The Essential Rumi Analysis

The Essential Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks) is a spiritual epic written by Jelaluddin Rumi (2004), a Muslim Preacher, poet, Sufi mystic and scholar. He was born September 30, 1207, in Balkh (present-day Afghanistan) and died in 1273 in Konya, Turkey (Arberry 27). This paper analyzes how Rumi express mystical love in his writing.
Rumi uses poetry, dance and music to articulate his ethical and spiritual teachings. The main concept in Essentials of Rumi is love. Rumi begins with a reed flute song (Rumi and Barks 17). The reed symbolizes the human soul. The song describes the sadness in souls of human beings caused by separation from the source (God). Because of the separation, human beings live unfulfilled lives and experience feelings of anxiety and boredom. Just as the reed longs to go back to the source, human beings need to reunite with the source. At the source, our lives are fulfilling, authentic and revolve around love.
In all mystical traditions, love is defined as openness or connection to others ("Mystical Experiences"). According to Rumi, love is a healer. “You Sweep the Floor” (Rumi and Bark 101) poem illustrates the healing power of love. Rumi believes that the power of love can cure Jacob’s sadness.
Rumi outlines five characteristics of mystical love. First, love is about friendship. “The Force of Friendship” (Rumi and Barks 83) describes the nature of friendship. Rumi uses the voice of a frog to explain the transient nature of love that draws different forces together. The force “does not conform to laws of nature” (Rumi and Barks 85). Friendship is, therefore, a soul connection and not physical attraction. Rumi is advising human beings not invest their affections in things that are transient such as youthfulness, wealth and fame.
Second, love is a commitment. Commitment is the ability to remain steadfast in the face of adversity. Rumi teaches us that love is about patience, perseverance, and hard work. The candle in “Rough Metaphor” (Rumi and Bark 173) explains the two faces of love. Love has a scary face at the beginning, but if one stays put, they will see the delightful face of love at the end.
Third, love is courage. “On Gambling” (Rumi and Barks 193) tells us that love is a gamble. Rumi encourages human beings to take a chance on love. He uses the analogy of a pond frog who thinks venturing into the ocean is a gamble. The frog will only experience the ocean if it is courageous enough. Rumi uses this analogy to teach us that love is courage. Generally, timid people are not good candidates of love.
Fourth, love is unity and harmony. “The Granary Floor” (Rumi and Barks 248) tells us that the universe can only be explained by love. Rumi uses nature to demonstrate that love is unity and harmony. He uses the example of winds that cause ocean waves and the sun that produces rays. The abundance of love reflects harmony and unity.
Fifth and lastly, love is sacrifice. Rumi teaches us to focus on the needs of other people. “The Sunrise Ruby” (Rumi and Barks 100) illustrates the selfless nature of love. The lover tells the beloved “there is nothing left of me” (Rumi and Barks 100) when he professes his love for her. It means that people with great love are ready to sacrifice.
In conclusion, Rumi successfully creates a religion out of love. Rumi was a practicing Muslim and followed the religion of Islam. However, his angle on religion was different from that of ordinary Muslims. He was not obsessed over theological doctrines and theological correctness. After his spiritual revolution, he becomes a man of God and a follower of the religion of love. He believed there is no fundamental difference between this or that religion, as long as it leads to God. The religion of love is not a negation of Islam or any other existing religion; instead, the religion of love is a higher spiritual state that we can reach within any religious tradition. It is simply an appreciation of what any authentic religion must promote. That is love.


Works Cited
Arberry, A. Mystical Poems of Rumi. PDF file, U of Chicago P, 2010.
"Mystical Experiences." The Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research, 2 Aug. 2017, www.aiprinc.org/mystical/. Accessed 27 March 2019
Rumi, Jelaluddin, and Coleman Barks. The Essential Rumi. Kindle ed, HaperCollins, 2004.