HADHRAT MAULANA MUHAMMAD JALAALUDDIN RUMI

(rahmatullah alayh)

 

            Maulana Rumi's (rahmatullah alayh) name was Muhammad and his title was Jalaaluddin, but generally he became known as Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh).  He was born in the town of Balkh in 604 Hijri and belonged to the family of Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (radhiyallahu anhu).  His father's name wad Bahauddin bin Hussain Balky.  Muhammad Khwarizm Shah Balky (d 617) was his maternal grandfather.  In 610 Hijri, Maulana's father, Bahauddin, left Balkh and settled in Nayshapur.  On arrival at Nayshapur, his father took him to the famous saint, Khwajah Fariduddin Attar (rahmatullah alayh).  Maulana Rumi was then 6 years old.  Khwajah Fariduddin Attar (rahmatullah alayh) gave them a copy of his Mathnavi as a present and said to his father, "Do not be negligent of this able one.  He will only one day make his voice heard."

            Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) acquired his initial instuctions from his father.  The father chose his most foremost student and Mureed to be a teacher and mentor to the young boy and in this manner Maulana Rumi studied most of the branches of knowledge under this student, Maulana Barhanuddin (rahmatullah alayh).  At the age of 18 years, Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) got married and in that same year he went with his father to settle in Qunya.

            When Maulana Rumi was 25 years old, his father passed away.  Maulana then went to Syria for the sole purpose of completing his studies. For some time, Maulana stayed at the Madrassa Jaladiya in Halb (Alepo) where he also sought the spiritual guidance and blessings of Kamaluddin bin Adeem (rahmatullah alayh).  Thereafter for 7 years he went to study in Damascus.  At Damascus, Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) studied all the Mazaahib, Ilmul Kalaam, Fiqh, and acquired a good knowledge of all the differences of opinions in deeni matters.  He was also highly qualified in philosophy and tasawwuf.  After the death of his father,  Sayed Barhanuddin (rahmatullah alayh) was also his mentor on the path of tariqat for 9 years.  Thereafter he spent the rest of his life in teaching and lecturing.

            A complete transformation came over Maulana's life from the moments he came into contact with Hadhrat Shamsh Tabrezi (rahmatullah alayh).  Shamsh Tabrezi (rahmatullah alayh) was from a pious family which belonged to the Ismaili sect.  He left his family sectarian connections, acquired knowledge and became a mureed of Baba Kamaluddin Jundy (rahmatullah alayh).  In the company of merchants he used to travel around from place to place.

            Once Shamsh Tabrezi (rahmatullah alayh) made a duah:  "O Allah, grant me the companionship of such a companion who will be able to bear my company."  In reply to this duah the good news was given to him:  "Go to Rum."  He immediately set forth and soon reached Qunya where he arrived at a place of bress goods sellers.  There was a platform whereupon the leaders always used to sit.  It was at this place that the meeting between Maulana Jalaaluddin Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) and Shamsh Tabrezi (rahmatullah alayh) took place and from where their friendship and compainship commenced.  From that day onwards, a complete change came over Maulana Rumi, and the fire of Divine love was kindled in his heart.

            He avoided 'Sima', the listening to musical renderings.  He also left teaching, lecturing, and preaching.  But he did not leave the company of Shamsh Tabrezi (rahmatullah alayh) even for a little while.

            However, a great commotion took place in the town with the rusult that Shamsh Tabrezi secretly left for Damascus.  This caused Maulana tremendous sadness.  After some time, some people noticing Maulana's discomfort and uneasiness, went to call Shamsh Tabrezi back.  But after staying for a short while, he againd disappeared to an unknown destination.  Although they searched for him, he could not be found.  Some historians are of the opinion that he had been martyred.  After the disappearance of Shamsh Tabrezi, Maulana Rumi suffered tremendous uneasiness, restlessness and loneliness.  It was during this troubled period that he once happened to pass by the shop of Salahuddin Zarkoob who was busy beating metal into thin leaves.  At that moment a strange condition came over Maulana.  Salahuddin did not stop beating the leaves and thus many leaves were lost.  Finally Salahuddin allowed the shop to become squandered away and he joined the company of Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh).  In this manner he spent 9 years with Maulana.  Through this compainship Maulana was greathly consoled.

            In 664 Hijri, Salahuddin passed away and after his death, Maulana chose Husamuddin Chulpi (rahmatullah alayh) from among his mureeds to be his compain for as long he lived.  Thereafter, Maulana consoled his heart through this new compainship.  Maulana used to respect and honour Husamuddin (rahmatullah alayh) to such an extent that people were under the impression that he was Maulana's spiritual guide.  It was through the encouragement of Maulana Husamuddin that Maulana Rumi wrote the famous Mathnavi Shareef

            In 672 Hijri, a strong earthquake shook Qunya and for 40 days thereafter the vibrations were experienced.  Maulana used to say that the earth was hungry and wanted a morsel.  A few days thereafter Maulana became ill.  Some very good physicians were called to treat him buy to no avail and without success.  On Sunday, the 5th Jamad-as-Thani 672 Hijri, at the time of sunset Maulana Jalaaluddin Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) passed away.

            The janaazah left the next morning.  Everybody from the King to the poorest soul accompanied the Janaazah.  People were so emotional that they even broke the coffin in which the body was being transported for the sake of barakat.  The janaazah reached the graveyard by the evening.  Shaikh Sadruddin (rahmatullah alayh), a mureed of Shaikh Akbar Muhyuddin (rahmatullah alayh) together with is mureeds also followed the janaazah.  He was appointed to lead the funeral prayer but as he stood ready to do so, he uttered a cry and fell unconscious.  Thereafter, Qadhi Sirajuddin (rahmatullah alayh) lead the funeral prayers.

            In accordance with the wasiyat of Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh), Hadhrat Husamuddin (rahmatullah alayh) became the Khalifah after him.  Maulana left 2 sons; Alauddin Muhammad and Sultan Wala.  In 684 Hijri, Hadhrat Husamuddin (rahmatullah alayh) also passed away and the next appointed Khalifah was Sultan Wala.

            Among Maulana's writings is compilation of his sayings under the title:  "Feehi maa feehi".  Then there is an anthology of 50,000 couplets which many mistakenly consider to be the work of Shamsh Tabrezi (rahmatullah alayh).  The third writing is the 'Mathnavi' through which Maulana is kept alive today in the world.  It seems proper at this stage to just mention shortly some of the speacial feature of this most famous work so as to have an insight into it.

            Towards the end of the Ghaznawi Empire Hakeem Sinai (rahmatullah alayh) wrote a book, "Hadeqah" which was the first book written on tasawwud in poetic form.  After that Hadhrat Fariduddin Attar (rahmatullah alayh) wrote many Mathnavis among which the most famous one was "Mantiquttayr".  One day while Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) was in a special state of ecstasy, he involuntarily uttered the firest lines from the Mathnavi.  Husamuddin Chalpi (rahmatullah alayh) heard it and insisted that Maulana should continue with it and complete the Mathnavi.  The result was that six volumes were written.  During the period of writing there were many lapses of time.  Hence we find quite a few couplets which were written wherein Husamuddin Chalpi (rahmatullah alayh) was the cause for it being written.  In some volumes Maulana had given a very good reason for the delay in writing, as for example:

            "For quite some time, this Mathnavi has been delayed

            It takes time for blook to become milk.

            Until you are not blessed with another baby

            The blood (in the body of the mother) would not transfom into

            sweet milk."

            The Mathnavi was commenced in 662 Hijri.

            Of all the books written in Pesian on this topic (tasawwuf and ethics), in no other book are such delicate and intricately sensitive issues mentioned.  These issues abound in the Mathnavi.  The Mathnavi is not only a book on tasawwuf and ethics, it also deals with dogma and metaphysics.  Whether it deals with masail on tasawwuf of on matters of dogma, these are explained by way of examples, similes, and metaphors in such a manner that no ground is left for rejection.   Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) says that the channel through which the celestial hidden knowledges had been coming through, that  spiritual sun has now through the infinite wisdom of Allah, disappeared below the horizon of the heart.  In other words, manifestation changed to the state of concealment as is either way experienced by the saintly onces who have recognised Allah Ta'ala.

            Hadhrat Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) had foretold that after him shall come a 'Light of Soul' who would complete this Mathnavi (i.e. its sixth unfinished part, 'Daftah') which has been mentioned in the following verses:

            "The commentary on this (story) remains unfinished, but the innermost has been closed and nothing more                is coming forth (now.)

            The remainder of this story is going to be said, speechlessly, unto the heart of someone who would posses             soul-sight."

            Accordingly, that man of 'sighted-soul' became Maulana Mufti Ilaahi Baksh Kaandhelwi (rahmatullah alayh) by the grace of Allah Ta'ala and it was he who witnessed on his (blessed) sould the inspirations of the soul of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) and was subsequently able to complete the Mathnavi; as Maulana Mufti Kaandhalwi (rahmatullah alayh) says:  "Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, through you illuminations you have dominated my soul in such a manner that I lost my very existence.  As if you were a lion of the Almighty Allah who has annihilated my very being."

            Mufti Saheb is tring to say that in accordance with Maulana Rumi's (rahmatullah alayh) foretelling of the completion of the sixth part of Mathnavi, Maulana Rumi's holy soul is busy inspiring my soul with Divine Guidance, thereforethe pronouncements of my tongue, would actually be the Kalaam (speech) of Maulana Rumi.  Like a poet had said:  "Although the Holy Qur'an has come through the (Mubarak) lip of the Messener (saaw).

            Whosoever says, it is not the word of Allah, is a disbeliever."

            Mufti Ilaahi Bakh (rahmatullah alayh) is the man of the 12th century while Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayh) lived in the 7th century (of the Islamic calendar.)  Mufti Ilaahi Baksh had completed his Islamic Studies (Shariah) under Hadhrat Shah Abdul Aziz Delhawi (rahmatullah alayh).

            "Congratulations!  O my desperate sigh!

            You are bringing the destination (union of Allah Ta'alah) closer and closer."