From Balkh to Konya: The Migration and Transformation of a Scholar
Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, born in the city of Balkh in Khwārazm in the 13th century, has shaped our history as a scholar and Sufi (taṣawwuf) of profound thought. With his father’s migration due to political reasons, Mawlānā reached the lands of the Seljuks, spending a significant part of his life in Konya, where he served the region with knowledge and maʿrifa (gnosis, experiential knowledge of God). His settling in Konya at the invitation of ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Kayqubād played an important role in shaping Mawlānā’s character within the political and cultural milieu of that era; this process also added depth to the works he would later produce.
The Path of Love with Shams-i Tabrīzī
The turning point in Mawlānā’s life was his meeting with Shams-i Tabrīzī in the 1240s. This encounter took Mawlānā from the world of scholarship and academia onto a journey of truth in which he listened to the voice of his qalb (the heart). Under the influence of Shams, Mawlānā transitioned from being a man of kalām (theology) to a person of the heart, discovering profound meanings that speak of love, affection, and tawhid (the oneness of God). This spiritual transformation deeply affected his thoughts and works; this interaction was also decisive in the formation of the Dīvān-i Kabīr.
Dīvān-i Kabīr: The Eternal Echo of Persian Poems
The Dīvān-i Kabīr is a magnificent anthology composed of poems that Mawlānā recited over the years in various languages (Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Greek). This work is the outward expression of Mawlānā’s inner world, filled with love and the yearning to be consumed by divine love. These poems, meticulously recorded by the scribes (kātib al-asrār), not only possess literary value; they are also an important source that conveys Mawlānā’s philosophy, Sufi (taṣawwuf) perspective, and profound messages about humanity to our day. The Dīvān-i Kabīr is a universal source of healing that continues to influence many people from different cultures.