THE LINEAGE, BIRTHPLACE, AND TIME OF RAISE OF MEVLANA;
Mevlana was born in the city of Balkh on September 30, 1207. He was given the title “Rumi” because he spent most of his life in Konya. According to Ahmed Eflaki, Mevlana said: “The Almighty God bestowed great blessings. The people of this land were completely unaware of the spiritual pleasures of the realm of light, which belongs to God; the Creator of causes, the Glorious God, brought us from the province of Khorasan to Anatolia. He granted this pure land to our descendants as a homeland so that we may share the essence of His divine elixir upon the people of this land, thus making them a perfect alchemy.”
The Sufi path is one that originates from the truth of our Prophet, leading to divine love as the passenger progresses step by step.
As Muhammad said in another hadith, “I am the city of wisdom, and Ali is the gate,” Hazrat Ali took the essence of this divine path directly from our Prophet and became a spiritual guide to all those who marched in this Path of Truth by instilling his talents in those he encountered.
Mevlana’s mother was Mümine Hatun, and his father was Hüseyin Hatibi’s son, Muhammad, known as Bahaeddin Veled. He was given the title Sultan al-Ulama. (According to the narratives of İptidaname and Ahmed Eflaki, many of the scholars and muftis of his time dreamt that the Prophet bestowed the title “Sultan al-Ulama” upon Bahaeddin Veled.)
Bahaeddin Veled was one of the great Sufis, and his cloak (indicating his affiliation with the order) is said to trace back to Ahmed al-Ghazali according to Eflaki’s accounts. He defined himself by doing good and avoiding evil. Many of his disciples accompanied him. He always preached, and there was never a gathering where one of the passionate-hearted dervishes did not become entranced.
The great respect and attention shown to him by the people of Balkh frightens the ruler of the time, Harzemshah. This compels Bahaeddin Veled to flee. Heartbroken, Bahaeddin Veled sets out with his family towards Baghdad, leaving his homeland behind. When he arrives in Nishapur, he meets Sheikh Fariduddin Attar. Sheikh Attar, gifting his book Esrarname to the six-year-old Mevlana Celaleddin, says to Bahaeddin Veled, “I hope that soon your son will ignite a fire in hearts across the world.”
The journey continues. According to a narration by Molla Cami, upon Bahaeddin Veled’s arrival in Baghdad, a large crowd asks, “What tribe are they from, and where do they come from and go?” Bahaeddin Veled replies, “We have come from God, and we are returning to God; we have no strength but that of God.”
After staying for three days at the Mustansiriye Madrasah in Baghdad, they continue their journey to perform Hajj. After the pilgrimage, Bahaeddin Veled arrives in Anatolia via Damascus* (as expressed in the work İptidaname by his grandson Sultan Veled).
When Mevlana Celaleddin is around eighteen years old, with his father’s approval, he marries Gevher Hatun, the daughter of the Samarqand scholar Sherefeddin, in Larende. According to tradition, after seven years spent in Larende, the virtue of Bahaeddin Veled impresses the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad, and they are invited to Konya. They are received with great respect and settle in the Altunaba Madrasah.
A large portion of the people of Anatolia believe in Bahaeddin Veled. Sultan Alaeddin shows him great respect. According to Eflaki, the Sultan invites him to a council attended by all the sheikhs, making the entire army and palace officials his disciples. The respect shown to Bahaeddin Veled by all the great figures, the Sultan, and the army is not exaggerated; it is genuine. Sultan al-Ulama passes away in 1231, receiving the mercy of God.
After the death of his father, Mevlana Celaleddin lived for about a year without a guide or a sheikh. After this period, Seyyid Burhaneddin Muhakkik-i Tirmizi, a disciple of his father, comes to Konya. Mevlana spends nine years in conversation with him. After these nine years, Muhakkik-i Tirmizi passes away.
During the five years that Mevlana is engaged in preaching and guidance, he encounters Shamseddin of Tabriz. All biographers agree on the year 1244 as the date of Mevlana’s meeting with Shams. Consequently, approximately fifteen years have passed from the death of Bahaeddin Veled to this date.
Mevlana had two sons named Sultan Veled and Alaeddin from Gevher Hatun. After the death of Gevher Hatun, he married Kira Hatun, with whom he had Emir Muzaffereddin Alim Celebi and Melike Hatun.
*It is reported that in Damascus, when Bahaeddin Veled visited Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Ibn Arabi remarked, “Subhanallah! A vast ocean is following a sea,” in reference to Mevlana’s following in his father’s footsteps.
Mevlana’s Teaching Days – with Burhaneddin Muhakkik-i Tirmizi
“Now you feel an inclination towards the attributes of God, as given to you by God. You must know that this is God’s will. If you desire paradise, it is the pull of paradise that draws you towards it. If you are inclined towards people, it means they desire you as well. For a single hand cannot make a sound.” — Sultan al-Ulama
After the passing of Sultan al-Ulama and in accordance with his will and Sultan Alaeddin’s desire, Mevlana Celaleddin assumed his father’s position at around the age of twenty-four. After a year spent preaching, teaching lessons, issuing fatwas, and performing dhikr, he met Seyyid Tirmizi, who came to Konya. Ahmed Eflaki recounts in his Menakıb:
The Seyyid examined Mevlana in various sciences and found him to be highly proficient in theology and philosophy, saying: “In all the religious sciences, you have surpassed your father. However, your father excelled both in theological knowledge and in the reality of spiritual states. I want you to start with the science of spiritual states through the Sufi path, and for the meaning that has come to me from my teacher to be manifested through you. Thus, you will surely become both externally and internally the true successor of your father.”
Accepting these words, Mevlana became his disciple. Through spiritual exercises, he engaged in a struggle against his own ego. He surrendered himself as if dead, aiming to escape the narrowness of existence and the sources of sorrow and grief, and to expand the wings of his soul to attain eternal life. Under the guidance of that perfect knower, he underwent a three-year spiritual discipline and became immersed in divine light…
He spent about four years in Damascus and Aleppo, attaining the status of master in the sciences of Hadith and Fiqh, as well as in literature and philosophy. He served Seyyid Tirmizi for nine years,
receiving the secrets of sainthood from him. Muhakkik-i Tirmizi reached the realm of purity in 1241 in Kayseri. Due to his lineage, he was referred to as Seyyid, the Master of Secrets—one who knows the secrets.
*The “chilla” refers to a period of spiritual discipline lasting 1001 days, described by the word ‘Rıza’ according to the Abjad numerical system.
Mevlana’s Days of Ecstasy – with Shams of Tabriz
“O high-minded bird residing at the Sidra, your resting place is not in this corner filled with hardships.” — Hoca Hafız
After reaching various spiritual stations, Mevlana had received authorization to guide the people. During the day, he taught, engaged in discussions with seekers of knowledge at the madrasa, and participated in intellectual debates. While he was occupied with writing fatwas on religious matters, declaring what is permissible and what is not, the Supreme Being of the unseen had set His heart upon his work.
He did not appreciate that pure essence getting entangled in trivial questions like “why,” “how,” or “what.” He desired the still sea to surge and overflow, seeking a fervent love that ignites a fire in another’s being. He aimed to make the lover—his guide—fall in love with the beloved, wanting to transform a scholar engaged in teaching into someone intoxicated by the truth.
The people were enchanted by Mevlana’s worship, his fasting, and his external knowledge. They regarded his presence and prayers as blessings, seeing him as a religious guide and a cornerstone of the Sharia of Hazrat Muhammad.
Suddenly, the sun of truth sent its light upon that pure soul, illuminating and warming him to such an extent that eyes became blinded by its radiance. The veil was lifted, and it became clear to all that he was the ascetic of the land, a divine drunkard, clapping and dancing like a lover.
The place he wandered was beyond the boundaries of the world; his resting place was not in this realm of hardship. This period began with Shams of Tabriz.
Shams of Tabriz, before illuminating the horizons of Konya, set out from Tabriz and sought the presence of great souls in many regions. He engaged in various temporary jobs, including teaching at schools. He was a lofty being who had seen the world. The leaders of the orders referred to him as “Kamil of Tabriz.”
The strength of his words and the breadth of his knowledge can be understood from his work Makalat: “I prayed to the Supreme God to keep me among His saints and to allow me to converse with them. In a dream, I was told, ‘We will send you a saint as a companion.’ I asked, ‘Where is that saint?’ They replied, ‘In Anatolia; his time has not yet come; all matters have their appointed times…'”
As is known, Shams tirelessly sought the friends of God, yearning deeply for the companionship of saints. The sign of the person he sought had been indicated to him in Anatolia. On the morning of Saturday, November 29, 1244, he arrived in Konya. He rented a room in the
Şekerciler Inn. The encounters between Shams of Tabriz and Mevlana took place in the market square. Shams held the reins of Mevlana’s horse and asked:
“O sage of sages, tell me, who is greater, Hazrat Muhammad or Bayezid Bistami?”
Mevlana, taken aback and affected by this traveler’s question, replied, “Hazrat Muhammad.” Shams continued:
“Then why does Hazrat Muhammad say, ‘I seek forgiveness from my Lord seventy times a day,’ while Bayezid says, ‘I keep myself free from deficient attributes; in my body, there is nothing but God’?”
Hazrat Mevlana responded: “Hazrat Muhammad surpassed seventy stations each day. When he reached the exaltation of each station, he sought forgiveness for the inadequacy of his knowledge at the previous station. However, Bayezid became overwhelmed by the exaltation of the station he attained. His strength was limited, which is why he spoke that way.”
Upon hearing this interpretation, Shams of Tabriz exclaimed, “Allah, Allah!” and embraced Hazrat Mevlana. Yes, he was the sage he had been seeking!
Sources refer to the location of this encounter as Merec-el Bahreyn (the point where two seas meet).
“My sun, my moon has come. My eyes, my ears have come. That golden treasure of mine has arrived. The intoxication of my head has come. The light of my eyes has come. If I had a wish, here it is, the wish I longed for has come. The friend I sought with a candle last night has today appeared before me like a bouquet of roses.”
Since ancient times, Mevlana, who never asked anyone for help or supplication, on the day he saw Shams, sat with him in retreat, humbly requesting his presence. So much so that he closed his heart to anyone but his friend; he shut the door of his home to both acquaintances and strangers.
He struck the mihrap and the minbar with the fire of indifference. He abandoned the teaching pulpit and the preaching minbar, kneeling before the master of love. Despite his great mastery, he became a new student. At his signal, he began to perform the sema (whirling dance). According to Eflaki’s narration, the period of retreat lasted either 40 days or 3 months.
The companionship of perfected beings leads one to spiritual completion. This was the essence of Mevlana’s path…
“If you desire poverty, it is possible through companionship; your tongue and hand have no effect here. The soul learns the knowledge of nothingness from a living being; otherwise, it cannot be learned from books, notebooks, or discourse.”
Mevlana had tightly grasped the hem of Shams of Tabriz’s cloak with a hand of supplication. He was being enriched by divine manifestations. He listened to the piercing melodies of the ney and the soul-soothing sounds of the rebab. Mevlana’s friends, students, and family members harbored animosity towards Shams. They complained about him for distancing Mevlana from them. Gradually, their hostility escalated, and the public rose up against him. Shams, feeling hurt by the words and actions of the people, said, “This is the separation between you and me,” and left the city. It had been about sixteen months since their conversations began…
this journey like beads on a thread of words, scattering them as gifts at the hem of the days, offering them to contemporary friends and future generations.
“There are no more than three words, All my life consists of these three words: ‘I was raw, I have matured, I have burned!'”
From the year 1250 to 1273, the year of his reunion, he dedicated a full twenty-three years to the dissemination of divine sciences. Fully captivated by divine beauty, he appointed chosen close ones to carry out the duties of leadership. The first of these were Selahaddin Zerkubi and Hüsameddin Hasan Çelebi.
Mevlana’s Days of Guidance – with Sheikh Selahaddin Zerkubi
“From the goldsmith’s shop emerged a treasure, What a beautiful form, what a beautiful essence, how beautiful…”
Mevlana had known the goldsmith Selahaddin since their years together with Muhakkik-i Tirmizi. During the years he spent with Shams, their friendship transformed the quiet-natured Selahaddin into a perfect mirror in which the Rumi could see himself. Sheikh Selahaddin was a pious and devoted man. He showed great care and diligence in adhering to the subtleties of the Sharia.
Possessing a patient and more reticent personality, Selahaddin provided Mevlana with a sense of tranquility to some extent. The fire ignited in Mevlana’s heart from the influence of Shamseddin’s conversations was somewhat soothed by Selahaddin with the rain of his spiritual grace and the waters of his blessings.
Their close friendship, solidified by Mevlana’s sema in front of the goldsmith’s shop, continued until ten years later when Selahaddin Zerkubi departed for the divine, once again accompanied by the sema. This friendship was a precursor to a greater ecstasy and a larger revolution to come…
Mevlana’s Days of Guidance – with Sheikh Hüsameddin Çelebi
“Miracles do not sustain belief; the essence of the same kind attracts and resonates with one another. The essence of the same kind fosters the heart’s affection and leads to love.”
In the later years of his life, Mevlana dedicated his time to his young friend Hüsameddin with love and affection. Their conversations lasted for fifteen years. Those around them reaped beneficial fruits from their discussions and competed in service. This arrangement continued until Mevlana’s departure from this world. The beginning of their journey, sparked by Hüsameddin’s request for Mevlana to write down his wisdom, was truly unique:
“Listen, how this ney laments; how it speaks of separations. It says: Since I was cut from the reed bed, both men and women have wept and groaned at my cry. I desire a heart torn apart by separation so that I can convey the pain of longing to it. The one who is distant from their origin still seeks the time of reunion…”
These verses later appear at the beginning of the immortal work “Masnavi,” which consists of over 26,000 couplets in six volumes. The stories in the Masnavi have been read and continue to be read all
over the world. Hüsameddin followed Mevlana everywhere, writing down the verses that flowed from his lips in real time.
The text intertwines Quranic verses, hadiths, and events narrated like a fabric woven from thousands of threads, along with the advice given. A story begins, conveying a certain idea, and before finishing that story, it transitions to another story, and then to another, ultimately returning to complete the first one. It provides rulings, expounds on philosophy, and during this process, it recounts tales from Quranic narratives and famous saints. Thus, the discourse continues, with occasional repetitions; all these characteristics are merits of his work.
In general, the Masnavi is the masterpiece of poetry written in this realm; it is a “Shop of Unity.” The Sultan of the Caliphs, Hüsameddin Çelebi, read all the volumes of the Masnavi to Hazreti Mevlana seven times, and Mevlana listened while performing sema with his soul. Hüsameddin Çelebi learned the treasures of his secrets and became a place where divine secrets were born. He deciphered the difficult parts of the Masnavi letter by letter, organizing and embellishing them.
Everyone from the great caliphs who listened to him and produced a copy based on his teachings has a manuscript that is accurate and reliable. There are no excesses in his manuscript.
The Last Days of Mevlana
“O yellow-faced lover! Be patient, be faithful to your promise. There is a disease with no remedy but death; how can I say to find a cure for this affliction? Last night, I saw an old man in the neighborhood of love. He gestured for me to come this way…”
After completing the sixth volume of the Masnavi, Mevlana suddenly fell ill. On December 17, 1273, as the sun was setting, that sun of knowledge gathered the light of divine grace from his physical body and departed to the realm of the unseen…
December 17, 1273… For Mevlana Celaleddin, this is the day of reunion with the beloved, the day of the wedding; Şeb-i Arus! As the soul bird was about to fly away from the cage of this world, he was comforting his relatives and friends. For all the prophets and saints have sought to remind humanity of the divine source from which they have come and to show the way to God, the eternal beloved:
“When my coffin begins to walk away on the day of my death, do not think that I am troubled by the sorrows of this world, nor that I am sad to leave it; do not fall into such doubt. When my coffin walks away, do not think I am grieving over the troubles of this world. Do not cry for me; do not say, ‘What a pity!’ If I fall into the trap of the devil and become caught in his scheme, then it is time to say ‘what a pity.’ When you see my funeral, do not attempt to say, ‘Oh, separation, separation!’ For that will be the time of my reunion. When they lower me into the grave, do not say ‘farewell, farewell!’ for the grave is but a veil of the gardens of paradise. You see the sunset, now watch for the sunrise; what harm does it do the sun and moon to set? It may seem to you like a sunset, but it is a sunrise; the grave may seem like a prison, but it is your salvation. Which seed has been sown in the ground and did not grow? Why do you think the seed of man will not flourish? Which bucket has been lowered into the well and did not come up full? Why should the spirit of Joseph cry from the well? When you close your mouth here, open it there; your concerns now reside in the emptiness of the realm without space.”
The next day, the people who came to bid farewell filled the streets, as if a flood had come. Scholars, Sufis, guild members, dervishes, government officials, and people of all faiths carried Mevlana. The sema was performed, ney, rebab, and kudüm were played, and the melodies mingled with sobs.
The prayer was finally performed in the evening; he rested in the hearts of humanity… The people of Konya and Mevlana’s friends mourned for 40 days, and during that time, their grief did not find peace. After 40 days, they returned home. They began to tell each other that the treasure was hidden underground.
They spoke of his states and way of life; they talked about his pearl-like words. They discussed his unique pure nature and his unmatched noble character. They talked about his love for God, his devotion, and his ecstasy. They mentioned how he held little value for this world and how his desire was for the next. They spoke of his humility, grace, generosity, and the ecstasy of his being.
The works he left behind continue to illuminate the world today.
“Do not search for our grave in the ground after our death. Our grave is in the hearts of the enlightened!”
Mevlana’s Works
DIVAN-I KEBİR: In this work, Mevlana’s gazals are known as the Külliyat or the Divan of Shams. This religious scholar, thanks to the illuminating grace of Shams, possessed an attractive language and a warm spirit, familiar with poetry. Always focused on the Cause, Mevlana expressed many sentiments inspired by his love for Shams, saying things like, “The one whom the people of Tabriz boast of, the sun of truth and religion; all these words are your echo.”
In his expressions of love, Mevlana walked with maturity and wisdom along the endless stops of that path. He adorned the path of love with compelling phrases and flawless signs that conveyed the subtleties that the hearts of burned lovers could hardly express. His poetry became the interpreter of the states of lovers and a treasure of the secrets of love.
MESNEVI: The cause of the divine voice in the Mesnevi, as it has been in the past, is Hüsameddin Çelebi. Mevlana provided the 18 couplets he had previously written at the beginning of the Mesnevi to Çelebi. Whenever he found the time and felt the desire in his heart, the work was penned by Hüsameddin Çelebi. At the end of the sixth volume, Mevlana stated, “Our Mesnevi is a spiritual beloved, unmatched in beauty and maturity. It is a garden prepared for those enlightened hearts and for lovers who have been burned by longing. Blessed is the soul who enjoys witnessing the beauty of the unseen world, worthy of the grace-filled gaze of the saints of God; how fortunate is that soul who has entered the ranks of those mentioned in the verse, ‘the penitent, the one who returns!'”
FİHİ-MAFİH: This book is a compilation of Mevlana’s conversations and lessons. Mevlana expressed these teachings in his gatherings, and either his son Sultan Veled or one of his disciples transcribed them, resulting in this work. Most of the chapters consist of questions related to various topics that arise according to the context, along with the answers provided. The themes of the sections and gatherings generally include moral issues, spirituality, mystical anecdotes, Quranic verses, Hadiths of
the Prophet, and the interpretation of the sayings of the saints, all explained in Mevlana’s unique style through proverbs and stories.
LETTERS: This work contains 147 letters written by Mevlana to sultans, viziers, friends, and relatives. It was compiled by those around him and his disciples into a book titled “Mektubat.” Mevlana adorned his letters with relevant verses, Hadiths, his own poetry, sayings from other poets, proverbs, and stories, reinforcing the messages he wished to convey to the recipients.
MECALİS-İ SEBA “SEVEN COUNSELS”: This work consists of seven sermons delivered by Mevlana in a council setting, where he shared his teachings through advice.
“Of all people, the best is the one who is beneficial to others. The best words are few and meaningful. Praise belongs solely to the One, Allah.” Mevlana Rumi
Deeply saddened by his departure and searching everywhere for him, Mevlana learned that he was in Damascus and sent letters through messengers… The poetic letters, among the earliest of Mevlana’s historical poems, finally affected Shams’s heart and softened him.
Sultan Veled set out to Damascus by his father’s command and managed to convince Shams to return to Konya…
After Shams’s return, the hands of the disciples had again distanced themselves from Mevlana. After some time, hostility began anew in the city. As the uprising among the people intensified, Shams decided to distance himself from the atmosphere of conflict permanently; he resolved to leave in such a way that news of him would not reach anyone again. He wished for them to lose hope and say that he was dead…
It is narrated that his enemies plotted to take his life one night. There are different accounts regarding the death of Shams. Mevlana searched from city to city for months, hoping to find him. He stayed in Damascus for a long time… After Shams went missing, his heart could not accept the news of his death:
“Who said that the eternal one has died? Who claimed that the sun of hope has set? The enemy of that sun came to the rooftop and closed his two eyes, claiming the sun has died.”
In his fervor, Mevlana was whirling – day and night- and reciting poetry and ghazals. Forty days later, he wrapped his head in a smoke-colored turban. He never wore a white turban again. He wore a cloak made of a fabric called Burdiyemânî, and this became his attire until the end of his life. The change in Mevlana’s order and practices attracted sincere souls and lovers of the state of being to the sema. They swirled around Mevlana’s presence like moths. However, this change also caused the conservatives to oppose him…
“Someone said that sema diminishes etiquette and rank. I do not seek a station, for love is my station in both worlds.”
Mevlana’s Days of Guidance
“O agile cupbearer, rise and tie your belt well, By God, we have come from a distant journey…”
After losing hope in the existence of Shams and deciding to stop searching for him, Mevlana returned to Konya and established a new foundation for guidance, education, and nurturing. Although he had abandoned his official duties of preaching and teaching at the madrasa, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to helping those in need and guiding those who had embraced the path of dervishhood.
Through means such as ghazals, poetry, and sema, he introduced those with gentle natures and good character to the subtleties of humanity, calling rulers, the poor, Muslims, and followers of other religions to unity, friendship, and the nobility of purpose.
The essence that Mevlana found in Shams’s existence can be seen as a transformative journey, born from the light of truths and the ecstasy of enlightenment. Mevlana returned from this journey with a heart filled with reality and a body infused with the joy of divine grace. He strung the outcomes of
