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).
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