Someone said: “Our Master does not utter a word.”Rumi answered: Well, it was the thought of me that brought you to my presence. This thought of me did not speak with you saying, “How are things with you?” The thought without words drew you here. If the reality of me draws you without words and […]

TRANSLATED BY A.J. ARBERRY Rumi stated: Mohammed, the great Prophet, once said, “The worst of scholars are those who visit princes, and the best of princes are those who visit scholars. Wise is the prince who stands at the door of the poor, and wretched are the poor who stand at the door of the […]

A certain pauper obtained admittance to a prison, andannoyed the prisoners by eating up all their victuals andleaving them none. At last they made a formal complaint tothe Qazi, and prayed him to banish the greedy pauper fromthe prison. The Qazi summoned the pauper before him,and asked him why he did not go to his […]

TRANSLATED BY A.J. ARBERRY introduction Recognized as perhaps the greatest mystical poet of Islam, Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273) communicated something through his writing that has attracted spiritual seekers from almost every religion in the world, for hundreds of years. Even in his day, Rumi was sought out by mer-chants and kings, devout worshippers and rebel-lious […]

PROLOGUE THE Composition of this Masnavi has been delayed for a (season;1) Time is needed for blood to become milk.Till thy fortune comes forth as a new-born babe,Blood becomes not milk, sweet and pleasant to the mind.When that light of God, Husamu-’d-DinTurned his course down from the summit of heaven,While he had ascended to sublimest […]

International conference: Defeating extremist mindset through Sufism KARACHI: The teachings of Sufism are the only way forward to attain peace and counter extremism in the society, said participants at a session, titled ‘Counter Cultural Narratives and Discourses Against Religiosity and Extremist Ideologies’, at the Third International Sufi Conference on Friday. The participants included Dr Kanika […]