Rumi's Words of Wisdom Are Eternally Relevant

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 1 August 2024 Dar Jân-É Tô Jân-Îst Be-Jû Ân Jân Râ, Dar Kûh-É Tô Kân-Îst Be-Jû Ân Kân Râ. Sufi-É Ravandeh Ghar Tavâni Mî-Jûy, Birûn Tû Majû, Ze Khûd Bejû Tô Ân-Râ (Within thy soul a soul doth dwell: Go, seek it well! Within thy mountain is mine: Get it for thine. The Sufi seek as he doth go, If thou canst so; Search not for him thy self apart, but search thy heart.) Jalaluddin Rumi, Rubai 45 (From the Files) ------ Sabat Khan's nice article on Rumi's legacy in the modern world underlines the great mystic's importance in these times when hatred has dethroned love and fanaticism has eclipsed sense, sanity and sensibility. He wrote, "Islam and other faiths have all come around so recently yet Love has no beginning or end. You can't call the unbeliever an infidel if he's been the latest victim of love" Humanity, at this juncture, is in need of all-encompassing love as preached and propounded by Jalaluddin Rumi. See what's happening across the world. Mankind is engaged in never-ending wars and conflicts. Humans are hating humans. Our religions and religious beliefs are wreaking havoc. None talks of universal love. If any sane person talks of love and universal brotherhood, he's branded as a heretic or an iconoclast. He's an outright anarchist. Even Rumi is called a heretic as he wrote, " If you can't act like a heretic/ You can't reach the truth in Islam" (Reynold A Nicholson, from 'Selected poems from 'Diwan-e-Shams Tabrizi'). It's said that only a mystic (roughly a Sufi in Islamic context), whichever faith s/he may belong to, understands the essence of a faith and Rumi was arguably the greatest mystic the world has ever come across. He put love on the highest pedestal and placed religion, holy books, rituals, customs, tenets and doctrines below it. He writes, "The man of God is not learned from the book. The man of God is beyond infidelity and religion, The man of God right and wrong are alike. The man of God has ridden away from Not-being, The man of God is gloriously attended." Rumi was an eternal seeker and he urged humans to seek because what you seek also seeks you. To quote Urdu poet Khaleel Muzaffar, "Meri Justajoo Mein Thi Jitni Shiddat / Milne Wale Ne Uss Se Kahin Zyada Dikhayee" (Whom I was searching for/ Was more agog to meet me than I was). Rumi expressed this in his inimitable style, " تشنگان گر آب جویند از جهان آب جوید هم به عالم تشنگان Teshngān Gar Āb Jooyand Az Jahān Āb Jooyad Ham Be Ālam Teshnegān (Thirsty- people- in the world are looking for water/ Water is also looking for the thirsty). The entire philosophy of Rumi can be summed up in one line: Seek and you'll succeed. Love and eventually you'll get it. Rumi wanted all of us to be seekers and not mere believers; lovers and not strangers or outsiders. Rumi's relevance is perennial and his influence on mankind is eternal. Someone rightly said, " The more we become violent and belligerent, the more we need Rumi's words of wisdom to stay calm and grounded. " ------- 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://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/rumi-wisdom-eternally-relevant/d/132838 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