Rumi, now a global figure, is known for his deep wisdom and call to love, peace, and solidarity. This interest is encouraging but risks spreading oversimplified and distorted views of his thought.
As my experience shows, many non-Persian speakers, when told about Rumi’s true character and messages, are surprised to find that this is completely missing from their image of Rumi or even contrasts with what they know.
This misunderstanding arises from incorrect translations, unreliable quotations, and shallow interpretations by non-experts. Hence, Rumi is often seen as merely a spiritual guru or an inspirational poet. In reality, however, he was a deep thinker, widely educated in philosophy, ethics, poetry, epistemology, theology, and psychology. His advice covered a wide range, from friendship, marriage, trust, loyalty, and ambition to self-development, worship, obedience to Islam’s prophet and God’s men, humility, and bravery.
Understanding Rumi’s true wisdom is only possible if his words are encountered in their original, accurate form and context- not through scattered pieces or overly simplified versions. It requires more than quotes; it needs knowledge of the Persian language and literature, Sufi terms, mystical philosophy and Rumi’s historical background, symbolic language and philosophical doctrines.
This website aims to build a solid bridge between Rumi’s original words and English-speaking audiences, offering a more accurate, human, and honest portrait of this great thinker and his message. The work shown here is built on three clear foundations.
– Direct engagement with reliable Persian editions of Rumi’s works
– Faithful, accurate, yet fluent and contemporary English translations
– Clear and insightful commentary grounded in a deep understanding of Rumi’s worldview, intellectual system, and historical context
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Please stay tuned…
