumi or quoted him publicly. In 2007 the United Nations endorsed “International Rumi Year” to mark his 800th anniversary, highlighting his message of peace and harmony. Rumi’s themes of tolerance, universal love, and the unity of all religions have made him a bridge figure in interfaith dialogue and popular spirituality worldwide.

Today Rumi is a staple in world literature studies and comparative religion courses. His image or name appears on murals, music albums, and educational institutions (there are schools, journals, and cultural centers named “Rumi” in many countries). New modern adaptations of his poetry, as well as films and plays based on his life and relationship with Shams, continue to emerge. Museums dedicated to Rumi (like the one in Konya) and annual festivals ensure that each generation rediscovers his teachings.

Critiques and Debates

Despite his veneration, Rumi’s legacy is not immune to debate. One major discussion revolves around contextualization. In recent decades, some critics have pointed out that many popular renditions of Rumi’s poetry in the West remove or obscure references to Islam. Whereas Rumi composed nearly all his writings from an Islamic worldview, some modern presentations cast his words as secular or universal without acknowledging their origin. Scholars warn against this “erasure” of Rumi’s heritage; they note that his explicit references to God, Muhammad, and the Islamic tradition are integral to understanding his work. At the same time, defenders of Rumi argue that the universal values in his poetry allow it to speak to people of any or no faith, and that emphasizing his spiritual message can build bridges across cultures.

Another point of contention is the accuracy of translations. Many English readers know Rumi only through free-flowing translations by poets like Coleman Barks. Barks, who began translating Rumi in the 1990s (drawing on earlier academics’ interpretations), has admitted he treats Rumi’s poetry more as inspiration to create new poems than word-for-word translation. While this style brought Rumi to many non-specialists, some scholars criticize it for altering the original meanings or adding sentiments not present in the Persian texts. Academic translators who know Persian toqiue caution that nuances in rhyme and word play are often lost, and that Barks’s approach can lead to misattributions: over time, some sayings circulating on social media as “Rumi quotes” have been shown to be modern creations or from other poets. Thus, readers are advised to approach popular Rumi anthologies critically, and consult scholarly versions when possible.

Within the Islamic world there have also been debates about Rumi’s orthodoxy. In conservative circles, some question elements of his mysticism. For example, certain phrases in Sufi poetry—like referring to human love as God—have occasionally raised eyebrows among literalist scholars. However, Rumi generally maintained respect for Islamic law. He identified himself as a follower of the Hanafī legal school and Māturīdī theology, and described his Masnavi as a kind of “unveiling of the Qur’an.” Largely, Rumi was accepted by his contemporaries as a pious Muslim. The conflicts around him were more personal (e.g. his sons’ hostility to Shams, or occasional disputes among his disciples) than doctrinal. In fact, Rumi’s own immediate successors (like his son Sulṭān Walad) carried on his teachings within an Islamic framework.

On a broader cultural note, Rumi is sometimes at the center of national heritage debates. Modern nation-states in Central Asia, Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan all regard Rumi as part of their cultural lineage. For instance, he is often called “Balkhi” (from Balkh) by Afghans, while Turks highlight his lifelong residence in Anatolia. In 2007, UNESCO (responding to Turkey’s proposal) designated Rumi’s Masnavi as part of the global Memory of the World Register. This sparked a diplomatic stir with Afghanistan asserting that Rumi’s origins lie in Balkh. These disputes mainly concern national pride rather than his spiritual legacy, but they do underscore Rumi’s wide-ranging influence.

Legacy

Rumi’s legacy is one of enduring spiritual inspiration. In Sufi Islam, he is often considered a saintly master whose shrine is visited on the anniversary of his death. The Mevlana Museum (his tomb) in Konya is a major pilgrimage site; every year on 17 December, thousands gather for a festival of prayer, poetry, and whirling ceremony. The whirling dance itself, regulated now as a formal ritual by the Mevlevi Order, has become an internationally recognized art form (even inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage).

In literature and the arts, Rumi’s impact continues. Writers and poets reference his metaphors of love and the tavern to convey spiritual yearning. Musicians from Iran and Pakistan to the West have set his ghazals to music. His poetry has been incorporated into film soundtracks, television, and even rock and world music albums. Academics and religious scholars study Rumi in the fields of comparative mysticism, Persian literature, and musicology. His concept of shab-i arūs (the “night of union” at death) has influenced how many Sufis view death ceremonially, not as mourning but as a spiritual wedding to the Divine.

Rumi’s voice remains alive in interfaith dialogues. Many people of different religious backgrounds quote him on topics of love, compassion, and unity. Some Western spiritual teachers have used Rumi as an example of transcultural wisdom. Conversely, Muslim writers have sought to reintegrate Rumi into Islamic discourse, emphasizing his grounding in the Quran and Hadith. For instance, modern scholars like Omid Safi argue that Rumi exemplifies the “Radical Love” tradition within Islam, and they publish commentaries on his works alongside Islamic scripture.

Educationally, Rumi figures in curricula worldwide: universities offer courses on his life and translations. His name graces language courses (e.g. Rumi script), literary journals, and even a few places (streets or community centers) in cities around the world. In popular culture, he is sometimes seen as a symbol for spirituality. Controversial though it can be, his universality means Rumi can mean different things to different people. To one person he is an icon of Sufi Islam; to another he is a poet of pure love. His versatility may be his greatest legacy: like water from a spring, his words have flowed into many cultures, each finding nourishment in their own way.

Selected Works

- Masnavi-ye Maʿnavī (“Spiritual Couplets”), 6-volume poem – Rumi’s magnum opus, a series of didactic and mystical story-poems in Persian (c. 66,000 Persian distichs).

- Divan-e Shams-e Tabrīzī (“Collected Poems of Shams-e Tabriz” or Dīwān-i Shams i Tabrīzī) – A vast anthology of lyric poems (mostly ghazals and quatrains) in Persian, dedicated to his spiritual mentor Shams (c. 30,000 verses).

- Fihi Ma Fihi (“It Is What It Is”) – Prose anthology (Persian) of 71 discourses recorded by disciples, covering spiritual topics in accessible language.

- Majāles-e Sabʿa (“Seven Sessions”) – Seven Persian sermons given by Rumi, collected as a short prose work.

- Maktūbāt (Letters) – Revealing letters to followers, patrons, and friends on spiritual and administrative matters.

- (Also: Mathnawī of Rumi – another spelling/term for the Masnavi; Maqāṭīʿ – miscellaneous writings, often part of Fihi Ma Fihi collections.)

Timeline

1207 – Born in Balkh region (Afghanistan/Tajikistan).

1215–1220 – Mongol invasions force family to flee westward.

1228 – Family settles in Konya, Anatolia (Seljuk territory). Rumi is about 21.

1231 – Rumi’s father dies. Rumi (age 24) assumes his teaching position at the Konya madrasa.

1244 – At age 37, Rumi meets Shams al-Din Tabrizi.

1247 – Shams disappears from Konya (presumed killed or departed). Rumi begins writing poetry prolifically.

1250s – Rumi composes much of Dīwān-e Shams (persian verses) in mourning and devotion for Shams.

1260s – Rumi dictates the Masnavi-ye Maʿnavī to his disciples (volumes I–VI).

1273 – Rumi dies on December 17 in Konya at age 66. His funeral reportedly draws people of many faiths.

1274 onward – His followers form the Mevlevi Sufi order; annual rites and semā ceremonies at Rumi’s tomb begin.

2007 – UNESCO and Turkish authorities celebrate the 800th anniversary of Rumi’s birth with “International Rumi Year.”

2023 – The Complete Works of Rumi are inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, recognizing their global heritage value.