The Religions Book

283

See also: The performance of ritual and repetition 158–59 ■ Zen insights that go
beyond words 160–63 ■ Mystical experience in Christianity 238

ISLAM

God. In the same parable, Rumi
recounts the heavenly angels’
jealousy of Adam. They, too, forsake
their focus on God. The parable, for
Rumi, describes humanity in general
and the temptation to pursue the
self. For Sufis, an individual’s focus
should be the denial of the self in
the pursuit of an experience of God.

Renouncing the worldy
In Sufism, achieving a personal
experience of God involves moving
through successive stages of
renunciation, purification, and
insight. As a result, not only are
Sufis ascetic—breaking ties to the
material world through poverty,
fasting, silence, or celibacy—but
they also place great emphasis
on devotional love of God, often
through religious experiences or
psychological states. This is often
achieved through the repetition
of God’s names (for example,

God the merciful, God the great)

or meditative breathing exercises.

Becoming absorbed in these

exercises helps the Sufi practitioner

to forget worldly attachments and

focus more fully on God.

Rumi placed particular emphasis

on using both music and dance to

pursue a direct experience of God’s

presence. The Whirling Dervishes,

the Sufi order founded by his

followers, use singing or chanting

and bodily movements to enter

ecstatic states to experience union

with God. Their rhythmic spinning

dance is said to symbolize the solar

system, which they mimic by

turning in circles around their leader.

In the view of many Muslims,

some Sufis pressed the boundaries

of Islamic orthodoxy, and Sufism

was suppressed from the 17th

century onward. However, orders

are still found worldwide, attracting

both Muslims and non-Muslims. ■

Jalal al-Din

Muhammad Rumi

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi

was born in 1207 in Balkh

(in modern-day Afghanistan).

His family claimed descent

from Abu Bakr, the Prophet

Muhammad’s companion and

successor. After traveling

with his father throughout

Persia and Arabia, he settled

in Konya (in modern-day

central Turkey).

In Konya, Rumi met the

Sufi master Shams-i Tabrizi (of

Tabriz). At the time, Rumi was

a professor of Islamic sciences,

but the Sufi master had such

a deep impact upon him that

he abandoned his studies in

order to devote himself to

mysticism. His followers

founded the Mawlawi order

of Sufis, known to many as

the Whirling Dervishes.

Though known for his

philosophy and scholarship,

Rumi is best remembered for

his mystic poetry. He died in

Konya in 1273.

Key works

1258–1273 Spiritual Couplets

13th century The Works of

Shams of Tabriz

13th century What is Within

is Within

We must let ourselves be filled by nothing but God.

Thus we will find God within ourselves.

We must empty

our lives of

material concerns.

We must cleanse

our minds of

selfish distractions.

We must free

our hearts of

earthly desires.

God cannot fill a vessel that is already filled.