UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) has declared 2007 the International Year of Rumi to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the birth of the great mystic and Persian language poet. Born in Balkh, presently in Afghanistan, on September 30, 1207, Jelaluddin Rumi migrated with his family to Konya, Turkey, where he lived most of his life. A great spiritual teacher in his time, he is "pir" (inspiration and founder) of the Mevlevi Sufi order popularly known as the whirling dervishes for their practice of "the turn."

Rumi's poetry has been loved, recited, and sung for centuries in Islamic countries — Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey claim him as their own poet. He now has an equally large following in the West, recently being named the bestselling poet in America. In his day and in ours, his students are people from all traditions — Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and others. He speaks to the universal yearning for a closer connection to the Divine.

We have been profoundly influenced by Rumi over the years (we are members of the Mevlevi Order). The God he praises is a God of Love who is known through our daily life, hence our emphasis at Spirituality & Practice on everyday spirituality. His spiritual vision is sensual, celebratory, and pensive. He identifies with nature and animals. He loves mysteries and is impatient with those who think they have answers. He praises the commonplace and spits upon fear which always brings human beings down. Always, Love is what's important — in the way we treat our neighbors and in how we relate to the Holy One.

To celebrate Rumi's birthday, we have collected 30 readings from other admirers of his poetry, teachings, and personal witness. You'll find links to these readings at right. They include commentaries on Rumi's gifts to us, stories about his life, examples of his teachings, and tributes to his multiple contributions to our world. The readings are from mystic Andrew Harvey; translators Coleman Barks and Camille Helminski; biographers Annemarie Schimmel, Franklin Lewis and Leslie Wines; Mevlevi Sheikhs Kabir Helminski and Sefik Can; and others.

Practicing Spirituality with Rumi E-Course

To explore Rumi's poetry and to practice his teachings in your daily life, sign up for our e-course Practicing Spirituality with Rumi. It's available through our on-demand system so you can choose your own start date and how often you want to receive the 40 emails in the program.

Rumi Books and Films

Visit the Spirituality & Practice Gift Store to purchase Books by Rumi and Books and Films about Rumi

Related Content

• Read an essay on Rumi's life and times by Kabir Helminski, shaikh of the Mevlevi Sufi Order founded by Rumi

• Read an interview with Kabir Helminski about Rumi's Connection to Sufism and Islam

• Read an interview with Coleman Barks about his translations of Rumi

Readings on Rumi

Sept.   1: Rumi's Gifts to the World
Sept.   2: Rumi's Popularity in the West
Sept.   3: Rumi's Message for Our Time
Sept.   4: Rumi's Universality
Sept.   5: Rumi's Appreciation for All Paths
Sept.   6: Rumi as a Muslim
Sept.   7: Rumi's Reliance on Grace
Sept.   8: Rumi's Gentle Way with Enemies
Sept.   9: Rumi and the Mystical Path
Sept. 10: Rumi's Inner World
Sept. 11: Rumi's Nomadic Childhood
Sept. 12: The Meeting of Rumi and Shams
Sept. 13: Rumi's Spiritual Masterpiece
Sept. 14: Rumi's Advice on Living
Sept. 15: Rumi on Clearing Away the Ego
Sept. 16: Rumi on Having a Strong Faith
Sept. 17: Rumi on the Human Being
Sept. 18: Rumi on Peace and Joy
Sept. 19: Rumi's Gratitude for Beauty
Sept. 20: Rumi on Beauty's Power
Sept. 21: Rumi's Prayer Life
Sept. 22: Rumi's Compassion for Animals
Sept. 23: Rumi's Awakened Heart
Sept. 24: Rumi's Blessings
Sept. 25: Rumi's Service to the Poor
Sept. 26: Rumi on Talking to God
Sept. 27: Rumi's Practice of Gazing
Sept. 28: Rumi and the Turn
Sept. 29: Rumi in Our Hearts
Sept. 30: Rumi's Religion of Love

Watch Performances of and Meditations Based on Rumi Poems

• Coleman Barks reading "Love Dogs"

• Robert Bly and Coleman Barks performing the poetry of Rumi

• Coleman Barks reading "What Was Said to the Rose"

• A Meditation with images and music on "Say I Am You"

• A Meditation with images, music, and the poetry of Rumi

• A Maundy Thursday Interfaith Meditation with David Wilcox and Nancy Petit singing "Out Beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing"

• A clip from the DVD Rumi - Turning Ecstatic with commentary by Shaikh Kabir Helminski and a reading by Coleman Barks about the unnecessary foolishness of arguing about names; the poem "All Religions, All This Singing, One Song" is accompanied by a collage of interfaith images.