06 Chapter 2 PDF
06 Chapter 2 PDF
06 Chapter 2 PDF
Muhammad Balkhi was born on September 30, 1207 A.D. at Balkh, a city
as Maulana Rumi. His linage is traced to the first caliph of Islam, Abu Baker
Khurasan and the king Muhammad Kharazim Shah along with the world
famous Imam Fakhr-ud-Din Razi would attend' his discourses. He was known
Baha-ud-Din started weighing heavily upon the king and Imam Razi. In view
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impending Mongol onslaught. Another explanation is that Shaikh Bahauddin
and owing to the same proceeded to western parts of Persia and thereafter to
Nicholson, Rumi was 12 years old when his father left Balkh towards western
lands. On the road to Anatolia, Rumi encountered one of the most famous
book about the entanglement of the soul in the material world. This meeting
had a deep impact on the eighteen year old Rumi's thoughts and later on
From Nishapur, Bahauddin and his entourage set out for Baghdad,
meeting many of the scholars and Sufis of the city. From there they went to
Hijaz and performed the pilgrimage at Mecca. They settled in Karaman for
next seven years. Here Bahauddin's illustrious son Rumi, now mature in mind
and years, married Guhar Khatun. They had two sons: Sultan Walad and
Alauddin. When his wife died, Maulana married again and had a son Emir
Alim and a daughter Melike Khatun. On May 1, 1228 most likely as a result of
the insistent invitation of Alud-Din Key Qabad, ruler of Anatolia, Baha' -ud-
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Suljuk Empire.
were discussed and controversies carried on among the great scholars in the
Rumi's father entrusted the education of his promising son to this teacher who
continued after the death of his father and we find him at the age of twenty five
HaIab (Aleppo). Rumi's education covered the whole curriculum: The Qur'anic
Mathnavi bears ample evidence of this vast Iearning. (Sharief, Vol.II, p.823)
remained under his apprenticeship for a period of nine years. Buranuddin was
356,357)
according to the then prevailing custom Rumi ventured out of Quniya to far off
Damascus and Halab in Syria which were great centres of learning. He stayed
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there for -years together and interacted with eminent scholars and Sufi
practitioners of Sufi principles. Rumi not only negotiated great mystical and
returned to Quniya and. like his father became engaged in teaching religious
and his judgements were widely sought after and cited by other juriseonsults in
adopted a puritanical mode of life and abided by all legal and formal norms of
behaviour in consonance with his office. He avoided music in keeping with the
Maulana Rumi's meeting with Shams Tebrez had most perfound impact
upon his intellectual and spiritual career. It was the real turning point of his life.
However, there are various versions as to how Rumi actually mdt Shams
Tebrez. One version is that one day Maulana was deliberating upon some
subtle theological issues surrounded by students and scores of books here and
there around. Suddenly Sham Tabrez appeared in the hall and asked Maulana
as to the nature and purpose of his books. Maulana replied that this is
something you can not understand. Within no time all the books were set on
fire. Thereupon, Maulana asked Shams Tabrez with regard to the sudden
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emergence of fire and he replied that this was beyond his understanding. This
Shams Tabrez who had suddenly disappeared after his brief encounter with
Maulana. According to another account, once Maulana was sitting on the side
appeared and started asking him questions with regard to various books around
Shams Tabrez threw all the books in the pond. Maulana was deeply distressed
and told Shams Tabrez that by throwing these books into the pond he had
Tabrez retraced all the books from the pond in their original dry form. Maulana
was deeply astounded and Shams told him that men like you soaked into
Thereafter, Maulana became the most ardent fan of Shams Tahrez. Yet,
oneself to injunctions of Shari'ah. At this Shams Tabrez suggested that the real
ultimately real. Shams Tabrez also read out the following couplet of Sanai:
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f `r
The scholarship which does not snatch you from yourself; Ignorance is far
At this Maulana was deeply impressed and become a fervent fan of Shams
friend and follower Sipah Salar who was associated with him for forty years
abandoned his allegiance to the sect and had become a disciple of Baba Kamal-
at a serai at Koniyah when Rumi went to see him. Shams Tabrez' personality
foundations.
According to Sipah Salar, the two were closeted together for six months
in Salahuddin Zarkob's room which none but Zarcob was allowed to enter.
company of Shams Tabrez day in and day out. The people of Quniya specially
people opined that Shams Tabrez was a magician and sorcerer. He had tricked
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widespread adverse reaction to his companionship with Maulana and left
Quniya without any clue to his whereabouts. The sudden departure of Shams
Tabrez devastated Maulana Rumi. Due to pangs of separation Rumi burst out
into soulful poetry. At this, Maulana's disciples felt sorry of their conduct and
son Sultan Walad was deputed to Damascus. They traced him in Damascus and
showed how deeply Rumi had felt the pangs of separation from his spiritual
guide and in what great esteem he held him. Shams Tabrez was persuaded by
the loving epistle of Maulana and he returned to Quniya along with the
delegation. Now Shams Tabrez remained at Quniya for a period of two years.
Shams Tabrez disappeared for good. Despite all efforts he could not be traced
anywhere. There are different opinions with regard to the second disappearance
differences with Maulana's second son Alla al-Din Chalpi and disappeared
from the scene. There are also reports that Ala al-Din Chalpi killed or got him
mentioned in Maulana Jamis' `Nafahat al-Uns' that Maulana Rumis' .son Alla
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The following verses from Mathnavi do bring out Maulana's high steem
CLJ
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allegorically.
However, how can I say not a single vein of mine is awake the story of
The analysis of this separation and this suffering let it be told at some
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other time. It is better the secret of the friend remains let you, however,
In another couplet Rumi brings out the central role of Shams Tabrez in is
spiritual struggle:
uJ i' 4. 7
Without the power imperial of shams uI Haqq of Tabrez One could neither
The separation from Shams Tabrez entailed great suffering for Maulana Rumi.
It ignited the creative spark in him. Rumi, the scholar, the theologian, the
juristconsult and the preacher was converted into an ecstatic mystic and lyricist.
He now became deeply interested in poetry and music and gave up delivering
His identification with Shams Tabrez was so complete that he christened his
hundreds of lyrics in both Mathnavi and Diwan bring out Rumi's abiding
gratitude and beholdenness to Shams. In one of his verses, Rumi recollects that
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(M,M. Sharief, vol. II, p. 25)
and dancing;
It was not the wine of the grape: the illuminated soul drinks only the wine of
with Salahuddin Zarkob was all the more intensified. Alahuddin was a mystic
Muhaqiq. Salahuddin Zarcob became now chief disciple of Rumi. This spiritual
Magnum-Opus - The Mathnavi. The name Hisarnuddin figures here and there
in all the six volumes of Mathnavi. Maulana's spiritual relationship with Chalbi
continued for ten years. Rumi died in 1273 at Quniya where he is buried and
Rumi's literary output consists of the Mathnavi in six books of about twenty-six
about one thousand and six hundred authentic Rubaiyat or Quatrains and a
and titled as 'Fi-ma-Fi'. Some articles ascribed to Maulana Rumi are also found
Maulana Mueenuddin was an ardent fan of Rumi and a regular of his study
significance.
(Ghazals). The Diwan has been composed by Maulana in the name of his
spiritual mentor Shams Tabrez. The odes of Maulana infuse the reader with a
passion for spiritual struggle. Every ode of Maulana is deeply saturated with
spiritual love, passion and fire. The odes of Maulana like his couplets in
ultimate reality. One can feel the intense pain of separation coupled with an
equally intense urge for communion in the entire Diwan. The depth of
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characterizing features of Odes of Maulana. The Diwan is an expression of
Masnavi-e- Manavi is one of the best known and most influential works
of both Sufism and Persian literature. Comprising of six books containing more
than 26000 couplets, it pursues its way through 424 stories that illustrate man's
Parts of the Masnavi were first translated into English by Sir James
Redhouse in 1881. Some portions of the Mathnawi were translated into Latin
around the same time. The first complete English translation of Masnavi was
ideas and especially educators have devoted their energies to an illustration and
commentaries have been worked out both by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars
on Mathnawi.
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Muhammad Afzal Allahabadi and others have written commentaries on
around the same time. Maulana Ashraf All Thanvi has written a multi-volume
Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim has written numerous articles and several
throughout his prolific poetic career. He has always referred to Rumi as 'Pir'
religious, mystical and even scientific issues and themes. For example, at
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Universal Gravitation and Theory of Evolution later on forwarded by sir Issac
Newton and Charles Darwin respectively. Maulana has also explicitly brought
understanding of the commoners and yet the intellectual elite can discern
stories in Masnavi with a view to imparting spiritual and moral lessons to his
readers. The Masnavi is also adorned with the insights enshrined in hundreds of
masterpieces of the world. Rumi, through this masterpiece has given an abiding
genius even in twenty-first century. In fact, Rumi is timeless and his perennial
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