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Top 10 Facts about Poet Rumi

A Sufi mystic, a popular poet who is referred to as Mawlana, translated as our master. He is famous for his poetic collection referred to as Masnavi, described as the Quran in Persian, translated as “Spiritual couplets. His poems convey the emotions of longing and love.

His name is Jal膩l al-D墨n Mu岣�ammad but simply known as Rumi. He was born on September 30, 1207, in Afghanistan and died on December 17, 1273, in present-day Turkey. His father, Bah膩 ud-D墨n Walada, a mystic from Balkh. He was a religious scholar and a preacher who introduced Rumi to Sufism. His mother was called Mumina Khatu, though little is written about her. After his father passed on, Rumi succeeded him as a Professor of religious studies at one of the largest theological Schools in Konya.

Rumi would not have been the icon he is today without Shams Tabrizi. Shams shined the sunlight on his path and transformed Rumi鈥檚 outlook on Sufism and guided him to the divine path. There are different accounts of his death. Some say he was murdered by close disciples of Rumi while others say he died after accomplishing his mission. 

There is a lot to be discussed about this great poet, but here are the top ten facts about Rumi.

1. He wrote Masnavi, a long mystical poem described as the Quran in Persian.

The Masnavi is collected in six books consisting of around 50,000 lines. It contains verses from the Quran, Hadith, and historical stories collected from his time. Rumi emphasizes the unity of being and relying on the inner voice.

2. He was born in Afghanistan/Tajikistan.

There is a lot of discussion surrounding this, while some say he was born in Vakhsh, in modern-day Tajikistan while others believe he was born in Balkh in present-day Afghanistan.

3. He was Once a Refugee and a Migrant

Rumi Vignette photo by Chyah-

Rumi’s father decided to move his family to escape the Mongol invasion. They traveled through Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia before settling in Konya, modern-day Turkey.

4. Rumi married twice

While in Karaman, Rumi married Gowhar Khatun and had two sons; Sultan Walad and Ala-Eddin Chalabi. He later married Kira Khatun after the death of Gowhar Khatun. He got two kids with her, a son named Amir Alim Chalabi and a daughter named Malakeh Khatun.

5. He predicted his death

He fell ill in December 1273 and thereafter passed on in Konya where his tomb lies today. He predicted his death by composing the famous ghazal, “How doest thou know what sort of king I have within me as a companion?“. He died at the age of 66.

6. His Tomb was  housed in Mevlana Museum

Mevlana_Museum,_Konya photo by Murat 脰zsoy 1958-

Ala al-Din Kayqubad, the sultan who invited Rumi’s father to Konya, gave his rose garden as a burial place for him after his death. Rumi was buried next to his father. Husam Chalabi, his successor built a mausoleum over his grave with the inscription “When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men“. The Mausoleum consists of a mosque, dance hall, schools, and living quarters for dervishes. It remains a pilgrimage destination.

7. His name has a unique origin 

When Rumi and his family moved from their home country, they traversed different places till they arrived in Anatolia, a region that enjoyed peace and prosperity under Seljuk’s reign. The term Rumi means from Rome, that is the Byzantine Roman Empire. He got this name because he spent much of his life in Rum. Rum was the name of the region. He is called Jal膩l al-D墨n Mu岣�ammad or Mawlana, meaning Master.

8. The Mystery of meeting his Teacher and Beloved companion Shams Tabrizi

Rumi – Beginner Course photo by Hijaz Naqvi-

A Sufi mystic, born in Tabriz Iran. He embarked on a journey in search of a spiritual companion. He traveled under the pretense of being a salesman, making a living by weaving baskets and teaching children.

There are different accounts of how they met. One common one is that Tabriz found Rumi reading a book and when asked what he was reading he responded by saying something Tabriz cannot understand.

Tabriz threw the books in water but they remained dry. To his surprise, Rumi enquired back what had happened and Tabriz responded by saying something he did not understand.

Tabriz showed him the path of the divine. So strong was their first encounter that Rumi later wrote “What I thought of before as God, I met today in a human being.” The two grew a strong bond that got a lot of Tabriz’s circle jealous. One day, while the two were having a conversation, Tabriz went out never to return. Accounts state that he was killed by his disciples with the help of the son. Rumi named one of his major works 鈥楧iwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi鈥�.

9. Rumis Funeral 

 December 17, 1273, he died in Konya. Rumi had instructed his disciples that the night of his death should be treated like a wedding night full of singers, musicians, dancers, Quran reciters, and religious leaders from different sects. Of bizarre to the Muslims were the presence of the Jewish rabbis who recited psalms, and the Christian priests who read from the Gospels. Rumis’ death is celebrated yearly as the wedding night or Seb-i Arus. He wrote:

“When you see

my corpse is being carried

don’t cry about my leaving

I’m not leaving

I’m arriving at eternal love”

He is buried in a beautiful tomb in Turkey called the Green Tomb, where his father and son are buried along. 

10. He evolved spiritually after the death of his Teacher, Shams Tabriz

Shams means Sun in Arabic. He provided light to the divine path of Rumi. After the disappearance of Shamz, Rumi was so disturbed that he went on a search for him but in vain.

He accepted his loss and returned to Konya. He realized there was no such thing as loss and the beloved he longed for had to be sought within. With this new realization, he had an outpouring of desire to write and he wrote poems and verses. He writes;

“Why should I seek more?

I am the same as he.

His essence speaks through me.

I have been looking for myself.”

Rumi named one of his major works 鈥楧iwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi鈥�. written after the disappearance of Shams.