Content:

Rumies Date and Place of Birth(31)
Rumi's Ancestry(32)
Bahauddin Veled's Migration From Belh(33)
Sultanu'l-Ulema's Arrival in Nishabur and his Meeting with Feriduddin-i Attar(34)
Rumi's Marriage(37)
Sultanu'l-Ulema's Arrival in Konya and Being Welcomed by the Sultan(38)
Sultanu'l-Ulema's Passing Away(41)
The Change in Rumi's Life(46)
Meeting of Rumi and Shems(48)
Rumi's State After Shems-i Tebrizi's Disappearance(55)
Rumi's Devotion to Salahaddin(65)
Chelebi Husameddin(70)
Rumi's Migration from this Mortal World to the World of Eternity(75)
Rumi's Funeral(86)

Rumies Date and Place of Birth(31)

Mevlana Jalaluddin Muhammed was born in September 30, 1207 (Rebiulevvel 6, 609) in the city of Belh. There are different opinions about his date of birth. While the forgiven (late) Eflaki Dede, author of Menakibu’l-Arifin, gives the above date, since Rumi writes, in his book Fihi Ma Fih: "We were in Semerkand. Harzemshah had surrounded the city, deployed his forces around the city and was fighting. In that neighbourhood there was a very pretty girl. She was so beautiful that there was no girl like her in the city. I heard her praying: ‘O Allah, don’t leave me in the hands of these tyrants. Don’t deem this proper." this date is wrong. Because the Semerkand was surrounded by Harzemshah in 1207 given as Rumi’s birth year. For Rumi to remember the surrounding and the beauty of the girl he must be at least five or six years old. Probably for this reason, historian Will Durant shows Rumi’s birth at 1201 whereas Maurice Barres at 1203. The city of Belh is today within the borders of Afghanistan. In those days it was a centre for many sciences before being invaded by Moguls. It was famous for its mosques, universities and palaces. It was a capitol on the road of silk, economically developed and full of businessman.

Rumi’s ancestry reaches Ebu Bekir. Sultan Veled writes in his Ibtidaname about his grandfather Bahaeddin Veled: "His byname became Bahaeddin Veled. His devotees are countlessly many. His ancestry reaches Ebu Bekir. Therefore, he attained a highest spiritual level just like Hazret-i Siddik."

Rumi’s father is Muhammed, son of Huseyin Hatibi. He is known as Bahaeddin Veled. He is given the byname Sultanu’l-Ulema, king of the scholars.

In fact, Bahaeddin Veled was not only the king of scholars, but also the king of humanity, the king of virtue, the king of courage, in short the king of everything. He was a perfect role model and a perfect human being. Beside his broad knowledge, he also had a completely Muhammedan morals and virtues. He used to do good to everybody and would abstain from evil-doing. He would have lecture with those around him to warn them and to protect them from faithlessness and strayness. He used to speak very well. Those who listened to him would be ecstatic with love and faith.

He was not a coward scholar. He would point out the mistakes of even sultans to their face. Just as Sheik Sadi shouted "You are a tyrant!" to Hulagu’s face who completely devastated Baghdad, Sultanu’l-Ulema was saying to Harzemshah’s face that the path he was on was not Muhammedan and it was stayness. He was not a scholar who kept his opinions to himself because of fear and who praised the sultans and behaved hypocritically because of material interest. He was warning the scholars as well as sultans that were under the influence of the Greek philosophy. Therefore, the faithful people were treasuring him. The people of the city of Belh, which was a centre for science and gnosis at that time, were showing great love and respect to Bahaeddin Veled. This deep love and respect the public was showing to Sultanu’l-Ulema frightened sultan Harzemshah. Most of the scholars who could not appreciate him and who did not recognize his faith were envying him. But he was not hesitating at all. He was freely expressing his opinions. According to Eflaki, Sultanu’l-Ulema’s father Huseyin, son of Ahmed Hatibi was one of the most well known scholars and most viruous men of his time. Raziyuddin-i Nishaburi, a prominent scholar of Law of the XII. century, was tought by him. Muhammed Bahaeddin Veled’s mother is a member of the Harzem dynasty. But it is not clear to which side of the dynasty she belongs.

It is a fact that Sultanu’l-Ulema has migrated from Belh due to a difference of opinion and belief. Because Harzemshah’s relationship with the members of the Kubreviyye order was not good. Bahaeddin Veled was devoted to Najmaddin-i Kubra. In his sermons, he was freely saying that the scholars who were taken by the philosophy and valued the intellect were not on the Muhammedan path. The scholars who didn’t like him turned the sultan against him. On one hand, Sultanu’l-Ulema was being envied and on the other hand he was being kept under psychological pressure. In this situation, Sultanu’l-Ulema decided to migrate in order not to cause any instigation. It is not clearly known when Bahaeddin Veled migrated from Belh. He left Belh taking with him his closest disciples, deputies and family. Sipehsalar writes that after leaving Belh, going from one town to another he went to Mecca for pilgrimage stopping over in Baghdad, then proceeded to Anatolia, after spending the winter in Akshehir near Erzincan, he came to Konya upon Seljukian Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad’s sending a messenger to invite him. When this migration started, with Bahaeddin Veled, there were his wife Mumine Hatun, daughter of the sultan of Belh, his older son Alaeddin Muhammed, and his younger son Jalaluddin Muhammed. Some of his relatives remained in Belh.

How old was Jalaluddin Muhammed, i.e. Rumi when this migration started? This is not known with certainty. Although most of the time Rumi’s date of birth is given as 1207, based on his statements in Fihi Ma Fih the conclusion that this year is not his real date of birth and his actual date of birth must be around 1200 is reached. When one considers that Sultanu’l-Ulema’s departure date for pilgrimage is again approximately at 1221 it is concluded that when this migration started Rumi was 21 years old. However, Sultan Veled reports in his Ibtidaname that Rumi was 14 years old at the beginning of the migration. In conclusion, the reports do not agree with each other.

The migrating caravan’s first important stop was in the city of Nishabur. This city, too, was an important centre for gnosis of that age, as the city of Belh. Furthermore, Feriduddin-i Attar who was a disciple of the same sheik as Sultanu’l-Ulema lived in this city. Attar was a member of the Kubreviyye order as Sultanu’l-Ulema. Both were among the prominent deputies of Najmaddin-i Kubra. Najmaddin-i Kubra (1145-1221), the author of many Sufi books, was one of the greatest Sufis of that age and had raised many deputies like Majiduddin-i Baghdadi, Fahreddin-i Razi, Feriduddin-i Attar and Bahaeddin Veled. He is also the founder of the Kubreviyye or Zehebiyye order and he was martyred when fighting against the Moguls with his disciples. His chief deputy, Majduddin-i Baghdadi, was thrown and drawned in the river of Ceyhun by Harzemshah. As soon as Attar heard of Sultanu’l-Ulema’s arrival in Nishabur he went to the place where he stayed. Two saints attained the secret of "He has let free to seas meeting together." (55/19) It is said that during this meeting Feriduddin-i Attar, sensing the spiritual greatness of Jalaluddin Muhammed, said to his father: "It is hoped that this son of yours will soon put on fire the hearts that burn with divine love." And he took great pleasure in presenting the his book "Esrar-name" as a gift to the spiritual boy in his early youth who will put on fire the hearts that burn with love, and will be familiar with the divine secrets. Rumi liked Esrar-name a lot. He always kept it with him. Years passed. When he was dictating his Mesnevi he no only included tales from the Esrar-name but also he expressed his love for Attar at every occasion. In Divan-i Kebir he writes: "Attar was the spirit. And Senai was his two eyes. We came to the realm of truth after Attar and Senai. We followed them."

Sherefuddin Lala of Semerkand, who migrated from Belh with Sultanu’l-Ulema and who was one of his favourite disciples, had a very beautiful daughter named Gevher Hatun. Besides possessing a unique beauty, this girl’s character and morals wasn’t like any other girl. God had combined physical and spiritual beauties in Gevher Hatun’s person. Bahaeddin Veled was considering to marry this beautiful girl to his younger son Jalaluddin Muhammed. The character of his younger son and that of this beautiful student of him were very much alike. This marriage would be very appropriate. When he revealed this thought to the girl’s father, Sherefuddin Lala became glad and said: "This marriage brings us nothing but honour and happiness." The two fathers agreed on this marriage.

In the spring of the year 1225 these two beautiful and peerless personalities got married in a very modest and simple wedding ceremony. A short time after this marriage, Mumine Hatun, Sultanu’l-Ulema’s wife, noble in blood and noble in spirit, faithful as her name, passed away. Until they came from Belh to Karaman, Mumine Hatun had been enduring pains of being away from home and had been a source of consolation to her beloved husband in those troubled days. She had kept alive the sorrow and longing for their beloved devastated, burned and ruined hometown (Belh), for their relatives they left there in her sensitive heart. The happiness she felt for the magnificient welcome Sultanu’l-Ulema received in big cities and the spiritual enrichment and joy of their Mekka and Medina visits had made her a Mumine Hatun (believer women) who was living her name.

The passing away of Mumine Hatun was followed by that of Alauddin Muhammed, Mevlana Jalaluddin Muhammed’s brother. Losing first his faithful and loyal wife and then his beloved son had drawned Bahaeddin Veled in indescribable sorrows. Not much later, Mevlana Jalaluddin Muhammed’s mother-in-law, i.e. the wife of Sherefuddin Lala of Semerkand died. She was buried in Karaman next to "Mader Sultan" (Mother Queen) Rumi’s mother and brother. So Rumi who had already lost his beloved mother and brother was also losing his well-mannered wife’s mother. After three of his loved ones were buried in the soil of Karaman God gave him two precious baby boys. Both Sultanu’l-Ulema and Mevlana Jalaluddin were very happy about this favour and boon of God. Rumi named his first son after his father, "Sultan Veled". He gave his second son his brother’s name, "Alauddin Chelebi". These two boys consoled them and made them forget their sorrows. Sultanu’l-Ulema stayed in Karaman for approximately seven years. He educated many students. He showed a lot of people the path of Truth. The number of his disciples was constantly increasing and his sermons and moral efforts were spreading around.

Those days the Seljuk ruler in power was Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad. At a time when the Anatolian Seljuki State was about to collapse, this valuable sultan showed a remarkable presence with his high ability, virtues and courage and made the state live a bright period. Even if temporary he achieved military successes and served the knowledge and gnosis by calling scholars and other great personalities to Konya. He, too, was a learned and poetic sultan himself. He couldn’t accept the fact that a great personality like Sultanu’l-Ulema to come and settle in Karaman. He sent a message to Emir Musa whom he loved and admired very much saying that he was a little bit offended because he stopped the way of the great saint of Belh and kept him in Karaman. Emir Musa told Bahaeddin Veled about sultan’s being offended. He advised Emir to immediately go to Konya and tell everything to the sultan as it is.

Emir Musa who was completely devoted to the sultan and who was loved very much by him hurried to Konya. He immediately went to the palace. He explained that Sultanu’l-Ulema was settled in Larende on his own wish and he had been living there for seven years and he had no fault in this. The good hearted sultan carefully listened to the Emir he liked. He said that he was not upset with him.

Then he invited the king of the scholars to Konya by saying: "If Sultanu’l-Ulema cares to honour our Konya this would make me very happy. I would become his slave and disciple and walk on the path of Truth that he shows. The city of Konya is awaiting him with all its sultans and emirs." With this intention presents were given to Emir Musa and he was sent to Larende.

The king of the scholars has accepted the invitation of the Seljuki ruler Alaeddin Keykubad. He asked that the travel preparations be started immediately. He was going to leave Karaman where he had been living for seven years. On a spring day in 1229 (626) they set out for a journey to Konya accompanied with the tears of the people of Karaman. Bahaeddin Veled had accepted sultan invitation in order to be more beneficial to people. Otherwise would he ever leave his loved ones buried in Karaman’s soil? He wasn’t unaware of how much the people of Karaman loved him, either. The tears of separation were not being shed in vain. He was seeing how the lectures and sermons he has given and the knowledge and gnosis has changed the people of Karaman. Now he was going to a larger city, to the capitol of a great sultan, which loved and respected scholars. Now Konya was to be the last destination for him. A stronger saint, the king of the scholars was coming to Konya, the gathering point of the saints who were rushing here from Turkistan, Iran and other Islamic lands. The mature spirited, young Rumi was again at the side of his beloved father, his greatest guide and teacher. He had buried his mother and brother in Karaman’s soil. But now he had with him his beautiful and faithful wife, two sons and his father who was his everything.

The little caravan was slowly proceeding towards Konya. The people of Konya were preparing to welcome not only Sultanu’l-Ulema, the king of the scholars, but also the king of the gnostics, the king of the saints.

This not too crowded caravan of five to ten people which has left Belh years ago, travelled to cities like Nishabur and Baghdad, which didn’t settle in cities like Haleb or Damascus, this little but spiritually big caravan which couldn’t fit in any city, not even in Baghdad, the fortress of the saints, would fit in Konya and settle there. The people of Konya had heard that this great saint was going to honour their city and therefore they were in great joy and excitement. Lead by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad, all notables of Konya, high ranking state and religious officials, scholars and sheiks, they went to welcome the king of the scholars.

On a beautiful spring day, outside Konya’s city walls, on the Karaman road, two great sultans were going to meet. One of them was the greatest sultan of his time Alaeddin Keykubad who revived the great Anatolian Seljuk State at a time when it was collapsing and enjoyed victories and conquered castles, the other one was king of the scholars, sultan of the gnostics Bahaeddin Veled who was fighting against ignorance, unislamic beliefs, who was an example of humanness, virtue and faith, who was enduring voluntary separation from his home for the sake of his ideas and faith.

Alaeddin Keykubad had sick and tired of never ending battles and understood nothingness of being a sultan in this rewardless world and decided to kneel in front of a sultan of spirits and wanted to be his dervish. It is for this reason that the great sultan Alaeddin Keykubad of noble spirit was more excited than everyone else while waiting for the sultan of spirits, great saint Bahaeddin Veled.

The little caravan of five to ten people at most became visible in the horizon. Sultanu’l-Ulema with his white beard and luminuos face was coming riding on his horse in front of the caravan. Rumi was following his honourable father. His dervishes, disciples and family, and behind them a few camels carrying loads of book were seen. When the caravan came near the sultan who was waiting on his horse got off his horse immediately. He ran and grabbed the reins of Sultanu’l-Ulema’s horse. He helped him get off the horse. Two sultans greeted each other with respect. They said to him: "Welcome, you have come and brought blessings to our city."

Sultanu’l-Ulema was already over eighty five years old. It had been two years since he came to Konya. He suddenly got sick in the winter of 1231. In the third day of his illness (Rebiu’l-Ahir 18, 628/ January 12, 1231) in the morning he closed his eyes to this mortal world. The next day a big funeral was held for him. Starting with Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad, all commanders, scholars and sheiks were present in his funeral. Sultanu’l-Ulema who took a place in the hearts of the people of Konya in the past two years, was now proceeding towards his final destination on their shoulders and above their heads. Everybody was crying. People of sensitive hearts were very sad about a great saint’s leaving them. They were the orphans of a spiritual father.

Rumi who had lost his father was feeling a big emptiness inside. That is because he had lost not only a father. But he had lost a sheik, a spiritual guide, a friend of heart, an example of knowledge and virtue, a perfect man. As much as he was being recognized as sheik, the head of the order, and a great scholar at his young age and many people were gathering around him after Sultanu’l-Ulema’s migration to the universe of eternity, he couldn’t consider himself as duly replacing his father and was feeling his spiritual loneliness. One year passed in this manner. One year after Sultanu’l-Ulema’s passing away, Seyyid Burhaneddin Muhakkik Tirmizi, one of his deputies, upon hearing that his sheik was settled in Konya came to Konya to see him. But he saw that his sheik whom he loved very much had passed away and his son Jalaluddin was in his place. Who was this Seyyid Burhaneddin that came to Konya? When Bahaeddin Veled, the king of the scholars was in Belh, Seyyid Burhaneddin was there, too. And he was one of Sultanu’l-Ulema’s disciples. When Jalaluddin Muhammed was a child he had taken the responsibility for raising him. Rumi was very glad that Seyyid Burhaneddin came to Konya. He kissed the hand of his old teacher and father’s friend. They remembered the good old days that passed in Belh. They had great spiritual joys. It became clear to Seyyid why he had come to Konya. While he had been the tutor of his dearly beloved sheik’s son, now he was going to be his spiritual guide.

Sultan Veled, after explaining the coming of Seyyid to Konya and his meeting with Rumi, writes that he said the following to his former student: "You have no equal in knowledge. You are a superior and outstanding individual. But your father possessed spiritual states. You leave the talking, too, and worry about acquiring spiritual states. Work hard in this for this purpose so that you may be his heir not only in knowledge but also in his spiritual side. You enlighten the universe like the sun and show the true path to those who remain in the dark and stray from the Muhammedan path."

Rumi accepted these words that came straight from heart as if they were his father’s words. He submitted to Seyyid Burhaneddin because he was saying: "I want you to receive the truth from me that I received from your father who was my sheik. Without wasting any time you need to set out on the path of dervishes. The knowledge of "ledun", the knowledge of knowing and finding God is the knowledge of the prophets and saints. Now it is time for you to advance in this knowledge."

From that day on Rumi became a disciple of Seyyid Burhaneddin and he started to regularly recite the prayers and praises of the Kubreviyye order taught to him by his sheik. First, Seyyid locked him to a room for forty days and had Rumi perform halvet (reclusion).

Rumi was released from spiritual loneliness when he found his father’s friend Seyyid Burhaneddin and was enthusiastically and ardently reciting prayers and beads given to him by his sheik. Although Rumi had learned a lot of things from his father and teacher Sultanu’l-Ulema Seyyid Burhaneddin advised him to go to Haleb and Damascus to enhance his knowledge of the religion and the Law and following this order of his sheik Rumi went to Haleb with a few dervish friends of his. When he sent his student and disciple to Halep to deepen his knowledge, Seyyid didn’t stay in Konya. He went to Kayseri. This was temporary. When his dear disciple would come back he, too, would return to Konya. In Haleb, Rumi studied in Halaviyye University, the most famous of that time, for two years. He learned the Law from Kemaleddin, the most famous scholar of the region. This famous scholar had met with Rumi’s father. Therefore, he took great care of the son Sultanu’l-Ulema whom he knew and loved very much. He attended to him intensively. He was amazed by Rumi’s talent and intelligence and he was helping him to advance his knowledge in every area.

Rumi went from Haleb to Damascus. Damascus was full of scholars and Sufis running from the Mogul invasion. When Rumi was in Damascus he deepened his knowledge even further. Now it was time for him to return to Konya. It wouldn’t be correct to restrict Rumi’s life of education to the two years he stayed in Haleb and four years in Damascus because the historical events show that Rumi has deepened his already broad knowledge in Haleb and Damascus. In fact, his education started in Belh because Belh was a city full of scholars and Sufis. Although from the disputes about his year of birth one might consider him to be very young at those days, the fact that he was at an age where he could understand the book presented to him by Attar shows that he hadn’t come from Belh without any education. His real teacher was his father. And he was always with him. What a great gift and a divine grace is for Rumi to be with a father who is Sultanu’l-Ulema, to benefit from his lectures, ideas, suggestions and advices, to be raised by his manners.

When Rumi came back to Anatolia he first went to Kayseri and visited his sheik Seyyid Burhaneddin. From there they went back to Konya together.

Sheik was very pleased with this situation. He had found Rumi very changed. Rumi’s knowledge, maturity, attachment to the Law were clearly remarkable. He had done his duty of sheik-dom, duty of fatherhood, and he had guided his sheik son to perfection on the path of knowledge and faith. Now he was attending to him personally, he was trying to advance him to an even more perfect state by his suggestions and views.

We know that after his return from Damascus, Rumi took his sheik to Konya. According to Sipehsalar, although Seyyid Burhaneddin asked Rumi’s permission to go back to Kayseri, Rumi didn’t want to be separated from his sheik. Contrary to Rumi’s request Seyyid Burhaneddin attempted to go to Kayseri but on the way his horse’s foot slipped. Seyyid Burhaneddin fell from the horse and injured his foot. He returned to Konya and asked Rumi why he was tying his way and did not let him to go to Kayseri. To this question Rumi replied with the question: "O my sheik, why do you want to leave us?" Seyyid Burhaneddin replied to this question: "In Konya a strong lion appeared. I am a lion, too. Two lions cannot be in the same city. We cannot get along with each other anymore. Therefore, I would like to go." Upon hearing this, Rumi kissed the hands of his sheik and with a few of his disciples sent him to Kayseri.

One year had not passed since Seyyid Burhaneddin came to Kayseri. That holy man was feeling that he was living the last days of his life. One day he asked his servant to prepare hot water. When the water was ready he took a gusul (body ablution). He said to his servant: "Go close the door tight and to those whom you see outside call out: ‘The poor Seyyid migrated from this world.’" And retiring to a corner of his room he said his last prayers: "O my great Allah, o Friend, accept me and take my life. Take me from me. Take me from the two worlds. I want you. Take from me everything which is not with you."

The servant ran to Sahib Shemseddin and gave him the news. The news of Seyyid’s passing away was soon heard in Kayseri and a big crowd gathered in front of his little room. While preparing the funeral, Sahib Shemseddin let Rumi know about this. The funeral was performed with prayer and takbirs (Allahu Akbar calls). When Rumi received the news of his sheiks passing away he became very sad and immediately went to Kayseri. When he reached there he directly went to Seyyid’s tomb and prayed there for hours.

Sahib Shemseddin submitted his sheiks books to Rumi. Rumi returned to Konya with his sheiks books, saddened and his heart broken. Among these books there was also Seyyid Burhaneddin’s famous book Makalat. Seyyid Burhaneddin Tirmizi passed away in 1241.

After Burhaneddin Tirmizi’s passing away Rumi started lecturing in the university in Konya and raising students. He had taken his first lessons from his father, the king of scholars. Then in Haleb and Damascus, for years, he benefited from the most famous scholars of his time and was present in the lectures of the greats Sufis. Especially, he completed his spiritual journey under the upbringing of his fathers deputy Burhaneddin-i Tirmizi, reached a highest level in Sufism just as he reach in scholastic knowledge, became a sheik, a spiritual guide and was charged with the duty of showing the path to the public by his sheik.

On one hand Rumi was lecturing in the university, holding conversations with those seeking the truth, answering their questions, and on the other hand, he was guiding the lovers of God and warning them. This way Rumi became the sultan of scholars in the religious sciences and other sciences, like his father, and he also became the sultan of gnostics in the area of Sufism.

The public was admiring Rumi very much. In the view of the sultan, notables and the common folk, he was known as a most elevated Moslem, an "insan-i kamil" due to his devotion to worship, dedication to fasting and praying, virtues, humanity, graciousness, modesty in spite of his high knowledge, abstainance from the world, his being on the Muhammedan path just like his father, and his crystal clear life.

It was right around this time that an event occurred that was going to cause a big change in Rumi’s life. Shemseddin of Tebriz came to Konya. This poor person that came, Shems of Tebriz, enraptured Rumi, a great scholar busy with his lectures, a cautious great Sufi and spiritual guide. He made him into an ardent lover of God.

The accounts of his meeting with Rumi are numerous. However, Sipehsalar (translated by Midhat Bahari, p.168) narrates the meeting of Rumi and Shems like this: Shemseddin-i Tebrizi arrived in Konya at night. He went to the Pirincciler inn. There was decorated sofa in front of the inn’s gate. Usually important people would sit on that sofa. Shems sat on that sofa in the morning. It became clear to Rumi that Shems arrived through the holy light of sainthood. Coming out of their home of happiness he went to that direction. On the way people were trying to come closer to him and to kiss his hand. Rumi was carress their heads in return and making their hearts happy. At that moment Rumi’s glance suddenly coincided with Shems. He understood that the holy person foretold to him in his dream was this person. He didn’t say anything.

Mevlana Hudavendigar came and sat on the other sofa facing Shems. For a while they kept quite. Then they started talking:

Shems:

- Is Muhammed (pbuh) greater, or Bayezid?

Rumi:

- What kind of a question is this? Of course, Muhammed is greater.

Shems:

- Yes, but Muhammed says: "Sometimes my heart gets veiled. Therefore, seventy times I seek refuge to my Lord and ask for forgiveness." while Bayezid says: "I dissociate myself from all imperfect attributes. What great an event is my creation and appearance." and "there exists nothing with the robe I wear other than God." and he sees himself superior. What do you think in this matter? What do you say?

Rumi:

-Muhammed was advancing seventy levels everyday. And every time advanced to a higher level he was ashamed of his state in the lower level and was asking for forgiveness. On the other hand, Bayezid was amazed by the greatness of the first level he reached. He lost himself and said these words.

After this conversation, Rumi and Shems both left the sofas they were sitting on and shook each others hands and hugged each other. Then in the Jalaluddin Zerkubi’s small room, they had conversations for six months. (translation of Sipehsalar, p. 171) In Ibtidaname, Sultan Veled expresses their closeness and admiration: "When Rumi saw Shems’ face, the secrets opened up for him. He saw unseen things. He heard things that he never heard from anyone. It was almost as if Rumi shadow disappeared in Shems’ holy light."

In this closeness, in this true friendship, in this divine love, one cannot claim superiority or emphasize a difference by saying who became whose spiritual guide, or who became whose disciple. This couplet of Emir Husrev Dehlevi describes the situation of the two lovers of God:

"I became you and you became I. I became the flesh and you became the soul. After this nobody can claim I am separate and you are separate."

The fact that these two great saints met, loved each other as true friends of God and were continuously spending time together was not being received well by those around them. Rumi’s students, disciples, noteable imams and religious men, even members of his own family were hating Shems because they couldn’t see and sense the truth, love and power of faith in Shems who had such an influence on Rumi.

Rumi’s wife Kira Hatun was relating that before Shems came Rumi was reading his father Bahaeddin Veled’s book Maarif under a tall candle till the dusk. Now, however, Shems was not only keeping him from reading his father’s book but also he was not permitting him to read the Collected Poems of Mutenebbi that Rumi loved very much or any other book.

That was because importance was giving to the knowledge of heart, Divine Inspiration and Divine Attraction but not to the knowledge that was going to be forgotten, that was going to be a burden to the human being and that was going to add ego to one’s ego. The knowledge of heart is not learnt from the books. He was convinced that even if a man lives six thousand years, even if he had six times the Noah’s life time, what is obtained by struggling for thousands of years would not equal Divine Inspiration gained through being together with God for one moment. (Makalat, the copy at Fatih Library, p. 141) So he was taking conversation and God’s Attraction as a fundamental. He was saying that the knowledge was not an end in itself but rather letting us know of our inadequacy in relazing the truth and understanding God. Therefore, by separating Rumi from the things he loved very much Shems was trying to bring Rumi even closer to God to whom Rumi was already close.

He was prohibiting Rumi from reflecting on the books who was most of the time reading books in the meeting hall of the university.

He was letting not everybody to see him. Sitting at the gate of the university, to those who came to see Rumi he was asking: "What did you bring as a gift of plead and gratefulness? Show me that and I shall show you Rumi. "When one day someone got angry with this strange man and said: "What did you bring so that we also need to bring something?" Shems replied: "I brought myself, I sacrificed my head for his sake."

In Ibtidaname, Sultan Veled describes how close Shems was to Rumi and how much he influenced him as follows: "When the public saw this attachment, this loyalty, this rapture and this love, they were envious and started criticizing. Sheiks and other important people openly started rumours saying: "What kind of a man is this that he changed Rumi so much? While none of us see a goodness in Shems why is Rumi viewing him as a superior man and honouring him? He neither has any spiritual state, nor knowledge. Is it possible that we might call him man of Divine Glance and conclude that the eye of his heart is open?"

When Shems saw that things are getting out of control and all people are turning against him he suddenly vanished one day. Shems left Konya February 15, 1246. He stayed in Konya for 15 months and 20 days.

In Ibtidaname, Sultan Veled writes that Rumi was very sad about Shems’ departure and wouldn’t even look into faces of those who caused him to leave. He also tells that these people regretted what they have done and Rumi forgave them.

When Shems wrote a letter to Rumi from Damascus Rumi, too, wrote him letters. After receiving Shems’ letter Rumi called Sultan Veled. He gave him some money and said: "You go as a messenger. Spread this money under his feet. Request for my sake. Tell him that those who mistreated him are regretful. Let him do us a favour and come." Sultan Veled eagerly accepted this duty. He, too, was loving Shems very much like his father. He, too, had seen the greatness of Shems and understood his truth. When describing his travel to Damascus Sultan Veled tells: "Without getting tired I was running, I was crossing the mountains without even regarding them as a piece of hay. The thorns of the way were looking to me as roses."

Eflaki writes that Sultan Veled was going with twenty people. They found Shems in Damascus. Sultan Veled did as he was told. He spread the money to Shems’ feet. When Shems saw the money he smiled. He replied: "Why is Rumi of Muhammedan character keep us busy with money? His request is more than enough." and accepted to return to Konya.

When the caravan from Damascus approached Konya Sultan Veled sent a bearer of good news to his father. When Rumi received the good news he came out of the city to welcome them with dervishes, important officials and Rumi’s employees. On May 8, 1247 Shems honoured Konya once more. When Shems saw Rumi he got off his horse and they hugged each other. Two seas of meaning reunited.

When Shems came back to Konya his adversaries first were regretful of what they did. Like Rumi, Shems, too, forgave them all because both Rumi and Shems were of Muhammedan character. It is well known that our Prophet forgave those who stoned him in Taif and even made his feet bleed. Rumi had already forgiven those who worked against Shems and spread rumours about him before Shems came. Shems followed the same path. He was lenient with those who mistreated him and forgave their misdeeds. Whirling ceremonies started being arranged. Both Rumi and Shems were being invited to somewhere. But these days that passed in joy and enthusiasm with whirling ceremonies did not last long. Grudge and hate surfaced once more. Rumours against Shems started again. Lies and instigations soon followed and got out of control. This time the instigation was more intense. In Sultan Veled’s account Shems who couldn’t stand insults and threats said: "This time when I leave, I will leave in such a way that nobody will find my trace. I will vanish such that time will pass and even the dust of my trace will not be found. They will say: "Definitely an enemy of his must have killed him.".

He made him regret his return to Konya. In his Makalat he complains: "I endured such difficulties. This last journey made me so tired that I can hardly recover in two years. I made myself on the way. I suffered such adversities that I don’t care about Konya even if they filled it with gold. These adversities are not worth it. But Rumi’s love overcame all these and I had the determination to endure all this." (Makalat, p.26) However, Shems left Damascus with Sultan Veled and his friend with such hopes and so great longing and crossed mountains and rivers. Now these immature people who envied him, his devotion to Rumi and Rumi’s respect and closeness to him were continuously harassing him. Meanwhile, with Rumi’s blessings, Shems had married Rumi’s foster daughter Kimya. Kimya was a very beautiful girl. Shems who was sixty years old was loving this young and beautiful Kimya very much and was jealous of her. It was winter. The newly weds were given a room with a fire place at the university. Rumi’s second son Alaeddin Chelebi, always went through this room that was assigned for Shems and Kimya when he came to see his father. One day Shems couldn’t help himself and said: "O Alaeddin Chelebi! Light of my eye! You have decorated yourself with good behaviour inside and out. However, after this you need to honour this room with respect and good manners." (Sipehsalar Translation, p. 178) These words offended Alaeddin Chelebi. And he was upset with Shems. In fact, Shems loved and complimented Sultan Veled. Therefore, Alaeddin Chelebi had a sense of inferiority. Alaeddin Chelebi told this encounter with Shems to those who envied Shems. This way instigation was added to instigation. Konya started shaking in hate, grudge and rumours. The adversaries of Shems were saying: "How surprising is it for a stranger to come to one’s house and to want to remove the light of the house owner’s eye (his son)."

Since Shems was a very good person he was burying the attacks and gossips of bad intentioned who envied him and would not let Rumi know. Shems’ wife Kimya whom he loved very much died shortly after their wedding. No matter how great a person Shems was he, too, was human after all. The death of his wife on one hand and the gossips on the other had worn him out. He had no power to stand against the insults and threats. His attachment to Rumi and the truth he sees in him was keeping him alive. His caution to Sultan Veled on a few occasion that "This time when I leave, I will leave in such a way that nobody will find my trace. I will vanish such that time will pass and even the dust of my trace will not be found. They will say: ‘Definitely an enemy of his must have killed him." was realized. On a Thursday of December 1246 Shems disappeared.

Sultan Veled describes Rumi’s state after Shems as follows: "After his departure, sheik almost lost his mind. Sheik who was issuing religious rulings has become an ardent poem with love. He was ascetic and became bar tender. But not a bar tender that drinks and sells the wine made of grapes, the spirit that belongs to the holy light does not drink anything but wine of light." (Ibtidaname, p. 53)

Rumi was whirling day and night and his crying was heard young and old by all. Whatever gold and silver he received he would give them to the musicians and he would give everything to charity.

To those who claim to have seen Shems he would bestow his garment if he didn’t have money. As Sultan Veled writes in his Maarif: "Someone told Rumi that he saw Shemseddin. Rumi gave him the garment he was wearing. They asked Rumi: "This man is lying. The news he gave has no substance. Why did you give your garment to him?’ Rumi said: ‘Whatever I gave him was indeed because he was lying. If he told the truth I would have given my life.’" (Maarif, manuscript at the Istanbul University, p. 38B)

In Ibtidaname, Sultan Veled writes that Rumi went to Damascus to look for Shems, and in Damascus a lot of people became his disciples, that the people of Damascus hadn’t seen such a love since Adam, that they admired Shems thinking that he must be a great saint since such a unique person as Rumi was looking for him, and goes on to say: "Rumi couldn’t find Shems in Damascus, but he saw that Shems’ truth and secret rose like the moon in his existence and said: ‘In term of bodies we are far away from each other, but beyond soul and body we are one light. See him or see me, o seeker, I am he and he is me.’"

In Ibtidaname, Sultan Veled writes about the oneness of Rumi and Shems in spirit: "Shems of Tebriz and my father - may Allah bless the secrets of both - were amongst the elite of the most beloved slaves of Allah. They were one person, one holy light. Separate in appearance but one in truth."

As Sultan Veled writes in Ibtidaname, after a few years, Rumi went to Damascus for a second time with his disciples. He stayed there for months.

The date of Rumi’s first as well as second Damascus trips are not exactly known. But Sultan Veled says that his father did his first trip to Damascus a few days after Shems’ disappearance and fails to report how long he stayed in Damascus in his first trip. His second trip was made a few years later.

Rumi gave up hope after he failed to find Shems in spite of all his searches. He also had heard the rumours about his murder. Now he was also aware that his son Alaeddin Chelebi was involved in this. He was finding consolation in expressing his feeling with poems full of love and longing.

Now Rumi gave up hope of finding Shems alive and stopped looking for him. He understood that he wouldn’t be able to find Shems neither in Damascus nor elsewhere, and as Sultan Veled put it, he found him in his heart. He had found him but his eyes were still looking for a friend of heart like Shems. Although his family, sons, friends, students and disciples surrounded Rumi he was feeling this emptiness feeling inside and he was feeling alone.

Surely the greatest friend of human beings is Allah. Doesn’t He say: "Wherever you are I am with you."(57/4) ? Rumi expresses this truth in one of his poems as follows:

"There is someone hidden here. Don’t think that You are alone."

But Rumi was in need of a friend of God, a mirror of spirit and a horizon of spirit like Shems who would share this feeling and let him sense what was in him.

Later on, Rumi would enchant of this issue of mirror of spirit in the passage starting with the verse 96 of the second volume of Mesnevi as follows:

"The mirror of spirit is none but the face of the Beloved. That face of the Beloved that it is from another world. It is from the world of truth. It is blessed with the manifestation of God.

When your eye became an eye to my heart, the heart that doesn’t see the truth starts to see the truth and effaces itself in it.

I saw you as an eternal and universal mirror. I observed my figure and my true appearance in your eye.

Finally I told to myself: ‘I set off on a luminous path in his two eyes and discovered the truth.’

My figure, my reflection, cried out from your eye: ‘I became you and you became I. There is unity between us. There is no separation.’"

After Shems, Rumi’s friend of heart, mirror of spirit became Selahaddin of Konya. Rumi escaped spiritual loneliness with this companion and friend of heart. He found peace and tranquillity.

Just like Rumi was very much devoted to this friend of God, mirror of heart himself and put him in Shems’ place, his true disciples and sons, too, put him in a spiritual father’s place and they were following him in the path of knowing God. As Sipehsalar (p.186) writes, during a discourse, when Rumi pronounced the word "khom", that means jug in Persian, as "khonb" one of people present wanted to correct Rumi. Rumi said: "Yes, I know that the correct form of this word is ‘khom’. But since Selahaddin always pronounces this word as "khonb" I, too, pronounce it like that." made this pedant person shut up.

Selahaddin, the goldsmith, whom Rumi loved so much while being an illiterate person who never went to school was also a great gnostic and a great saint. In fact, any person whom a great lover of God like Rumi loves and makes his companion is definitely a great saint and a perfect human being. Every friend to whom he gives a place in his heart is also holy and perfect. To think of them otherwise and seek their mistakes is blindness and injustice. Unfortunately, the people of Konya didn’t understand these friends of God. While Sheik Selahaddin was illiterate he had taken blessings from Burhaneddin-i Tirmizi. He was also loved by Shems-i Tebrizi. Sometimes one can see people to whom Allah grants the knowledge of beyond without them having to read stacks of books or study in schools for years. Sometimes knowledge, books, gnosis, talents can give one arrogance and selfishness and tie one’s road.

This Selahaddin the goldsmith who never studied in a school but enjoyed the company of gnostics was blessed with Allah’s grace and from his humble shop a spiritual treasure appeared to Rumi and from his heart that was not kneaded with scholastic knowledge sprung the source of the knowledge of beyond. With Allah’s help he became the sheik of sheiks because when talking of Selahaddin in one of his letters, Rumi writes: "Selahaddin, sheik of sheiks, sultan of sheiks, saint of Allah on earth, Allah light amongst human beings, Seyyid Burhaneddin’s sons of spirit and heart, the only deputy of Seyyid, the spirit of gnostics, blessed with the holy light of Allah, possessor of heart and people of heart, pole of the two worlds, safety of truth and religion."

Sultan Veled describes his caution and talent in guidance as follows: "Rumi’s ardentness calmed down with him. His guidance was of a different kind. His effect was more than anybody’s. What was attained from saints in years was attained from him at a moment, at a breath. He would say secrets without tongue or lips. One would benefit of him without ears hearing a word or a sound as if he was talking to one’s heart. His words would travel from heart to heart silently."

When those who couldn’t understand the spiritual greatness and state of Selahaddin-i Zerkubi saw the love and respect Rumi showed to the goldsmith at every occasion they were ashamed of the gossip they were doing and regretted their envy. Furthermore, since these adversaries weren’t attending the gatherings they were already in despair. Finally they couldn’t bear this load anymore and they again reached a unanimous decision. Together they went to Sheik Selahaddin and Rumi, they expressed their sorrow and regrets, they cried, pleaded, repented and they were then forgiven. From that point onwards the gossips stopped and unrest ended. Now whirling ceremonies were arranged and time was spent in love and joy. Around this time Rumi had Sultan Veled marry Selahaddin’s daughter Fatima Hatun. At the wedding day Rumi was very happy.

Sultan Veled writes that his father and Sheik Selahaddin lived in joy and happiness for ten years, the people of Konya benefited from both of them and after ten years Sheik Selahaddin got ill and passed away. Sheik Selahaddin passed away on the 29. day of December, 1258.

Rumi was very much saddened by the physical death of his dear friend. He said farewell to his funeral with all the notables of Konya. With an elegy Rumi expressed his pain of separation:

"O Beloved with whose separation the heavens and the earth are crying, my heart is soaked in blood with your departure, the mind and the spirit are crying. There is nobody who could take your place. It is for this reason that this world is crying as well as the other world to mourning for you. The wings of Gabriel and other angels are blue and all prophets and saints are shedding tears for your passing away. In this mourning I came to a point where I can’t utter any more words. Otherwise I would have shown the world how do I should cry. I would set an example in crying and wailing.

When you left the house of this world the roof of the happiness collapsed. Even happiness started to cry for those tested with separation and death. O great being, in reality you were hundreds of universes appearing as one person. Last night I saw that this universe and the other universe were crying for you.

When you felt out of sight of the eye, the eye followed you and went after you. This way spirit became without eye and started spilling blood.

If you wanted me to cry I would pour tears like rain. But it is better for my heart to cry secretly spilling blood. One should not cry for you but one should shed tears full of sack with your separation, melt with blood at every moment, wail at every breath. What a pity, what a pity that these eyes are crying for those eyes that were seeing everything clearly with holy light and faith.

O Shah Selahaddin! O fast flying bird of happiness! You left just as the arrow leaves the bow. Now the bow, too, is crying for you.

Nobody can cry enough for a superior personality as Selahaddin. Only one who knows how to cry for human beings knows what that crying is. How would everybody know that crying?" (Divan-i Kebir, 2364)

My dear readers, please pay attention to these feelings full of deep meaning, to this pain and this subtleness coming from a holy heart filled with love and faith. Can you feel the burning in this sincere wail coming from seven centuries beyond our time? In this elegy, under each word, it is possible to find Rumi’s tears and hear his laments. When Selahaddin felt that the time of his passing away neared, as his last request, he said: "Don’t ever cry for me. That day is my happiest day. Because today I am being reunited with my Beloved. Carry my coffin in a joyful manner by playing drums, tambourines, clapping your hands. Take me to my grave by whirling." (Ibtidaname, p. 108) Therefore, Rumi says in the above elegy: "If you wanted me to cry I would pour tears like rain. But it is better for my heart to cry secretly by spilling blood." He says that and he doesn’t cry openly, but for his dear friend he makes the heavens cry, he makes the earth cry, he makes the worlds cry, he makes angels, prophets and saint cry.

Rumi carried out the testimonial of his friend of heart and companion completely. The funeral processions of Sheik Selahaddin was performed by playing drums and tramboulines and singing hymns with beautiful voices. When the coffin was being carried with great joy Rumi was whirling with his head uncovered. Sheik Selahaddin was buried next to Sultanu’l-Ulema. It was the first day of month Muharrem of the hijri year 657. This date corresponds to 1258 AD.

Before ending this section I would like to add this: In his nature, Sheik Selahaddin was a patient and quiet person who appreciated to keep quiet rather than to talk. Therefore, Rumi found a certain amount of peace in his spiritual friendship with him. The ebullition in Rumi’s spirit that was caused by the ardent and fiery conversations filled with love and faith that Rumi had with Shems of Tebriz calmed down. The fire place of love that was burning with divine love did not go out but was covered with ashes. The wound caused by Shems’ separation formed skin. This was a transient state and a temporary calm because Rumi was not person to stay in a place or remain in a state for too long in his nature. He was in need of always advancing, always ascending, always burning and always being burned in the love of God. In fact, he separated neither from father, nor from Seyyid Burhaneddin nor Selahaddin. For a limited time he was burnt with their love and took from them what he was to take and then finding them in him, his blessed heart, he continued his journey with them. All of these great personalities remained as a stage of education, training, manners, morals, love and faith in Rumi’s life. It was as if God has created all these distinguished people for Rumi to grow spiritually because if Rumi hadn’t honoured the world these famous people wouldn’t have been so famous.

In fact, Rumi kept on progressing on the path of God, the path of truth, with the beloved that he put in his heart as a slave of Quran and a lover of Muhammed Muhtar (pbuh) and he didn’t remain at any place. His ultimate purpose was not mortal friends. His aim was to be with true friends who realized God to attain the True Friend, Friend of Friends. This great saint whose heart was filled with the love of friend, love of humanity and love of God has been a torch of faith, a torch of love not only for the faithful in his day but to all believers and people who love God in the many many centuries to come.

After Selahaddin, the Goldsmith, passed away Chelebi Husameddin became the companion and deputy to Rumi. The family of Chelebi Husameddin who is described by Sipehsalar as the place where divine light is manifested, teacher of secrets of truth and knowing God, a personality of which saints on the Muhammedan path are proud, were originally from Urumiye and migrated and settled in Konya. Chelebi Husameddin was born in Konya in 1225. One should think that Husameddin was related to Rumi since Rumi’s descendants are also called Chelebi. Here "Chelebi" connotes a polite and sophisticated person and it is a title used in public for generally loved and respected people.

Other than "Chelebi", Husameddin also has the nickname "Ahi Turkoglu". Chelebi Husameddin’s real name is Husameddin Hasan. His father’s name is Muhammed and his grandfather’s name is Hasan.

As much as this very generous lover of God who sacrificied his everything for Rumi was attached to Rumi, Rumi was attached to him. If Chelebi Husameddin was not present it was not possible for Rumi to be joyful in that assembly. As Eflaki writes in his book Menakibi’l-Arifin (p. 105) one day Muineddin Pervane arranged a big whirling ceremony in his palace. Rumi, great sheiks and distinguished scholars were invited. Rumi was quiet in that gathering because Chelebi Husameddin was not present in that congregation. When they realized this, with Rumi’s permission, they invited Husameddin who was in the house in his fruit gardens. When Chelebi came he stood up and greeted him saying: "Welcome, o my spirit and faith, welcome, o my light and my master, welcome, o the beloved of Allah and Prophet."

The most beautiful keepsake of Rumi’s days of friendship with Chelebi Husameddin is without a doubt the Honourable Mesnevi. If Husameddin Chelebi hadn’t been there the great and peerless book of Islamic Sufism wouldn’t have been written. The Islamic world would be without the most read masterpiece after Quran and Prophetic Traditions. People couldn’t receive spiritual joy and abundant blessings from this divine wonder, which is translated to many languages. The only reason for such a great divine blessing to rise from Rumi and for the Spiritual Mesnevi to be presented to the lover’s of God is Chelebi Husameddin.

It is narrated that Chelebi Husameddin was seeing that Rumi’s devotees and lovers of God were reading Hadika of Hakeem Senai (525/1131) and Manitku’t-Tayr of Feriduddin-i Attar (627/1230) and his heart was not content with that. He was sorry thinking that Rumi was saying many beautiful odes and his divan (collected poems) was growing every day with new odes but books like those of Senai and Attar which were explaining the paths, truth, and intricacies of Sufism hadn’t been formed yet.

One night Husameddin found Rumi alone. Mentioning to him about the high number of his odes, he asked him to tell also Sufi tales to guide dervishes like Senai’s and Attar’s books. Rumi wanted to let the seekers know the truth by such tales that evryboby could understand and he had reached a decision in this matter. Upon these words of Chelebi he immediately took out a piece of paper from his turban. On this piece of paper, the first eighteen couplets of Mesnevi were written. "Chelebi", he said, "if you write it down, I will dictate it." Chelebi Husameddin agreed to this joyful decision enthusiastically. So the Honourable Mesnevi started to be written. When did the writing of Mesnevi started? We do not know that for sure. Rumi continued to write Mesnevi till the end of his life.

After the decision about the writing of Mesnevi was reached the days and nights were now spent by writing Mesnevi. Especially at night when everybody went to sleep, in the silence of the night, Rumi would dictating without taking paper and pen to his hand. And Chelebi Husameddin was quickly writing it down. Around the time the first volume was finished Chelebi Husameddin’s wife passed away. Therefore, the second volume could not start immediately. After two years the second volume was started and it continued like that.

The writing of Mesnevi was continuing till the morning at some night. Chelebi kept on writing in joy and enthusiasm without getting tired or bored. The spiritual joy and excitement Rumi felt during dictation would let him forget his tiredness. It was as if God created Chelebi Husameddin for the purpose of writing this holy book, he predestined him for this blessed duty. Rumi, too, was ready for this unique book to be produced, said and dictated. No Sufi other than Rumi would be able to produce such a vast and magnificient work because Rumi was educated by his father and his sheik Seyyid Burhaneddin, had a deep knowledge from the countless books he had read, a strong memory, a superior talent for association of ideas. He possessed a nature which tought a lot, found subtlenesses, which nobody would notice and expressed them in a very pleasant and sweet manner. His talent for observation, noticing things, his deep feeling of sorrow and sensitivity was at a not commonly seen level. Beyond all these feelings, properties and talents, he had a great faith and an infinite love. God had filled the heart of his dear saint with knowledge and his heart with love and gnosis.

Starting with our Prophet he used to love all saints and all human beings. He had a view with infinite lenience and tolerance, which saw no fault in human beings created by God. Furthermore, for Rumi to become Rumi, God had bestowed him with friends of God and mirrors of heart starting with Shems. In fact, when Rumi was a very ascetic Sufi Shems of Tebriz removed this dry asceticism from him and threw him in the realm of divine love and attraction. Selahaddin, the goldsmith, took him from the world of ebullition to tranquillity with his quiet nature and caution. Chelebi Husameddin helped Rumi to become a spiritual sun for all the lovers of God and for all humanity by spreading Rumi’s knowledge and gnosis who had calmed down, matured even more and attained perfection.

Chelebi Husameddin becoming Rumi’s companion and his deputy is five years after Selahaddin’s passing away. But Chelebi Husameddin was among the very close friends of Rumi even when Shems of Tebriz was there.

I couldn’t help but quote some compliments that Rumi said when he was dictating the Mesnevi to Chelebi Husameddin about his last friend of heart and the reason for the materialization of the Honourable Mesnevi.

In the second volume: "Husameddin, the light of God, once again changed the direction of his reins from the heights of the heavens and started Mesnevi again."

In the third volume: "O Husameddin, the light of God. Make this third volume come forth, because it is a Prophetic Tradition to do something three times."

"O Husameddin, your power leaks and comes from the power of God."

In the fourth volume: "O Husameddin, the light of God. You are such a man that Mesnevi was enlightened with your light."

"You are the reason of Mesnevi’s writing at first. If it increases and lengthens it is you who is increasing and lengthening it. Now that you will so it means Allah, too, wills so. Allah grants the wishes of the pious."

"O Husameddin, spread holy light in this the fourth volume because the sun rises in the fourth heaven and fill the universe with light."

In the fifth volume: "Shah Husameddin, Light of the stars, wants the fifth volume to be started."

"O light of God! The generous Husameddin, you are teacher to the teachers of those who rescue people from blurredness and take them to clarity. Had the people not been behind a curtain, were their hearts’ eye open, and their understanding not limited, I would have started to praise you spiritually and I would open my mouth to utter words other than these words.

It is not appropriate to praise you to those in prison. I shall praise you in the assembly of the spirituals (angels) and spread your praises there. It is unnecessary to tell of you to the people of the world. I am keeping you secret as the secret of divine love."

In the sixth volume Rumi compliments his friend of God who was the reason for the Mesnevi to be written by calling Mesnevi "Husam-name":

"O Husameddin, the life of hearts! Since long you have been wanting the sixth volume to be written. Husam-name is rotating with the attraction of a knowledgeable man like you."

"O spiritual man! I am dedicating this sixth and last volume of Mesnevi to you."

The above praises and the fact that Mesnevi was delayed for two years after the completion of the first volume because Chelebi could not write down Mesnevi due to passing away of his wife show us that if it hadn’t been for Husameddin Chelebi Mesnevi wouldn’t have been written.

I couldn’t dare to use expressions like "passed away" or "reunited with God" for Rumi who attained the secret of the Prophetic Tradition: "Die before you die." and effaced his self in God while he was still alive and I made the above sentence the heading for this section.

Our master, Sultanu’l-Ashiqeen (sultan of lovers), Hudavendigar’s sixty to seventy years of blessed, holy, honourable life had come and gone. The counted breaths determined for every mortal were about to be expired.

The honourable Mesnevi had finished and Rumi was tired. The sorrow of his childhood with his father Sultanu’l-Ulema, the years of migration in physical and spiritual difficulties, his years of education in Damascus and Haleb spent away from his family, losing his mother, father and his dearly beloved sheik Seyyid Burhaneddin had all an impact on him. Furthermore, losing his friends of heart, Shems and Selahaddin, the disrespect he has seen from his most closest son Alaeddin Chelebi, some people criticizing him, gossips that even reached his ears, continuous endeavours, worship, asceticism had exhausted Rumi. He was spending his last moments with constant reflection. This great saint was focusing in himself and he was finding the eternal tranquillity and inner peace he searched for in himself.

One day Rumi’s wife said: "It is necessary for Hudavendigar to fill this world with truth and meaning that a precious life of three to four hundred years be given to him." Upon hearing this Rumi replied to his wife: "Why, why, we are neither Pharaoh nor Nimrod. What do we have to do in this world of soil? How can we have peace and stability in this mortal world, the world of soil? We are put in the prison of the world for a few prisoners to be released. It is hoped that we shall soon go back to the presence of Allah’s dear friend, our Prophet."

"I remained in this prison of the world for benefiting others. But where is prison? Where am I? How property did I steal that they put me in prison?"

Finally his tired body fell into the paws of his last illness. Fever never left Rumi. From his dear friends, doctors Ekmeleddin and Gazanferi were by his bedside all the time. Yet they could never figure out what his illness was. His holy body was burning with fever. He used to put his hand in the cup filled with water next to his bed and put some water on his forehead.

At the time when he was in his sick bed earthquakes happened for seven days and nights. The walls of many houses and gardens collapsed. There was a chaos in the world. After the seventh earthquake the public ran to Rumi. They asked him to pray. Rumi smiled and said: "Don’t be afraid, the poor soil is hungry. It wants a fat bite. It is necessary to give it to it." And he started saying his last will to those present: "I advice you to fear Allah in open and secret. I advice you to eat little, sleep little, abstain from sins, continue fasting and praying, refrain from lust, to endure and be patient against all discomfort and mistreatment coming from others, avoid being with ignorant people and those who are preoccupied with satisfying their desires, to be in the company of generous and good people. Because the best of people is one who benefits people. The best of saying is the one that is little but to the point."

On Saturday, 16th of December, 1273, Rumi was a little bit better. He spoke to those who came to visit his till the evening. But his every word was like a will. Then the night came and Konya was submerged into the darkness of the night. With Rumi were his friend of heart Chelebi Husameddin, his son Sultan Veled and doctors. In those days Sultan Veled was weak because of eating and sleeping very little. That night he was also very tired and exhausted. Shortly before morning Rumi looked into the teary eyes of his son and quietly said: "Bahaeddin, I am fine, you go and sleep a little bit." Sultan Veled could not endure it. Barely holding back his tears he stood up.

Rumi was in his death bed. He was to complete the first breath he has taken when he was honouring this mortal world in Belh years ago with the breath he was going to give in Konya. The counted breaths passed with blessings, love and faith were about to be exhausted. He still was fully conscious and had a good memory. Even when he was about to return the Divine Entrustment to Allah whom he loved very much and by whom he was loved very much, he was saying very meaningful and emotional couplets with rhyme and meter.

Rumi’s situation worsened. All important people would visit him day and night. Doctors Ekmeleddin and Gazanferi both were the best doctors of the time. They were giving medicines and treating Rumi. Both would hold his blessed pulse, leave the house, refer to medical books trying to make a diagnosis, again return to their holy presence, hold his blessed pulse and analyze. This time the pulse was beating differently. I asked them to see and understand the honourable state of Hazret-i Hudavendigar. They saw that the diagnosis was not possible and understood that the truth of the matter is something else. They understood that Rumi’s will is towards another world. Those busy with treatment and others present became very sad. They couldn’t help but cry. Everybody was anxious. The people of Konya had stopped their work and the people of the surrounding villages came down to Konya. On Sunday, December 17, 1273, when the sun was setting the sun of meanings Rumi also set to the holy world. This way Rumi closed his eyes to this mortal world in Konya, which he had honoured forty-four years ago.

That night his friends performed their final duties. On Monday Rumi’s coffin was taken from his home. All the people of Konya, young or old, were present at the funeral. Since Rumi was a tolerant, peace-loving, great saint who did good to everybody and wished well to everybody not only Moslems but also Jews and Christians were walking in his procession and shedding tears. Everybody was crying and swarming in front of the coffin as well as behind. The main street was completely full. In order to touch the coffin even once people were flowing from the byways. The officers could barely stop people with sticks and swords. The streets were so crowded that the coffin that left the house in the mourning reached the place of prayer only in the evening. When the coffin was put on the "musalla" stone, the announcer Muarrif called out to Sadreddin Konevi: "O king of sheiks! Please come forward, you shall lead the funeral prayer. That was Rumi’s will." Doctor Ekmeleddin couldn’t stop himself, he yelled out: "O Muarrif, follow good manners. The king of sheiks is but Rumi."

To lead the prayers, Sadreddin left the crowd and came in front of the coffin. As soon as he started the prayer saying "Allahu Akbar" he got excited and fainted in tears and fell on the ground. Kadi Sirajuddin came forward and led the prayer. According to Sipehsalar’s account (p. 156) when Sheik Sadreddin was asked why he fainted and fell, he responded by saying: "When I came in front of the coffin to lead the prayers, I saw that the angels fromed a line in front of the coffin. From the awe of the moment I lost my conscience."

After the prayers, the coffin was carried again above heads and buried to the place prepared in front of his father Sultanu’l-Ulema and Selahaddin-i Zerkubi’s graves. The sun was about to set. It was a sad evening in Konya.

Rumi’s material being had vanished in front of the eyes but his spiritual being was in heart and it was there to remain. In fact, since he, too, knew this truth very well he said:

"After passing away, don’t look for our grave on the face of the earth. Our grave is in the hearts of the gnostics."

Rumi’s blessed corpse was buried next to his father Sultanu’l-Ulema’s grave. But he was living as Sultanu’l-Arifeen (sultan of gnostics) and Sultanu’l-Ashiqeen (sultan of lovers of God) in every home, in every assembly, in everybody’s heart. Rumi had hidden from the eyes and settled in the hearts. Everybody, rich or poor, was arranging whirling ceremonies according to their budgets. One night, in the palace of vizier Muineddin Pervane, the sultan of poets and literary men Bedreddin Belhi started whirling. When he was whirling he felt Rumi so strongly in his heart that he couldn’t stop his tears. He crying, whirling and saying this quadruplet:

"O our soul, o our sultan! There remained no eye that doesn’t cry with your sorrow. There remained no collar that was not torn with your mourning. I swear by your luminous face that on the face of the earth there is no one went under the soil who was better you."

Konya mourned for forty days. For forty days there were visitors in Rumi’s grave. It is an amazing thing that even today there are people visiting Rumi even tough his grave has been converted to a museum and hence an entrance fee is charged. Not only Moslems but also people of all creeds visit Rumi every day.