Maulana (literally, Our Master) Jalaluddin Rumi, who founded the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, bears out in his career the Eastern saying, ‘Giants come forth from Afghanistan and influence the world.’ He was born in Bactria, of a noble family, at the beginning of the thirteenth century. He lived and taught in Iconium (Rum) in Asia Minor,
before the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, whose throne he is said to have refused. His works are written in Persian, and so esteemed by the Persians for their poetic, literary and mystical content that they are called ‘The Qur’an in the Pehlevi tongue’ — and this in spite of their being opposed to the national cult of the Persians, the Shia faith, criticising its exclusivism.
Among the Arabs and the Indian and Pakistani Muslims, Rumi is considered to be one of the first rank of mystical masters — yet he states that the teachings of the Qur’an are allegorical, and that it has seven different meanings.
The extent of Rumi’s influence can hardly be calculated; though it can be glimpsed occasionally in the literature and thought of many schools. Even Doctor Johnson, best known for his unfavourable pronouncements, says of Rumi, ‘He makes plain to the Pilgrim the secrets of the Way of Unity, and unveils the Mysteries of the Path of Eternal Truth.’
Rumi’s Far-Reaching Influence
His work was well enough known within less than a hundred years of his death in 1273 for Chaucer to use references to it in some of his works, together with material from the teachings of Rumi’s spiritual precursor, Attar the Chemist (1150–1229/30).
From the numerous references to Arabian material which can be found in Chaucer, even a cursory examination shows a Sufi impact of the Rumi school of literature. Chaucer’s use of the phrase, ‘As lions may take warning when a pup is punished…’ is merely a close adaptation of Udhrib el-kalba wa yata’ addaba el-fahdu (‘Beat the dog and the lion will behave’)
which is a secret phrase used by the Whirling Dervishes. Its interpretation depends on a play upon the words ‘dog’ and ‘lion’. Although written as such, in speaking the password, homophones are used. Instead of saying dog (kalb), the Sufi says heart (qalb), and in place of lion (fahd), fahid (the neglectful). The phrase now becomes: ‘Beat the heart (Sufi exercises) and the neglectful (faculties) behave (correctly).
