Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, a Islamic Jurist, Theologian, and Mystic

Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi but known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi (30 September 1207-17 December 1273), a Islamic jurist, theologian, and mystic. Rumi is a descriptive name meaning "the Roman" since he lived most of his life in an area called Rum because it was once ruled by the Byzantine Empire.

Rumi was born in Khorasan, possibly in or near the city of Balkh. Rumi's father was Bahauddin Walad, a theologian, jurist, and a mystic from Balkh, who was also known during his life time as Sultan al-Ulama or "Sultan of the Scholars". When the Mongols invaded Central Asia, Bahauddin Walad with his whole family and a group of disciples, set out westwards. On the road to Anatolia, Rumi encountered one of the most famous mystic Persian pouts, 'Attar, in Nishapur. 'Attar immediately recognized Rumi's spiritual eminence. He saw the father walking ahead of the Son and said, "Here comes a sea followed by an ocean. "He gave the boy his Asrarnama, a book about the entanglement of the soul in the material world. This meeting had a deep impact on the eighteen-year-old Rumi, and later on became the inspiration for his works.

From Nishapur, Walad and his entourage set out for Baghdad, meeting many of the scholars and Sufis of the city. From there they went to Baghdad, and Hejaz and performed the pilgrimage at Mecca. The migrating caravan then passed through Damascus, Malatya, Erzincan, Sivas, Kayseri, and Nigde. They finally settled in Karaman for seven years. Rumi married Gowhar Khatun in Karaman. They had two sons: Sultan Walad and Ala-eddin Chalabi. When his wife died, Rumi married again and had a son, Amir Alim Chalabi, and a daughter, Malakeh Khatun.

On 1 May 1228, most likely as a result of the insistent invitation of 'Alauddin Key-Qobad, ruler of Anatolia, Bahauddin came and finally settled in Konya in Anatolia within the westernmost territories of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum.

Bahauddin became the head of a madrassa (religious school) and when he died, Rumi, aged twenty-five, inherited his position. One of Bahauddin's students, Sayyed Burhanuddin Muhaqqiq Termazi, continued to train Rumi in the religious and mystical doctrines of Rumi's father. For nine years, Rumi practiced Sufism as a disciple of Burhanuddin until the latter died in 1240 or 1241. Rumi's public life then began: he became a teacher who preached in the mosques of Konya and taught his adherents in the madrassa.

During this period, Rumi also travelled to Damascus and is said to have spent four years there.

It was his meeting with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi that completely changed Rumi's life. Shams had traveled throughout the Middle East searching and praying for someone who could "endure My company. "A voice said to him, "What will you give in return?" Shams replied, "My head!" The voice then said, "The one you seek is Jalaluddin of Konya. "On the night of 5 December 1248, as Rumi and Shams were talking, Shams was called to the back door. He went out, never to be seen again. It is believed that Shams was murdered with the connivance of Rumi's son, Alauddin; if so, Shams indded gave his head for the privilege of mystical friendship.

For more than ten years after meeting Shams, Mulana had been spontaneously composing ghazals (Persian poems), and these had been collected, in the Diwan Shams Tabrizi. Rumi found another companion in Salahuddin-e Zarkub, a goldsmith. After Salahuddin death, Rumi's scribe and favorite student, Hussam-e Chalabi, assumed the role of Rumi's companion. One day, the two of them were wandering through the Meram Vineyards outside Konya when Hussam described to Rumi an idea he had had:"If you were to write a book like the Ilahinama of Sanai or the Mantiq ut-Tayr of 'Attar, it would become the companion of many troubadours. They would fill their hearts from your work and compose music to accompany it. "Rumi smiled and took out a piece of paper on which were written the opening eighteen lines of his Masnavi. Hussam implored Rumi to write more. Rumi spent the next twelve years of his life in Anatolia dictating the six volumes of this masterwork, the Masnavi, to Hussam.

Rumi died on 17 December 1273 in Konya; his body was interred beside that of his father, and a splendid shrine, the Yesil Turbe (Green Tomb; today the Mevlana Museum), was erected over his place of burial. His epitaph reads:
When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men.

Source: www.wikipedia.com