His Life and Works: A Turning Point
Mevlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī is one of the most important poets of the 13th century and bears deep traces of Sufism (taṣawwuf). Although he was born in Khwarezm, his migration to Anatolia with his family due to political turmoil and the Mongol invasion profoundly affected the course of his life. In particular, his settlement in Konya at the invitation of the capital’s ruler, ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Kayqubād, laid the groundwork for Mevlānā’s intellectual development and the emergence of his works. The fact that he studied for nine years under Sayyid Burhān al-Dīn shows that he established an early connection with traditional Islamic teaching, while his meeting with Shams-i Tabrīzī became the turning point of his life; this encounter directed Mevlānā towards becoming a ‘man of the heart’ and deepened his mystical quest. The Dīvān-i Kabīr emerged as a compilation of the poems he recited over the years, and is a unique masterpiece bringing together works in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Greek.
The Influence of Shams: The Birth of the Man of the Heart
The encounter between Mevlānā and Shams-i Tabrīzī in Mevlānā’s life led to a profound transformation in his intellectual and poetic world. While Mevlānā had previously pursued knowledge and learning within the framework of traditional Islamic teaching, under the influence of Shams he transitioned from being a ‘man of words’ to a ‘man of the heart’. This transformation enabled Mevlānā to understand love, his conception of tawhid (the oneness of God), and his connection with the universe from a different perspective; it led him to a deeper, more mystical search for ḥaqīqa (inner reality), transcending the boundaries of traditional teaching. The wisdom-filled words of Shams and Mevlānā’s deep devotion to these words gave rise in the Dīvān-i Kabīr to the most beautiful expressions of love, divine love, and waḥdat al-wujūd (the unity of being).
Dīvān-i Kabīr: A Universal Song of Love
The Dīvān-i Kabīr is a profound work that reflects not only Mevlānā’s personal experiences but also humanity’s universal quest for love. The poems in the work express the longing for divine love through various ʿāshiqāna (lover-like, passionate) images, while also containing important messages for self-knowledge, disciplining the nafs (the lower self), and attaining ḥaqīqa (inner reality). Mevlānā sees love not merely as an emotional desire, but also as the manifestation of creative power, the source of being, and the fundamental principle of the entire universe. For this reason, the Dīvān-i Kabīr has become a timeless song of love that affects people of different faiths and cultures; the profound Sufi (taṣawwuf) teaching and sincere style in the work have ensured that it continues to live on in the hearts of readers for centuries.