Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

ncreased moment by moment until Rumi reached the front of a mosque where he was the imam and where people followed his lead in prayers every day. In this situation, one of Rumi’s rivals who was present in the crowd shouted, “Oh, people! Sheikh Jalaluddin, whom you follow every day during prayers, has gone to the Christian quarter and bought wine.” He said this and pulled the cloak off Rumi’s shoulder. The eyes of the people fell on the bottle. The man continued, “This hypocrite, who claims to be ascetic and whom you follow, has now bought wine and is taking it home!” Then he spat on Rumi’s face and hit him so hard on the head that the turban fell off and landed on his neck.</p><p id="c1c4">When people saw this scene, especially when they saw Rumi in a state of shock and silence, they were convinced that Rumi had deceived them all his life with false asceticism and piety and, as a result, they prepared themselves to attack him, and perhaps even kill him.</p><p id="bc64">At that moment, Shams arrived and shouted, “Shameless people! Aren’t you ashamed to accuse a religious and knowledgeable man of drinking wine? This bottle you see contains vinegar because he consumes it every day with his food.”</p><p id="1256">The rival of Rumi shouted: “This is not vinegar, but wine”</p><p id="3d37">Shams opened the bottle and poured some of its contents into everyone’s palm, including that rival, proving to everyone that there was nothing in the bottle but vinegar.</p><p id="d37c">The rival of Rumi struck himself on the head and threw himself at Rumi’s feet. Others kissed his hands and dispersed.</p><p id="618b">Then Rumi asked Shams, “Why did you make me experience this tragedy tonight and force me to compromise my dignity?”</p><p id="8838">Shams replied: “So that you would realize that what you boasted of is nothing but a mirage. You thought that the respect of a handful of common people would be your eternal capital, but you saw for yourself that with the illusion of a wine bottle, everything vanished, and they spat in your face and beat you, and perhaps they would have killed you. This was the capital you relied on, which you saw tonight vanish in an instant. So rely on something that will not disappear over time and changing circumstances.” (From the book “Mulla Sadra” by Henry Corbin)</p><figure id="32b2"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*hY4JsSU77LdE--ADgq5UKw.

Options

jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><div id="9640" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/cooked-heads-379985b952d5"> <div> <div> <h2>COOKED HEADS</h2> <div><h3>Maulana Jalaleddin Muhammad Balkhi, known as Rumi (The Book of Love)</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Uc0tAXG5-NeBME4ueRWP6g.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="2ce8" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/are-you-jealous-of-the-oceans-generosity-c2c9c1c7d737"> <div> <div> <h2>Are You Jealous of the Ocean’s Generosity?</h2> <div><h3>Maulana Jalaleddin Muhammad Balkhi, known as Rumi (The Book of Love)</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*WifPoCJiRUQDNyt7pObhJg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="a3ac" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/you-are-not-your-eyes-f46433fe1eb5"> <div> <div> <h2>You Are Not Your Eyes</h2> <div><h3>Maulana Jalaleddin Muhammad Balkhi, known as Rumi (The Book of Love)</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Sgmf4PgGMhXwKnwCs43JKA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="b855" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/zuleikha-633df5e96adf"> <div> <div> <h2>Zuleikha</h2> <div><h3>Maulana Jalaleddin Muhammad Balkhi, known as Rumi (The Book of Love)</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*kzsZawmjF8UnFSmtk7CAjA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

It Is Nothing But a Mirage

To what you boast, is nothing but a mirage; the incredible story of Shams Tabrizi and Rumi.

For better insights into Rumi and Shams' friendship:

Out of Nowhere a Horse

The friendship between Rumi and Shams Tabriz and the rebirth of Rumi

medium.com

One day, Rumi invited Shams Tabrizi to his house. Shams went to Jalal ad-Din Rumi’s house and after seeing the hospitality arrangements, he asked him, “Have you provided wine for me?”

Rumi, astonished, asked, “Are you a wine drinker?”

Shams replied, “Yes.”

Rumi: But I wasn’t aware of this matter!

Shams: Now that you know, arrange wine for me.

Rumi: But at this late hour, where can I get wine from?!

Shams: Tell one of your servants to go and procure it.

Rumi: With this action, my dignity and respect among my servants will diminish.

Shams: Then you go yourself and buy wine.

Rumi: Everyone in this town knows me, how can I go to the Christian quarter and buy wine?!

Shams: If you have respect for me, you must procure wine because, without wine, I cannot eat, speak, or sleep at night.

Rumi, who admired Shams, sets off towards the Christian quarter with a cloak over his shoulder and a large bottle in hand.

When people saw Rumi in that neighborhood, they were surprised and started following him. They saw Rumi enter a tavern, buy a bottle of wine, and then leave after hiding it.

Before he could leave the Christian quarter, a group of Muslims living there began to follow him, and their numbers increased moment by moment until Rumi reached the front of a mosque where he was the imam and where people followed his lead in prayers every day. In this situation, one of Rumi’s rivals who was present in the crowd shouted, “Oh, people! Sheikh Jalaluddin, whom you follow every day during prayers, has gone to the Christian quarter and bought wine.” He said this and pulled the cloak off Rumi’s shoulder. The eyes of the people fell on the bottle. The man continued, “This hypocrite, who claims to be ascetic and whom you follow, has now bought wine and is taking it home!” Then he spat on Rumi’s face and hit him so hard on the head that the turban fell off and landed on his neck.

When people saw this scene, especially when they saw Rumi in a state of shock and silence, they were convinced that Rumi had deceived them all his life with false asceticism and piety and, as a result, they prepared themselves to attack him, and perhaps even kill him.

At that moment, Shams arrived and shouted, “Shameless people! Aren’t you ashamed to accuse a religious and knowledgeable man of drinking wine? This bottle you see contains vinegar because he consumes it every day with his food.”

The rival of Rumi shouted: “This is not vinegar, but wine”

Shams opened the bottle and poured some of its contents into everyone’s palm, including that rival, proving to everyone that there was nothing in the bottle but vinegar.

The rival of Rumi struck himself on the head and threw himself at Rumi’s feet. Others kissed his hands and dispersed.

Then Rumi asked Shams, “Why did you make me experience this tragedy tonight and force me to compromise my dignity?”

Shams replied: “So that you would realize that what you boasted of is nothing but a mirage. You thought that the respect of a handful of common people would be your eternal capital, but you saw for yourself that with the illusion of a wine bottle, everything vanished, and they spat in your face and beat you, and perhaps they would have killed you. This was the capital you relied on, which you saw tonight vanish in an instant. So rely on something that will not disappear over time and changing circumstances.” (From the book “Mulla Sadra” by Henry Corbin)