Anyone Who Knows Me, Should Learn To Know Me Again ― Maulana Rumi

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 30 September 2023 “Anyone who knows me, should learn to know me again; For, I am like the Moon, you will see me with a new face every day.” ― Maulana Rumi The beauty of this quote lies in its continuity. Life is in a state of flux. So is an individual. September 30 Is The Birth Anniversary Of The Great Persian Poet And Mystic Jalaluddin Rumi Balkhi ----- "What I'm today/ I may be different tomorrow/ With surety, I can say/ As I oscillate between joy and sorrow." These pithy words of the American poet and sage, Walt Whitman are comparable to those of Rumi. Here, change is not a frivolous quality or trait. It's a sign of evolution. Lord Byron put it succinctly when he wrote of his beloved, "Her everyday unpredictability lends to her desirability." It's like "Kabhi Yak-B-Yak Taghaful, Kabhi Yak-B-Yak Tavajjoh/ Mujhe Aazma Raha Hai Koi Rukh Badal-Badal Ke" (At times indifference, at times looking askance/ Someone is testing me with a change of stance). Rumi's change may not always be a change in appearance- that lacks profundity- but evolution of spirit and betterment of self. One must understand the backdrop of this thought. It was the time, when Jalaluddin Rumi was trying to reconcile to the permanent loss of his mentor and soulmate Shams Tabrizi. He (Rumi) went into a state of deep depression. Then one night, he saw Shams in his dream. Shams urged him to move on, evolve and learn to live with the loss. Rumi woke up and wrote this, adding, " Till yesterday, I was different when I was with Shams/ Today, I'm different without him." We need to change every moment, for, nothing is permanent. An evolving heart is a sign of our cerebral presence and is like Rene Descartes' cogito, ergo sum (I think, therefore, I'm). Otherwise, humans live and die without realizing that they had the potential to improve and evolve till the very last moment. So, there must be qualitative changes happening all the time. With every new dawn, one must be in a position to say that he's different from what he was, till yesterday. This is a sign of positivism. "Zindagi Ek Hi Soorat Mein Guzarti Nahin/ Kai Sooratein Chahiye Jeene Ke Liye" (A static life is not worth-living/ Many phases are required to live). Keep changing, keep evolving and keep imbibing new thoughts and ideas. This is the key to a significant human existence. Embrace it wholeheartedly. ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/mystic-jalaluddin-maulana-rumi/d/130792 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism