Rumi and Islam

by Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana

• ISBN13: 9781594730023
• ISBN10: 1594730024
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-02-01
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Pub

Summary

Sheds new light on the religion of Rumi. Offers a satisfying taste of Islamic Sufi mysticism. The lyric and wisdom poetry of Jalaluddin Rumi has been an inspiration throughout the Middle East and Asia for over seven hundred years. Recently, it has also become popular in translations and interpretive poetic versions in English. Rumi is often considered a universal mystic who teaches ecstatic love outside any particular religion. Rumi and Islam: Selections from His Stories, Poems, and Discourses offers a new way of thinking about Rumi's poetry. Ibrahim Gamard focuses on Rumi's place within the Sufi tradition of Islam, providing readers with an image of the mystical side of the religion -- one that has love of God at its core and sublime wisdom teachings as its pathways. Ibrahim Gamard first translated Rumi's poetry from Persian in 1985, and started posting selected Rumi translations, commentary, and Persian transliterations on teh Internet in 1997. His website, www.dar-al-masnavi.org, is one of the best Web sources for in-depth information about the great Sufi mystic. Gamard is a member of the Mevlevi Order, a 730-year-old Sufi order which originated wtih Rumi himself. A licensed psychologist, he converted to Islam twenty years ago.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	xiii
Stories of the Prophet
Warfare	3	(4)
The Captives	7	(6)
Hilal	13	(8)
The Sick One	21	(20)
Bilal	41	(4)
The Water Carrier	45	(12)
The Greedy Pagan	57	(18)
The Blind One	75	(4)
The Arrival of the Caravan	79	(4)
The Groaning Pillar	83	(4)
Ayisha	87	(6)
Zayd	93	(18)
Sayings of the Prophet
Prayer and Guidance	111	(12)
Self-Denial and Ego-Death	123	(8)
Divine Sayings	131	(6)
Praises of the Prophet
Affirmations and Blessings	137	(6)
Praises and Virtues	143	(8)
Love and Closeness with God	151	(6)
The Seal of the Prophets	157	(10)
The Night Journey, the Cave, and the Pillar	167	(6)
Prayer and Pilgrimage	173	(4)
The Light of Muhammad and Intercession	177	(6)
Death and Resurrection	183	(3)
Notes	186	(7)
Glossary	193	(5)
Suggested Readings and Resources	198	(3)
Index of Passages in Rumi's Works	201	(5)
Acknowledgments	206	(1)
About SkyLight Paths	207