What is Rumi famous for? Why is Rumi so great? What is Rumi's famous quote?

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī, Mevlânâ/Mawlānā (Persian: lit. 'our master') and Mevlevî/Mawlawī (Persian: lit. 'my master'), but more popularly known simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian or Turkish poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran.

Childhood

When Mevlana was born on September 30, 1207, in the town of Vahs, in the Belh region of Khorasan, within the borders of Afghanistan, as the son of Muhammed Bahaeddin Veled and Mümine Hatun, who was known as "Sultanü'l-Ulema" (Sultan of Scholars) and his family called him "Jalāl". ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī”.

His father was the son of Hüseyin Hatibi, son of Ahmed Hatibi, who was one of the notables of the city of Belh. He was also given the title of "Sultan of Scholars" when he was alive. His paternal grandmother was Persian Princess Melike-i Cihan Emetullah Sultan from the Harzemshahs dynasty. His mother was the daughter of the Emir of Belh, Rükneddin.

Mevlana, whose ethnic origin varies according to different sources, was "Turkish, Tajik or Persian".

Rumi's influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, as well as Muslims of the Indian subcontinent have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats. Rumi has been described as the "most popular poet" and the "best-selling poet" in the United States.

Mevlana had a lucky childhood in terms of his father's identity. It wouldn't have mattered, either, because his heart would be filled with a divine love that surpassed all the emotions he would experience. His father, Bahaeddin, was a teacher in Belh, one of the Islamic cultural centers of the period. However, he would have to leave these lands due to the political events in the period and the upcoming Mongol invasion. He left Belh in 1212-1213, taking his family and close friends.

Road to abandonment

Bahaeddin had an influential effect on the people, they loved him very much. Bahaeddin always treated them well, sought solutions to their problems, and clarified their arguments in a language he could understand. Also, he would never allow philosophical discussions in his lectures or fatwas, and he would not confuse anyone. All this greatly disturbed the rulers of the Khwarazmshahs State.

What is Rumi's famous quote?

The Most Famous Rumi Quotes. “Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you.”

A story would come out of this that would go a long way and end with abandonment. One day, Bahaeddin attacked philosophy and philosophers in his class, arguing that they were dealing with issues that did not exist in Islam. Hearing this, the famous philosopher Fahrettin Razi had already begun to breathe. Fahrettin complained to the Sovereign Muhammed Tökiş, who did not like Bahaeddin much anyway.

Tökiş loved Fahrettin very much; His reputation in his eyes was in the heavens. Moreover, this was an opportunity to undermine the value of Bahaeddin in the eyes of the public. However, Tökiş doubted that his place was shaken by the public's interest in Bahaeddin. He could not stand against this scorching doubt and sent a message with an envoy and Bahaeddin' along with the keys of the city; He said in his note: “If our sheikh accepts the land of Belh, from today onwards, the sultanate, the lands and the soldiers will be his; allow me to go to another country. I will go there and settle down. Because it is not right to have two sultans in a country. Praise be to Allah that he has been given two kinds of the Sultanate. The first is the reign of the world, the second is the reign of the hereafter. It would be a great help and a great blessing if they gave us this world kingdom and renounced it”.

Tökiş's note was a clear insult to a person like Bahaeddin who adopted the principle of living with the light of peace, and he did not spare his reply: "Say hello to the sultan of Islam. The mortal countries, soldiers, treasures, thrones and fortunes of this world befit the sultans. We are dervish; We do not have a country or a kingdom”.

Even though Tökiş was crushed and regretted by the answer he received, the last regret did not help. Bahaeddin, the Sultan of scholars, left his lands in 1212, taking his family and close friends with him. They were not trees, but they could take root anywhere...

Traveler years

Their first stop was Nishapur. Here, the Sufi Feridüddin Attar, who had gained a reputation in his own city, greeted them. Mevlana was still very young, but he seemed to follow in his father's footsteps. He was clever enough to gain the attention and appreciation of the Sufi Feridüddin. Sufi Feridüddin presented his book "Esrarname" (Book of Secrets) to Mevlana. From now on, his light would be Feridüddin after his father. As if Feridüddin felt years later than those days, he said to Bahaeddin, “A sea is chasing a river. I hope in the near future your son will set fire to the hearts of the people of the realm and burn them.” Everything he predicted would happen when the time came, and Mevlana would announce his breath to the world. He would never leave the Esrarname with him, and he would talk about it in the legendary "Mesnevi" one day...

Bahaeddin went from Nishapur to Baghdad, and from there through Kufe, to the Kaaba, and fulfilled his pilgrimage. On the way back, his first stop was Damascus. Then he passed through Malatya, Erzincan, Sivas, Kayseri, and Niğde and settled in the madrasah built by Subaşı Emir Musa in Larende (Karaman).

Bahaeddin and his family settled in Karaman in 1222 and lived there for 7 years. In these years, the Seljuk State had established sovereignty over almost the whole of Anatolia. Their capital was Konya. Konya was at such a developed level compared to its period in every respect that the Seljuks were living their heyday. Scientists and craftsmen constituted the notables of Konya. The ruler Alaeddin Keykubad wanted Bahaeddin Veled, the Sultan of Scholars, to be here as well; He sent an invitation to settle in Konya. Bahaeddin accepted the invitation of the ruler and gathered his family and relatives on May 3, 1228, and settled in Konya. Alaeddin Keykubad welcomed him with a ceremony led by him and assigned him the Altunapa (İplikçi) Madrasa. Bahaeddin was honored. Of course, he didn't know that he was living the last years of the time cut for him to live. Just as he doesn't know what place his arrival here will take in his son's life...

Mevlana got married

By the time the family reached Karaman, Mevlana was now an 18-year-old young man. Mevlana and "Gevher Hatun" got married in 1225 in Karaman. Gevher was the daughter of Lala Şerafettin from Samarkand. From this marriage, they had two sons named "Mehmet Bahaeddin" (Sultan Veled) and "Alaeddin Mehmet" (Alaeddin Çelebi).

Years later, Gevher Hatun passed away. Mevlana married for the second time with "Kerra Hatun", who has a child. From this marriage, they had two sons named "Muzaffereddin and Emir Alim Çelebi" and a daughter named "Melike Hatun".

His father died

Mevlana's father Bahaeddiin died on January 12, 1231. It was not only his father but also the "Sultan of the Realms" who passed away… The Rose Garden of the Seljuk Palace was chosen as the burial place for the Sultan of Scholars. The whole country was in mourning; The ruler did not sit on the throne for a week, for forty days food was distributed to him.

After the death of his father, all eyes turned to Mevlana. His disciples and disciples had already surrounded him; They regarded him as the sole heir of his father. Actually, they were not wrong. Mevlana had improved himself in science and religion, became a scholar, and was giving sermons at the İplikçi Madrasa. This was the will of his father Bahaeddin anyway. Just like in his father's days, the madrasa was overflowing with people who came to listen to Mevlana. This work took a year; Mevlana gave lectures, sermons, and fatwas in the madrasah.

After his father

In 1232, Seyyid Burhaneddin Muhakkik Shams-i Tabrizi from Tabriz came to Konya; He was one of his father's students. The aftermath of this first meeting would be profound.

Years later, Mevlana's son Sultan Veled told about the first time Burhaneddin and Mevlana met in his book called "İbtidaname" (The Beginning Book). Burhanuddin put Mevlana to the exams of the valid branches of Islamic sciences of that age in their meetings. The sentences that spilled from Burhaneddin's lips, who were overjoyed with Mevlana's achievements, were as follows: "You have no equal in knowledge; You are truly an outstanding man. However, your father was well-to-do; you stay (word) people. Let go of Kal, be like him. Work on it, only then will you become its true heir. Only then can you illuminate the world like the sun.”

After this meaningful warning, Mevlana became a disciple of Burhaneddin for 9 years. He went through a cult training called "Seyr-u Süluk". He went to Aleppo and Damascus and completed his education in the madrasahs there. When he returned to Konya to his teacher, he suffered three consecutive trials under his supervision.

His teacher left Konya one day and settled in Kayseri; Mevlana's objections did not help… In 1241, Mevlana received the news that his teacher had died in Kayseri; he was down. He never forgot his teacher; his teachings, his books, his lecture notes… He gathered everything else. Years later, he honored him by quoting his teacher in his work “Fihi Ma-Fih”, which means “Whatever is in it”.

For the next 5 years, he continued to preach in the madrasa by teaching fiqh and theology.

Mevlana and Shams meeting

This was the story of two people meeting with divine love. Even after centuries, people would receive inspiration from them and heed their advice on their way.

There was a famous inn in Konya; “Sugar Merchants Inn” (Sugar Furusan). In 1244, a traveler dressed in black from head to toe stopped by this inn; He said he was a traveling merchant. This traveler, whom they learned to be called Şemsettin Muhammed Tabrizi (Şems from Tabriz), was a disciple of an illiterate sheikh named Ebubekir Salabaf.

Şems was looking for something, he had come this far after him. He blew into his soul that what he was looking for was in Konya. His feet took him to the İplikçi Madrasa, as if he knew the way and even memorized it, the date was November 15, 1244. When Shams was about to reach the madrasa, he saw Mevlana on his horse with his students and blocked his way.

If an anvil fell from the sky at that moment, it seemed like it would take centuries to reach the earth…

Shams asked: "O scholars, tell me, is Muhammad great or Beyazid Bistami?"

Mevlana was strangely impressed by this man, who had almost fallen out of his clothes as a traveler on his way. However, the question he asked was also quite interesting; It was impossible to answer without a roar. “What kind of question is this? He is the last of the prophets; Will there be a word of Beyazid Bistami next to him?" he said angrily.

Shams was quite calm and continued to ask: "Why does Muhammad say, 'My heart is rusty, so I ask forgiveness to my Lord seventy times a day, Beyazid says, 'I keep myself away from deficient attributes, there is no existence other than Allah in my robe'. What do you say about this?"

Mevlana this time with a more calm and cautious approach: “Muhammad was exceeding seventy maqams every day. When he reached the height of each rank, he was asking forgiveness for the insufficiency of his knowledge in the previous rank and rank. However, Beyazid was satisfied with the majesty of the rank he reached and passed out, his power was limited. That's how he spoke to her."

Shams stopped. In fact, he had a heart that was shaking with excitement, it was beating in his mouth. He couldn't take it anymore and said, "Oh my God!" He hugged Mevlana with his shouts. Because he was the one he was looking for all the way. Even the spot where they met was special; “Merec-el Bahrain”, that is, the point where two seas meet. This point brought together two hearts filled with divine love. Mevlana was not even surprised at the arms wrapped around him. It was obviously the Him he had been waiting for…

Mevlana and Shams loneliness

From the point they met, they went to the cell of "Selahaddin Zerkub", one of Mevlana's distinguished disciples, and fell into absolute solitude for two. This snatching lasted a long time; maybe 40 days, maybe 6 months… The duration was not what mattered. This was the story of two hearts uniting and changing.

During his stay in that cell, Mevlana became a brand new person, as if even his appearance was different. He had abandoned his sermons, his lectures, his obligations, and each of his duties. Including the books, he read every day. He even stopped calling his friends and disciples. The whole city was in revolt, this new situation was unacceptable to anyone. How could Mevlana, who has never shunned his duties even once, turn his back on everything with the words of a man who came out? Who was this dervish?

The sound coming out of each head multiplied and hit each head again, and the severity of the event was getting bigger and bigger. So much so that there were even those who threatened Shams with death. Things were growing, far from calming down. It was getting very annoying now, Shams couldn't stand it any longer. He took Mevlana in front of him and recited the 78th verse from the Qur'an to him.

The verse he read meant, "This is the separation between you and me." Everything was clear and distinct. This separation was going to happen, it had to happen. It was a mistake to expect people to understand all this...

Shams left Konya without informing one night in 1245.

This was the story of the physical separation of two hearts united by divine love…

Mevlana after Shams

This departure of Shams destroyed Mevlana. He didn't want to see anyone; without eating or drinking. He completely withdrew from friendly meetings and celestial assemblies. All he could do was send messengers wherever Shams could go and hope to find him. He also sang ghazals full of longing and love…

Meanwhile, his followers were divided into two; While some of them expressed their regrets and apologized to Mevlana, the other part was even more resentful towards Shams.

Finally, the messengers gave the good news to Mevlana; They had found Shams, it was in Damascus. Sultan Veled went to Damascus with about twenty of his friends and was going to bring Shams to his father. He also took with him the ghazals in which Mevlana was burned to return to Shams. Shams did not break Sultan Veled's request and returned to Konya.

Everyone did their part, came, and apologized. However, Mevlana and Shams returned to their old days without wasting any time. However, this time things got more serious. Because everyone was very angry; the dervishes were trying to keep Mevlana away from Shams, while the people did not hide their anger towards Mevlana. Because Mevlana left the sermons and lessons after Shams came and started sema (whirling) and dance. Moreover, he had taken off the clothes that were reserved for religious scholars, and instead he wore an Indian-colored cardigan and a honey-colored cone. Mevlana's second son, Alaeddin Çelebi, was among those who were now standing in front of Shams.

Being confronted with all these events once again exhausted Shams' patience. He said, "This time, I will go in such a way that no one will know where I am," and disappeared. The year was 1247 and this was Shams' last departure...

Mevlana had gone mad. Again, he lived the times when he was cut off from eating and drinking and stuck in those vices. Finally, after a while, when he realized that Shams would never come back, he went back to everything. It's a spiritual feeling like when you come...

Mevlana saw the "light" in the image of Shams, He was the proof of absolute existence, it was not easy...

The void left behind Shams

After the second and last departure of Shams, Mevlana lived the experience of identifying himself with Shams by using the name of Shams instead of his own name in his ghazals. In the following years, he made friends who shared the same mood; Loneliness was reserved for Allah. Selahaddin Zerkubi and Hüsameddin Çelebi would try to fill the void that Shams left behind…

Selahattin came first; He had a virtuous personality. He was an illiterate money changer. After a short time, the disciples treated Selahattin as they treated Shams this time. But Mevlana and Selahattin did not care. They even became yesterday; Mevlana married his son Sultan Veled to Selahattin's daughter Fatma Hatun.

The friendship between Mevlana and Selahattin lasted for 10 years. Things changed again when they attempted to kill Selahattin. One day, there was a rumor; Selahattin was asking Mevlana's permission to "get out of this body dungeon". Selahattin died three days later in December 1258. He had a will, he did not want tears at his funeral. Upon his will, his funeral was removed with joy and enthusiasm by playing neys.

This time, his friend asked permission from him even while he was leaving this world. His maturity was either that or he was going through so much that he really lived and matured. After Selahattin's death, Hüsamettin Çelebi took his place. Hüsamettin's father was the chief of the ahis of the Konya region; He was known as Ahi Turk son. He was also quite wealthy and after he became a follower of Mevlana, he spent all his wealth on his followers. Their friendship would last until one day Mevlana died.

How was the Mesnevi written?

Hüsamettin asked a question that would benefit Mevlana and even us, complaining to Mevlana during a conversation: “The disciples either read Hakim Senai's book "Hadika" to learn something on the way of Sufism or Attar's "İlahiname" He is reading his book and his "Logic-ut-Tavr". However, if we had an educational book, everyone would read it and learn the divine truths first hand.”

Mevlana first looked into the eyes of a disciple, it was lighter. He handed his young friend a twisted piece of paper that he had hidden between the folds of his turban: "I started it, I'll tell you if you write the rest." The famous first 18 couplets of the Mesnevi were written on the paper that Mevlana was holding.

Now a feverish work had begun, which would continue for years. In the end, this work became “Mesnevi” in 6 volumes consisting of 25,700 couplets. Mesnevi explained the knowledge of Sufism through various stories and explained the principles of Sufism while interpreting the events.

Even today, the most important work of Islamic mysticism, Mesnevi-i Manevi (Masnevi), was written centuries ago by Mevlana with the encouragement of Hüsamettin Çelebi, thanks to what Selahattin Zerkubi and of course Shams formed in Mevlana's heart.

Mevlana died

Mevlana was quite old when he completed his Mesnevi. Years of weariness seemed to have piled up on his shoulders, and his health had deteriorated. On December 17, 1273, he closed his eyes to the lie world and got true love.

The day of Mevlana's death, 17 December, was known as "Şeb-i Arus", which means "wedding night", because it was the day of reunion with his only lover, his Lord.