Hazrat Haji Imdad Ul Lah Muhajir Makki (R.A) once said that “the reason why Maulana Rumi had so much of intimacy and reverence towards Shamas Tabriezi, that he wrote couplets over couplets in praise of city of Tabriz is because in a short span of time Shamas taught to Rumi the knowledge that might have taken him ages to learn”. The encounter of Maulana Rumi with Shamas Tabriezi was undisputedly the most important and remarkable event of his life. This was the event that made Rumi, the Rumi we know of. This was the incident that changed Rumi from a sheer scholarly into mystic figure and this was the encounter that infused in Rumi a sort of fire, the manifestation of which is hitherto reflected in Mathnavi.
Aatash sat iie bang I nai o niest baad
Har ki iie aatash nadarad niest baad”
Who was Shamas Tabriezi and how he came to exercise such an influence on the life of Maulana Rumi, the citable scholar of his time. Shamas Al Din Mohammad popularly known as Shamas Tabriezi was the son of Imam Alau din. Whereas Browne in his book “A literary history of Persia” says that his father was Jalal Ud Din, who had recently converted to Islam, whereas Aflaki says that he was the son of a person name Ali.
Most of biographers agree that he was born in 1185 in Persia. He was a far-famed dervish and a disciple of Kamal Al Din Jumdi. Shams had traveled throughout the Middle East searching and praying for someone who could “endure his company”. A voice said to him, “What will you give in return?” Shams replied, “My head!” The voice then said, “The one you seek is Jalal ud-Din of Konya.” On 30th November 1244 Tabriezi arrived in Konya. One of the tradition reports that Tabriezi made the appearance at of a merchant and stayed at market where noble people used to throng around. One day Rumi, travelling on mule happened to pass through that place. Tabriezi immediately approached him and asked “Was Muhammad (s.a.w) more closer to Allah or Bayazid (r.a)”, Maulana replied “Of course, In entire creation, Muhammad (s.a.w) is most closer and dearest one to Allah”. Tabriezi then asked “then tell me why prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) used to say ‘O Allah I didn’t know you, the way I ought to have known you’, whereas Bayazid(r.a) proclaimed ‘Subhani ma’ aazama shaani’, ‘How exalted my greatness is”. On listening to this Maulana became unconscious and after returning top consciousness he took Shamas along with him to his home. Another incident narrates that Rumi was delivering a lesson to his disciples and suddenly a person in saintly guise made appearance. Pointing towards books, he asked to Maulana Rumi “what is this”, Rumi replied angrily “This is what you don’t know of”. Shamas took the books and threw them in nearby cistern, which made Rumi anxious and anguished. To his utter surprise Shamas took out the books from cistern which were dry and intact. This incident left Rumi unmoved and he immediately turned Shamas’s disciple. It is said that Tabriezi taught Rumi in seclusion for about forty days and these lessons transformed him in an unexpected way. He violated the teachings that he once stood for, the music which was once a poison to him now became his antidote. He gave up all sorts of teaching and preaching and for hours and hours he used to remain absorbed in “sama”. This gave birth to chaos and anger amidst his students for Shamas and it is said that on the night of 5 December 1248, as Rumi and Shams were talking, Shams was called to the back door. He went out, never to be seen again. It is rumored that Shams was murdered with the connivance of Rumi’s son, ‘Ala’ ud-Din; if so, Shams indeed gave his head for the privilege of mystical friendship.
Rumi had unbound reverence for Shamas, which is reflected by the fact that Rumi expressed his deep feelings of egress after departure of Shamas Tabriezi. Rumi’s love for, and his bereavement at the death of, Shams found their expression in an outpouring lyric poems,Divan I Shamas Tabreiz. He himself went out searching for Shams and journeyed again to Damascus. There, he realized:
Why should I seek? I am the same as He
His essence speaks through me.
I have been looking for myself!
Amir Suhail Wani is a freelance columnist with bachelors in Electrical Engineering and a student of comparative studies with special interests in Iqbaliyat & mystic thought.
