December 17 is the 740th
anniversary of the death of the Sufi
poet Rumi, whose Persian writings are considered to be a pinnacle of
mystical art that transcends religious, cultural and ethnic boundaries. Also
known as Mevlana, he died on December 17, 1273 in Konya, Turkey, where he is
entombed below the Mevlana Museum.
Rumi's death anniversary
is known in Turkey as Wedding Night, or Seb-i Arus in Turkish, which
references the idea that when a Sufi saint dies, he or she is believed to have
attained union with beloved God. Therefore, it is an occasion of celebration
rather than mourning and Sufis gather together to recite poetry and prayers,
and whirl in tribute.
Rumi scholar and author
of an upcoming Harper Collins biography on the poet, Brad Gooch, told The
Huffington Post, "The main commemoration takes place in Konya every year,
with the presentation of the Whirling Dervish ceremony central to the order
formed around Rumi after his death, the Mevlevi Order. They are famous for the
meditative practice of whirling, their signature ceremony that became elegantly
codified during the Ottoman period. "
Fahad Faruqui explained
in a HuffPost blog, "It must be obvious, by now, that Rumi's death is no
somber event for his devotees. It's actually a celebration." He continued,
"Timothy Winter, a lecturer of Islamic Studies at Cambridge University,
explains why: 'Rumi's death is the moment of his union with his Lord. In Sufism,
God is often symbolized as a feminine beloved, known as Layla.'"
Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has traveled to Konya to pay his respects.
Rumi's poetry continues
to inspire long after his death. His epitaph reads, "When we are
dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men."
Source: Huffington Post
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