More than 700 years ago, Rumi left us, but still his light continues to burn bright. All these centuries later, he remains a best-selling poet in the United States, and every day, people turn to his poems and quotes for guidance and wisdom.

In this short book, Rumi and His Master Shams-i Tabrīzī, we explore the origins of Rumi and his master, Shams-i Tabrizi. The latter — a historical figure who gets little attention — can be said to be the original flame that sparked Rumi’s interest in poetry and led him to turn to poetry during his darkest hours. More so, Shams probed his follower to deeply consider the individual’s relationship with divinity, the necessity of light, and the master-student relationship.

In the first half of this guide, we go on a historical tour, to the streets of Balkh, where it all started, and then decades later to the Turkish city of Konya, where Rumi and Shams’ meeting was anticipated by fate. We’ll cover the historical contexts of these great men. Then, in the second half, we reflect on the poetry of Rumi. We contemplate what intrinsic wisdom it holds, even for us in the contemporary world.

Ameen Lalani

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