A Humble Tribute to Rumi

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

17 December 2025

Jalaluddin Rumi Balkhi bade adieu to the mortal world on December 17, 1273 CE at the age of 66.

Calling Rumi a genius is an understatement. He was beyond all superlatives and epithets. Reynold A Nicholson, who taught Persian at Cambridge and was Dr Muhammad Iqbal's Professor of Persian, once said, " Any adjective for Rumi belittles his greatness." Humans have not been able to coin a word in any language that can articulate the all-encompassing mind of Rumi. Today, he's the most quoted poet and surpasses even the Bard of Avon on this count. That most of the quotes attributed to him on WhatsApp and social media are incorrect is inconsequential, but they underline his immense popularity that transcends geographical boundaries, space and time. Reading Rumi, esp. in Persian, is an experience that's indescribable. Rumi spoke in cadences. So, even his 'humdrum' prose sounds like the most sublime and ethereal poetry.

I first read Rumi when I was 6-yr-old. My gorgeous Iranian lady teacher Qazeen Ehraam introduced me to Rumi and it was proverbial love at first sight with his poetry and also 'love' at first sight with Ms Qazeen, though it was more of an infatuation! She was as beautiful as Rumi's exquisite poetry. The love (with Rumi's poetry) still continues and shall remain unabated till I kick the bucket 'ere long.

Reading Rumi transports you to a realm where there are no debased human emotions. It's unalloyed purity and all-pervasive serenity that permeates the Universe. After reading Rumi's poetry in Persian and Pahalvi, I found even Sanai, Attar, Khaqani, Jami, Anwari, Nizami etc. to be too banal and vapid.

Rumi's poetry pulsates with emotions, knowledge, wisdom and nous. Once you read Rumi and imbibe the spirit of his persona and poetry, this world will seem pretty uninteresting and insipid to you. Read him instead of watching a mindlessly violent film like 'Dhurandhar' or reading putrid bilge that abounds on social media. Take a bow, master.

When Rumi says, " Don't look for me in a human shape," the great(est) mystic suggests that true beauty and love transcends physical form or appearances. Rumi invites us to seek a deeper connection with the divine, one that is rooted in spiritual love rather than mere physical attraction. It challenges us to see beyond the superficial and to recognize the essence of others, which is where real understanding and connection can flourish.

Or when he says, " Close both eyes to see with the other eye" Rumi indicates that true vision and understanding often require a departure from conventional perception. By closing our physical eyes, we are invited to tune into our intuition and inner wisdom. This paradoxical statement suggests that deeper insights into ourselves and the universe come from aligning with our spiritual essence rather than relying solely on sensory experiences.

Rumi's universal poetry and his exalted thoughts are all the more important in these violent times when love has become a rarity and oddity and when the only sanguine thing is the sanguinary disasters.

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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/humble-tribute-rumi/d/138027

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