Asian Literature: Biographies

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Jalal ad-Din Rumi

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Jalal ad-Din Rumi , 1207–73, great Islamic Persian sage and poet mystic, b. in Balkh. His father, a scholar, was invited by the Seljuk sultan of Rum to settle in Iconium (now Konya), Turkey. His apprenticeship as a Sufi mystic was guided by the mysterious Shams ad-Din Tabrizi (d. 1247), who was considered one of the spiritual masters of Rumi's age. His major work is the Mathnawi, a vast 6 vol. work of spiritual teaching and Sufi lore in the form of stories and lyric poetry of extraordinary quality. The Mathnawi is one of the enduring treasures of the Persian-speaking world, known and memorized by most. It is popularly called "the Qur'an in Persian." The singing of the Mathnawi has become an art form in itself. Rumi also founded the Mawlawiyya (Mevlevi) Sufi order, who use dancing and music as part of their spiritual method, and who are known in the West as Whirling Dervishes. Rumi's influence spread to Persian-speakers in Afghanistan and central Asia, and beyond, to Turkey and India. His tomb in Konya is a place of pilgrimage, and the Mawlawiyya order is still centered in Konya.

Bibliography: See selections of his mystical poems, tr. by A. J. Arberry (1968) and by James G. Cowan (1992); critical works by R. A. Nicholson (1950), A. R. Arasteh (1965), and A. Schimmel (1978).

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"Jalal ad-Din Rumi." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Jalal ad-Din Rumi." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Rumi-Jal.html

"Jalal ad-Din Rumi." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Rumi-Jal.html

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Rumi

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Rumi (1207–73) Persian poet, b. Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi. A theologian and teacher whose huge body of work – some 30,000 couplets and numerous rubaiyat or quatrains – was inspired by Sufism. Rumi is generally regarded as Persia's finest poet. His main work is the epic Mathnawi (or Masnavi).

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"Rumi." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Rumi." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Rumi.html

"Rumi." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Rumi.html

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Rūmī

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Rūmī (mystic poet of Islam): see JALĀL AD-DĪN RŪMĪ.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Rūmī." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Rūmī." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Rm.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Rūmī." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Rm.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Rumi on aging.(Old Age by Harry R. Joys Moody)(Poem) Magazine article from: Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients; 12/1/2005
	The Mevlana Festival. Magazine article from: The Middle East; 12/1/1999
	Iran's spiritual leader isn't a hardline Islamist, but a mystic... Newspaper article from: The Christian Science Monitor; 5/11/2011