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Biography of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi was born on September 30, 1207 to a family of learned Persian theologiansin in a city of Greater Khorasan province in Persia, presently known as Balkh, Afghanistan and died in Konya within the Seljuk Empire's territory, currently it's within Turkey, on December 17, 1273.

Rumi, also known as Balkhi, Mawlawi or Mawlana (meaning our guide or our lord), moved to Konya after they performed pilgrimage to Mecca when he was just 18 with his father, Baha'al din Veled, when the Mongols invaded Central Asia. During this time, Rumi was sent to Damascus and Aleppo to obtain religious education. Later, Rumis father became head of a Madrassah, religious school, but died soon after leaving Rumi to succeed him at only twenty-five.

Rumi spent his later years at Anatolia where he finished his greatest masterpiece, Masnavi-ye Manavi (Spiritual Couplets), a six-volume poem regarded by many Sufis (a sect of Islam) as second in importance only to the holy Qur'an.

He died on December 17, 1273 in present day Turkey and was laid to rest next to his father. The day of his death is now known as Sebul Arus (Night of Union) to the Mawlawi dervishes and is kept as a day of festival.

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi played a huge role in converting Orthodox Anatolia (Asia-minor) to Islam.

Poems by Mawlawi Rumi