Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, is celebrated for his spiritual and beautiful writing, which transcends his Persian roots and inspires Sufism and much of the Muslim world. His major work, Masnavi-ye Manavi, is regarded as one of the finest works of mystical poetry ever produced, and he is also credited with Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i. Rumi’s poetry continues to influence modern thought and is popular worldwide.
Rumi, more formally called Mawlana Jala ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, is one of the most influential Persian poets of the 13th century. His work is celebrated not only by the Sufism it inspires, but also by much of the Muslim world. His poetry also transcends his Persian roots and is recognized as both spiritual and beautiful writing by many people of many different religions throughout the rest of the world.
Rumi is often associated with Sufism and the Mevlevi Order, known to most of the world as the Whirling Dervishes. He argued that God should be celebrated through poetry, song and dance. Sufis often believe that Rumi’s writing is succeeded in importance only by the Quran. From a literary point of view, Rumi’s poetry is considered the most influential Persian poetry and his influence can be shown in the many great Persian poets who followed him.
Rumi’s poetry has been compared to the Book of Psalms and the Song of Songs. He writes as the lover of God, trying to reconcile the distance between himself and God. His poems can be read simply as love poems, but they must also be seen as symbols of man’s relationship with the divine.
Rumi’s major work is the Masnavi-ye Manavi. It is also sometimes called Quran-e Parsi. The former title translates into Rhymed Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning, and the latter means The Persian Quran. Under both titles, it is regarded by both religious leaders and scholars as one of the finest works of mystical poetry ever produced.
Masnavi-ye Manavi contains six books of poetry all touching on human beings’ search for God. It contains literally hundreds of stories in verse illustrating the hardships of the human state when disconnected from God and the joy that comes when man is united with God’s purpose.
Rumi is also credited with the Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i, a work dedicated to his beloved friend Shams who was a dervish. People have compared Rumi’s relationship to Shams to Plato’s similar relationship to Socrates. This work is often considered the spiritual work of Shams, just as the Platonic work is often the reworking of the philosophy of Socrates.
Besides these two major works, Rumi wrote several other collections of poetry and sermons. He is also credited as the author of a volume of collected speeches. However, it has been fairly established that Rumi did not write these speeches, although he did deliver them.
Rumi to the present day has been translated into numerous languages. He continues to influence modern thought as well, and his poems have been sung and recorded by famous artists such as Madonna. Modern translations of Rumi continue to be bought, making Rumi one of the most popular poets today, even surpassing the work of many modern poets.
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