Rumi and His Sufi Path of Love

Editors: Huseyin Bingul, Fatih Citlak

This publication presents Rumi in a collection of articles with contributions from social scienctists, academics, psychologists, artists, and philosophers from an unparalelled geographic range; it is now the opportune moment in this period of conflictual relations between different worldviews to communicate more of Rumi’s thought as it represents common ground for dialogue and mutual understanding.Whirling Dervishes Tour East Coast
The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi from Konya, Turkey, just completed a tour (Oct. 19-26) of six East Coast cities in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with more than 4,300 in total attendance. At the events, New Jersey-based publisher The Light sold 1,500 copies of its titles on the Sufi poet Rumi, including Rumi and His Sufi Path of Love (May). The 13th century poet, jurist and philosopher has been called “the bestselling poet in America”, with titles from many publishers remaining perennially popular.
by Lynn Garrett, Religion BookLine Publishers Weekly, 10/31/2007

Table of Content

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………..xi
Part I – Discovering Rumi Today……………………………………1
Rumi’s Path of Love and “Being Freed”
with the Sama / Mehmet Þeker …………………………………………………3
The East and West’s fascination with Rumi ………………………………..4
Rumi and the Sama ………………………………………………………………..7
The Sama and contemplation …………………………………………………..9
Jalaladdin Rumi / M. Fethullah Gülen………………………………………11
The Perception of Human in Rumi / Ramazan Altintas ………….19
The Memetic Counseling of Masnavi: The Artless Art of
Jalaladdin Rumi / Seema Arif …………………………………………………25
How do we see ourselves? ……………………………………………………..28
Unveiling…………………………………………………………………………….30
Rumi Resonates Through the Ages / Michaela M. Özelsel ………34
The door of hope………………………………………………………………….35
Part II – The Life of Rumi and Mevlevi Sufism………………….43
Mawlana Jalaladdin Muhammad Rumi / Adnan Karaismailoðlu..45
In search of a new land………………………………………………………….45
The sun sets…………………………………………………………………………48
Interview with Mevlevi Sheikh Þefik Can / Nuriye Akman …….52
Rumi and Sufism / Selahattin Hidayetoðlu……………………………….60
Purpose in Rumi’s Sufi path …………………………………………………..60
Love in Rumi’s Sufi path……………………………………………………….61
The adherence of Rumi to Islamic principles and Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh)…………………………………………………………….63
Rumi never digressed from the essentials of Islam ……………………..63
Rumi’s conscience of worship …………………………………………………64
Rumi, an admirer of the Qur’an and an adorer of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) …………………………………………………………….64
Rumi’s identity …………………………………………………………………….65
The center of Rumi’s circle of human perception……………………….65
The secret, light, conscience and peace behind his vast tolerance ….65
Sama and the Spiritual Signs Within / Sezai Küçük ……………….67
History of Mevlevi Sufism / Nuri Þimþekler ……………………………73
How did Mevlevi Sufism start?……………………………………………….74
The reconstruction of the Mevlevi Way…………………………………….76
A contemporary perspective……………………………………………………80
The Mevlevi Way and its purpose ……………………………………………80
The Mawlana Museum / Erdoðan Erol …………………………………..83
The Tilavat Room ………………………………………………………………..84
Huzur-i Pir (Tomb)………………………………………………………………85
Samahana ……………………………………………………………………………87
Masjid (Mosque) ………………………………………………………………….87
The Kumash (Fabric) Section and Dervish Chambers …………………87
The Matbah (Kitchen)…………………………………………………………..88
Part III – Rumi in the West ………………………………………………..89
Mawlana from a European Point of View / Peter H. Cunz ……91
Islamic call to reason and Mawlana’s message ……………………………93
Mevlevi groups today ……………………………………………………………93
Rumi Studies in the West / Þefik Can …………………………………….96
Eva de Vitray Meyerovitch and Her Contributions
to the Promotion of Rumi / Abdullah Öztürk …………………….106
vi Rumi and His Sufi Path of Love
Eva de Vitray’s encounter with Rumi …………………………………….107
The contribution of Ms. Meyerovitch to the promotion of Rumi .112
Part IV – Rumi Poetry……………………………………………………….117
The Song of the Reed / Rumi ……………………………………………..119
Ecstasy in the Song of the Reed’s Plaintive
Notes / Hüseyin Bingül ……………………………………………………….122
Rumi’s interpretation of journeying to the world……………………..123
The covenant and the Divine Trust ………………………………………..124
Know then thyself ………………………………………………………………125
Suffering and the reed’s separation in separation …………………….129
Rumi’s secret of secrets ………………………………………………………..132
Journeying with, or in the company of, the Beloved…………………136
Rumi’s Seven Pieces of Advice ………………………………………….140
Maxims from Rumi…………………………………………………………….141
Index ………………………………………………………………………………………..143