Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi

Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi was born in Balkh, the city of Khorasan, in the year 1207, to a well-known couple of the time, Mumine Hatun, his mother and Baha’uddin Valad, his father who had already made a fame as the Sultan of scholars.

Through his father’s migration from Balkh, Mawlana had the occasions to visit the cities of Nishapur, Baghdad, Makka, Madina, Damascus and Aleppo. He had first settled in Karaman and then moved to Konya. Upon his father’s death, he began to teach at big madrasas. During his teaching, he attracted numerous talented many students. So much so that his environ soon turned into a center of learning and knowledge. Even Sultans and Viziers joined his lectures from time to time.

In the year 1244, Mawlana met a true lover of God, called Shams al-Tabrizi (literally, the Sun of Tebriz). He then entered into mystical ecstasy, leading him eventually to producing works in the field of Islamic spirituality. When he died on the 17th of December, 1273, his funeral was attended by huge crowds of people from all religious circles, who lamented behind him. He was buried in the Green Tomb in Konya. The Mawlawi Sufi Order was later founded by his beloved son Sultan Valad, on the teachings and principles of Mawlana.

Mawlana was undoubtedly one of the greatest philosophers and poets of the Muslim World, who left behind such magnificent works as Mathnawi, Majalis-i Sab’a (The Seven Exhortations), Divan-ı Kabir (Great Divan), Fîhi Mâ Fîh (Discourses), and Mektubat (Letters).