Going with the flow with Rumi on his 750th death anniversary

Sumit Paul

“Rumi’s emphasis on all-encompassing compassion must be publicised and made universal for creating a conscientious world where blood and gore will have no place.”

— Reynold Alleyne Nicholson, Rumi scholar and translator

Jalaluddin Rumi, arguably the greatest of all mystics, breathed his last in Konya, Turkey, on December 17, 1273. His teachings, mostly unverified, however, continue to inundate our screens through social media posts. On his 750th death anniversary, it’s important to understand the mystery and mystique of this 13th century Central Asian poet.

Born in Balkh, modern-day Afghanistan, Rumi spoke Persian, Dari (Afghan variant of Persian) and a smattering of Turkish. In Persian, his name means ‘current’ or ‘flow’ and also ‘beauty’. Rumi’s whole life and philosophy urged humans to go with the flow.

For the unversed, Rumi wrote nearly 65,000 verses, which are collected in two volumes of the Masnavi, a didactic and narrative poem in rhyming couplets. Besides approximately 35,000 Persian couplets and 2,000 quatrains (four-line stanza/verse), his Divan-i Shams-i Tabrizi contains 90 ghazals and 19 quatrains in Arabic, couplets in Turkish (mainly Macaronic poems of mixed Persian and Turkish) and 14 couplets in Greek (all of them in three Macaronic poems of Greek-Persian). His works have been translated into all major languages. On this count, he stands alongside the Bard of Avon at the highest pedestal of literary excellence and immortality.

Upon Rumi’s death, his followers and son Sultan Walad founded the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Order of the Whirling Dervishes. Rumi’s Dancing Dervishes (also called semazens) symbolise the vibrancy and exuberance of life as dance is an emblem of consummate freedom; emancipation from all negativity.

Rumi believed that all lives are sacred. Even a seemingly lifeless stone has a degree of consciousness; respect it. To fathom Rumi’s level of empathy for every creature, it’s essential to understand the crux of Sufism or Iranian mysticism. Mystics see the world as the essence of Almighty (Arq-e-Allah). So, every creature, living or non-living, must be respected. Rumi honed this sense of compassion to a level that wasn’t seen or experienced before him. Arabic and Persian scholar Arthur John Arberry wrote that Rumi was a gifted child and his parents had a hunch of his future greatness.

Rumi’s all-encompassing compassion spreads, suffuses and subsumes everywhere. He accords equal importance to every creature. Rumi says, “Look at all animals as you look at humans.” This is indeed important as this creates sensitivity that blossoms into universal empathy. The sanctity of every life is to be saved and preserved.

Highly influenced by the Upanishads, Rumi’s Masnavis and parables echo the dictum of non-violence or ahimsa.

Dr Muhammad Iqbal, who called him his ruhani ustaad (spiritual master), wrote about Rumi, “His (Rumi’s) primary faith was all-encompassing non-violence. Islam was his secondary religion.”

In ‘The Essential Rumi’, American writer Coleman Barks says, “Rumi’s compassion was devoid of mundane compassion. It had a spiritual aura. That’s why Rumi could relate to all, and vice versa. Interestingly, Rumi had a goat and he’d always say we understand each other’s language; the language of love, care, affection and compassion.”

Rumi’s compassion stemmed from an ever-alive consciousness. Psychologist Alfred Adler observed that when conscience and consciousness are in sync, they create compassion. In Rumi, all three attributes worked in tandem.“See all with love. Touch everything with awareness. Even the thorns will appeal to you,” wrote Rumi in Masnavi (Volume 1).

Call it a classic case of serendipity or chance discovery that following 9/11, the world turned to the teachings of Rumi, who was already a known name, albeit in academic circles. According to Noam Chomsky and Bernard Lewis, the renewed interest in Rumi’s oeuvre has been the result of people’s clouded perceptions about Islam. Rumi’s works, however, didn’t just focus on Islam. He was a universal poet. Many existential conundrums found their solutions in his wisdom.

When Rumi says, “Love overwhelms you, beauty surrounds your existence, wherever you look, you feel the divine essence”, you’re bound to feel drawn to his mystical persona. Rumi’s enveloping compassion is a metaphor. It’s a panacea to all the ills that have plagued mankind. To quote him again, “Come, fall in the arms of love. You’ll forget all the bitterness.”

Rumi continues to be popular even after centuries due to his relatability. His teachings have a pragmatic significance sans religious or spiritual mumbo-jumbo. Throughout his life, he dwelt upon love, beauty, compassion and non-violence — the four pillars of humanity. For Rumi, love is the noblest trait every human being is imbued with. When you love, you love all. His teachings don’t pontificate. He is a perennial motivator. His self-effacing humility teaches us to be modest.

Allama Iqbal aptly said, ‘It’s time to pore over Rumi’s poetry and ponder/Mankind and civilisation will have to learn a lot from him).

On Rumi’s 750th death anniversary, let’s vow to be compassionate towards all creatures, bid adieu to all that’s violent and negative and respect each and every life. That’ll be the greatest homage to the poet of the millennium.