God, Humanity, and Love in the Poetry of Rūmī

1. God, Humanity, and Love in the Poetry of Rūmī Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D. GSTR 220-BWestern Traditions I Berea College Fall 2003

2. RISE OF THE SUFI TRADITION • Soon after Prophet’s death, some Muslims become critical of what they see as worldliness and corruption of caliphs • Preaching simple living and constant prayer, and distinguished by their blue wool (sūf) clothing, Sufis become famous for their use of meditation and mystical union with Allah • Primary value of Sufism: tawakkul (absolute trust in Allah) • Tawakkul in turn arises from tawhid (absolute unity/uniqueness of Allah) • Tawakkul is expressed through faqr (“poverty,” both material and spiritual) • Faqr (Turkish: dervish) in turn leads to fanā (“annihilation” of self in the presence of almighty Allah)

3. As Sufism expands throughout Muslim world, it encounters Buddhist and Hindu traditions in South and Central Asia Other Muslims criticize Sufis for assimilating non-Islamic ideas, leading to systematization and defense of Sufi doctrine Sufi teachers (shaikhs) transmit their spiritual lineages (silsila) inherited from Muhammad to communities of disciples (tarīqa) Basic Sufi theme: love, not fear, should define relationship between humanity and Allah Sufis practice dhikr (“remembrance”) of Allah through chanting, dancing, fasting, music, and prayer Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), most famous Sufi theologian, defines 4 major points of Sufism: islām (“surrender, submission” to God in all aspects of life) īmān (“faith” in God and his Prophet, Muhammad) ihsān (“serving God as if one were seeing Him” at all times) ishrāq (“illumination” of the soul, leading it from dark material realm to light spiritual realm) SUFI THEOLOGY

4. JALAL AL-DIN RŪMĪ (1207-1273 CE) • Most famous Sufi poet • Born in Khorasan (modern Tajikistan) to family of Muslim theologians • Mongol invasions displace Seljuk dynasty (successor to Abbasid Empire) and many Central Asian Muslims, including Rūmī, migrate westward to Seljuk territories • Settles in Rum (modern Turkey) and studies Sufism with itinerant dervish, Shamsuddin of Tabriz • Dies on December 17, 1273 – date celebrated by followers as “Night of Union”

5. The Islamic World of Rūmī (c. late 1200s CE)

6. The problem with most people is that they do not look at God with the vision of the lover; they look with the vision of knowledge… the vision of philosophy.  The vision of love is something else. -- Shamsuddin of Tabriz

7. Islamicized Neo-Platonism: God: creator, eternal essence – unknowable The world: creation, temporal manifestation – knowable Ultimately, however, all is one, because the world is God’s self-manifestation Thus, God and the world are one The soul remembers its union with God prior to embodiment and longs to return to God Perfect love between humans is model for soul’s relationship with God Unity of Love: in perfect spiritual love between two souls, distinctions of “lover” and “beloved,” self and other, are eliminated Perfect Man: the human being who attains unity with God and becomes expression of God’s divine mind (logos) For Rūmī, both the Prophet Muhammad and Shamsuddin of Tabriz are examples of the Perfect Man Poetry is the vehicle through which the Unity of Love and the Unity of God can be experienced THEMES IN RŪMĪ’S POETRY

8. THE INFLUENCE OF RŪMĪ • For many Sufis, second only to the Prophet Muhammad in status • Later Muslim thinkers call his work “the Quran in Persian” • Like most mystics, emphasizes priority of inner over outer, heart over mind, experience over reason • Creates bridge between Islamic and non-Islamic (Buddhist, Hindu, Christian) forms of mysticism • Helps to reiterate basic message of Islam: love, peace, and unity through submission to Allah • His verses become popular as inspiration for Sufi devotional music and dance • As of 2000, Rūmī was the best-selling poet in United States