Rumi and Islam: Selections from His Stories, Poems, and Discourses, Annotated & Explained

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SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2004 - Literary Criticism - 206 pages

Discover the richness of Rumi's spiritual tradition--through facing-page commentary that brings his writings to life for you.

"This book you are now holding is a selection of what I believe are the best of Rumi's accounts of the compassionate actions, sayings, and qualities of the Prophet, which include Rumi's own inspired comments and explanations. It is my hope that you will be surprised and uplifted by the profound wisdom that Jalaluddin Rumi conveys through these stories and sayings."
--from the Preface

This great Sufi poet and teacher can become a companion for your own spiritual journey.

The lyric and wisdom poetry of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi has been an inspiration throughout the Middle East and Asia for over seven hundred years. Recently, it has also become popular in Western countries through translations and interpretive poetic versions in English. But while popular renderings have created the appreciation of Rumi the mystic, there is little understanding today of the religious and spiritual traditions from which the great mystic came. Rumi and Islam--Selections from His Stories, Poems, and Discourses examines not the popularized Rumi of universal love but the Sufi disciple whose works express deep reverence for the Prophet Muhammad. Ibrahim Gamard focuses on Rumi's place within the Sufi tradition of Islam, as one of the greatest Muslim followers of the Prophet Muhammed, and on the Islamic foundations of his lover-Beloved mystical poetry. By probing verse by verse Rumi's spiritual teachings, Gamard provides insight into the mystical side of the Qur'an and Islam, a religion that holds a deep love of God at its core.

Now you can experience the profound and uplifting wisdom of Rumi even if you have no previous knowledge of Sufism or Islam. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents the most important of Rumi's writings, mainly from the Mathnawi, with insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that conveys how his teachings about the nature of love for God and God's love for us can increase our understanding of Islamic wisdom in the West.

 

Contents

Warfare
3
The Captives
7
Hilal
13
The Sick One
21
Bilal
41
The Water Carrier
45
The Greedy Pagan
57
The Blind One
75
Zayd
93
Sayings of the Prophet
104
Prayer and Guidance
111
SelfDenial and EgoDeath
123
Divine Sayings
131
Affirmations and Blessings
137
Love and Closeness with God
151
The Night Journey the Cave and the Pillar
167

The Arrival of the Caravan
79
The Groaning Pillar
83
Ayisha
87
Death and Resurrection
183
Suggested Readings and Resources
198
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