Full Description
Discover the richness of Rumi's spiritual tradition—through facing-page commentary that brings his writings to life for you.
"This book you are now holding is a selection of what I believe are the best of Rumi's accounts of the compassionate actions, sayings, and qualities of the Prophet, which include Rumi's own inspired comments and explanations. It is my hope that you will be surprised and uplifted by the profound wisdom that Jalaluddin Rumi conveys through these stories and sayings."
—from the Preface
This great Sufi poet and teacher can become a companion for your own spiritual journey.
The lyric and wisdom poetry of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi has been an inspiration throughout the Middle East and Asia for over seven hundred years. Recently, it has also become popular in Western countries through translations and interpretive poetic versions in English. But while popular renderings have created the appreciation of Rumi the mystic, there is little understanding today of the religious and spiritual traditions from which the great mystic came. Rumi and Islam—Selections from His Stories, Poems, and Discourses examines not the popularized Rumi of universal love but the Sufi disciple whose works express deep reverence for the Prophet Muhammad. Ibrahim Gamard focuses on Rumi's place within the Sufi tradition of Islam, as one of the greatest Muslim followers of the Prophet Muhammed, and on the Islamic foundations of his lover-Beloved mystical poetry. By probing verse by verse Rumi's spiritual teachings, Gamard provides insight into the mystical side of the Qur'an and Islam, a religion that holds a deep love of God at its core.
Now you can experience the profound and uplifting wisdom of Rumi even if you have no previous knowledge of Sufism or Islam. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents the most important of Rumi's writings, mainly from the Mathnawi, with insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that conveys how his teachings about the nature of love for God and God's love for us can increase our understanding of Islamic wisdom in the West.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Stories of the Prophet
1. Warfare
2. The Captives
3. Hilal
4. The Sick One
5. Bilal
6. The Water Carrier
7. The Greedy Pagan
8. The Blind One
9. The Arrival of the Caravan
10. The Groaning Pillar
11. 'Ayisha
12. Zayd
Sayings of the Prophet
13. Prayer and Guidance
14. Self-Denial and Ego-Death
15. Divine Sayings
Praises of the Prophet
16. Affirmations and Blessings
17. Praises and Virtues
18. Love and Closeness with God
19. The Seal of the Prophets
20. The Night Journey, the Cave, and the Pillar
21. Prayer and Pilgrimage
22. The Light of Muhammad and Intercession
23. Death and Resurrection
Notes
Glossary
Suggested Readings and Resources
Index of Passages in Rumi's Works
Acknowledgments
