"Maulana's biographer Sipahsalar tells how the master spent one night in prayer in the mosque. It was the dead of winter, and in the course of praying he wept so profusely that his beard, wet by his tears, froze and clung to the ground. Thus his disciples had to rescue him in the morning. This story may sound exaggerated, even absurd to a modern reader, yet, it well conveys the intensity of Maulana's devotional life. . . .

"Maulana once described himself as completely transformed into prayer, 'so that everyone who sees me wants a prayer from me.' Thus, it is understandable that in a number of lyrical poems the borderline between love poem and prayer is blurred, or that the poet easily switches from what first seems to be an ecstatic love verse to a deep-felt prayer, from an expression of yearning for Shams to lines that seek help from God or praise Him in ever-new words."

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