As we have seen, Rumi believed that God establishes a living saint in every age, around whom the spiritual energies of the universe revolve. First it was his father, then Borhan al-Din, and then Shams al-Din. When Rumi became convinced that Shams was no longer alive, he adopted Salah al-Din as the new axis around which his metaphysical concentration and spiritual efforts would pivot.
— Franklin D. Lewis, Rumi: Past and Present, East and West