Now and Then

Then and Now

            I am pissed! To reach the age of 53 and only now learn that all of the history I have been taught is Eurocentric and holier than Swiss cheese. That the made-up wars this country has created in the Middle East is a load of crap (okay, I already knew that). That the current administration has whipped up such hatred for Muslims and the Middle East (and everybody else who is different than white men) and is now in the Middle East selling weapons to the country that does and has everything that president has dreamed of having: no protest, contained women and complete control over the population. All of this is possible because the history of the Middle East has been Orientalized by the West. If just the history of Golden Age of Baghdad and the House of Wisdom would be enough to show how much knowledge we use today that was derived from that time period, it would even be safe to say that the European Renaissance would not have happened without the Islamic Golden Age. The West owes so much to the East!

            Though there are many individuals that played an important part to this Golden Age of Wisdom, Abu Raihan Muhammad Al-Beruni (973-1048) is one of the greats. Not only is he still revered in Astronomy and Mathematics but he is also considered the first Anthropologist as well as a historian. Al-Beruni was born in Khwarizm and it is believed he converted to Islam as an adult. (Ahmed, 09)

            Al-Beruni’s ability to speak several languages (Persian, Greek, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and Syriac) along with his extensive travel, made it possible to be one of the leading writer and translators of world knowledge of the times. One of his most famous books was Kitab al-hind or the book of India. Unlike many of the forefathers of Western Anthropology, “Al-Beruni's dispassionate commentary measures up to the highest contemporary scientific standards in the social sciences.” (Ahmed, 09)

            Ibn Sina (980-1037) is another great scholar who had an enduring impact on Europe and to the present day. He was a physician and philosopher of Persian decent. In the field of medicine, Ibn Sina, “defined the contagiousness of tuberculosis, and the spread of disease through water.” (Saadeh, 37) He was the author of the medical book Al-Qanun, which was used from the 12^th to the 17^th century. Ibn Sina was educated in Sufism as well.

            Both of these men are examples of the best scholars of their time. Their influence lasted well beyond the East and live on in the West. Would the space programs of China, Russia and the US even exist without the astronomy and math advances created by this period of advanced learning? And what about medicine? Today, modern medicine can achieve organ transplants as well as eradicating major diseases. Without Ibn Sina’s medical discoveries we wouldn’t have the field of epidemiology.

            The most striking thing about both of these scholars, is that they were not just scientist but very well rounded in the humanities. History, philosophy, sociology and religion were equal parts of their training. What a refreshing concept. At least in the United States, it has only been in the last 10 years that students applying to medical school are encouraged to have a liberal arts background because it makes them a better doctor. (NPR, 2015)

            Another the lesson from this time period is how vast libraries and volumes of knowledge can be lost in such a short time. At the height of the Golden Age of Islam the libraries of Baghdad contained vast volumes of books. But all of this was tragically destroyed by the Mongol invasion of Baghdad by Genghis Khan in 1258. All of the books were thrown in the river and, “the mosques, libraries, homes and hospitals of the great city were all destroyed.” (Bengoechea, 2016)

            It is easy to think of this as only a historical event and in no way possible in today’s modern society. But the destruction of ancient sites in Palmyra, Syria by ISIS and the dismantling of scientific data on climate change by the sitting president of the United States brings new examples of knowledge being destroyed.

             Finally, what can be done to heal the divide between the East and West? Some possibilities are: a dedicated campaign to teach a more complete world history from early grades upward; to learn about the disinformation practices throughout history and how to stop them; continue to share scholarly information; and let go of the Eurocentric model. Optimistic? Perhaps, but it’s a starting place.

In the words of Edward Said, “Where difference is respected and understood without coercion.” (Said, 2012)

Works Cited

Bengoechea, Isabella. "Iraq’s Golden Age: The Rise and Fall of the House of Wisdom." 2016. Culture Trip. 23 May 2017. <https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/iraq/articles/iraq-s-golden-age-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-house-of-wisdom/>.

Ravner, Julie. "A Top Medical School Revamps Requirements To Lure nglish Majors." 27 May 2015. NPR. 22 May 2017. <http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/05/27/407967899/a-top-medical-school-revamps-requirements-to-lure-english-majors>.

Said, Edward. Edward Said on Orientalism Professor Sut Jhally. 28 October 2012.

The Universal Integration of Rumi’s Work

         Jalal al-Din Rumi, also commonly referred to as Rumi, was a 13^th century Sufi Mystic, Sunni Muslim poet, scholar and theologian.  Rumi’s poems influenced both the people of his time as well as the western world today.  His poems were influenced by his early life that was filled with integration as well as obstacles that he faced throughout his career as a scholar and poet.  His poems quickly became popular and are still read and studied today for the unique style in delivering the important messages that he has to offer.

When studying the works of Rumi, it is important to first take a look at his past.  He was born in 1207 in Vakhsh, on the border of what is now Afghanistan.  He was born into a Persian family that was filled with generations of mystics and scholars.  Rumi and his family fled his birth place in order to escape the Mongol invasion.  During their travel, his family performed the pilgrimage to Mecca.  The family finally finished their journey and settled in Konya, Anatolia which is present day Turkey.  Here, Rumi followed his father’s footsteps and became an accomplished scholar. 

Chase Robison author of Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives, explains that “To this point, Rumi’s early life might be described within a familiar frame of immigration: seeking opportunity, his father left what was old world for a new one, leveraging his culture capital in a society open to newcomers, and preserving some old ways through marriage to a women from the old country.” (Robinson, 190)  These experiences are what helped to shape the foundation for his thought. “For Rumi was not only living in an Islamic society that was still in a relatively early stage of formation, but also a time when a new social movement was taking place” (Robinson, 190)

Rumi gathers Sufi mystics

In the next period of his life, he began to study Sufism, which later led to him speaking at a mosque in Anatolia.  His next adventure led him to Damascus.  Following his arrival to Damascus, he met Shams-e Tabrizi, a Sufi Dervish, who would later become a mentor and an important part of Rumi’s life who would later influence some of his poems.  This poetic influence was a result of the spiritual inspiration that he had on Rumi.  After the death of his companion Tabrizi, Rumi spent most of the remainder of his life writing poetry.  His written works are about reason and love, not only the love that you feel towards your friends or family, but of a divine love, the love for God. His poems were also dedicated to Tabrizi and the Prophet Muhammed.  In addition to poems, he also integrated music and dance into his religious practice.  Robinson notes, “It should be emphasized that the purpose of the Mathnavi is not dramatic storytelling, but lesson learning…the purpose of the text being didactic, it delivers on a project that complements the exercise of reason.” (Robinson, 194)  It is reason and knowledge that will lead to love of the universal aspect of humanity.

Page out of 1503 copy of Rumi's work the

 Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i

Associate professor in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Felician College, Donald Casey, explains in his article “Rumi: Faith, Knowledge, Reason, and Love” that Rumi’s poems were inspired by God’s love that was present in his life.  Casey explains that the path to this universal love inevitably starts with knowledge.  However, the importance of knowledge that Rumi speaks of is not taught in modern western education, but instead, Casey clarifies that the knowledge Rumi speaks of “must be tempered with humility if one is to reach full maturity.”  He continues to say that this knowledge is achieve through reason.  This reason, or the rational side of the human body must overcome the carnal desires.  It is explained as a division between the desires of the body and the desires of the mind, most often, the desires of the body win, but when it doesn’t is when true knowledge can begin to be understood.

Casey translates Rumi’s messages as “[f]irst, God is love but that does not exhaust who God is. God is the source of all love, just as He is the source of everything. Second, love is the divine creative force which permeates the universe. Third, love also is understood as that force which is strong enough to forge the union of two individuals, whether that "one" is the union of God and a creature or the union of two human creatures.”  Although there are many translations to Rumi’s work, most agree that the general message in his work is centered on the concept of love.

It is well known that Rumi is one of the best-selling poets in the English speaking world today.  So a fair question would be, why is it that the modern English speaking world still cherish and study Rumi’s poetry? One explanation for this is that he is considered a speaker for the knowledge that the West does not have.  Rumi speaks of a knowledge that cannot be taught through education, but only through experience.  Rumi’s poems speak of an unconditional love and knowledge that what will lead to his vision of an ultimate truth.    

            As with all important works, there are other theories as to why Rumi’s words are still so influential today.  Author Jane Ciabattari explains in her article that examines why Rumi is the bestselling poet in the United States says, “Rumi is a very mysterious and provocative poet and figure for our time, as we grapple with understanding the Sufi tradition [and] understanding the nature of ecstasy and devotion and the power of poetry.”  Ciabattari continues on to explain that although the times have changed, “there is a strong global movement, an impulse that wants to dissolve the boundaries that religions have put up and end the sectarian violence.  It is said that people of all religions came to Rumi's funeral in 1273. Because, they said, he deepens our faith wherever we are.  This is a powerful element in his appeal now.”  There is the common thought of integration that has influenced so many both in Rumi’s time and today.  The idea of being inclusive is so much more desirable than to be excluded.

In conclusion, the many works of Rumi have stood the test of time because of their unique messages.  His use of integrating the experiences of his life to create a distinct language continues to be appreciated and integrated into today’s studies.  His poems are warmly received throughout history and cultures across the world because his messages are universal.  Ciabattari concludes that “Rumi was an experimental innovator among the Persian poets and he was a Sufi master.  This combination of mystical richness and bold adaptations of poetic forms is the key to his popularity today.”  It is concluded by many that Rumi was 800 years ahead of the times.

     

Works Cited

Casey, Donald. "Issue - Rumi: Faith, Knowledge, Reason, and Love." The Fountain Magazine. N.p., Mar.-Apr. 2012. Web. 21 May 2017.

Ciabattari, Jane. "Culture - Why Is Rumi the Best-selling Poet in the US?" BBC. BBC, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 May 2017.

"Rumi." 2012. FamousAuthors.org 24 May, http://www.famousauthors.org/rumi

Robinson, Chase F. Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives. N.p.: U Of California, 2016. Print.

al-Biruini and Ibn Khaldun: Founders of the Humanities

The Worldly Birth of Humanities in Islamic Civilization

The study of Humanities is wide reaching and all encompassing. Disciplines such as literature, language, history, cultural anthropology, philosophy, and religious studies are all under the umbrella of the humanities. Islamic civilization is known for its advances in science, and even knowledge in general during the time period 600-1525. Chase Robinson in his work Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives goes into the details of thirty Islamic individuals that span this time period. Two individuals will be the focus of this paper, al-Biruni and Ibn Khaldun. Both of these scholars made huge contributions to the development of the Humanities discipline that even today are still being looked at by modern scholars.

Al-Beruni was an eleventh century scholar who studied many different disciplines including astronomy, mathematics, linguistics, culture, and anthropology. “The eleventh century has even been called the age of Biruini’, his genius comparable to that of Archimedes” (Robinson 113). Biruini’s work has had long lasting impacts on more than just Islamic civilization. His work reached the western world, and scholars still look to him for answers. “al-Biruini’s interests and enthusiasms extended not only to fields that were conventionally adjacent to to mathematics and astronomy, such as geography, astrology, medicine, pharmacology and mineralogy, but also to what we would not understand to be the humanities - to history, culture, even a kind of comparative religion,” (Robinson 113). Biruini’s intelligence is unrivaled by any other scholar of his time. He wrote more than any other scholar, in many more subjects of study than anybody else throughout his life.

One skill that made Biruini such a versatile scholar is that he was versed in many different languages. During the eleventh century when Biruini was alive, many books that had crucial information about history or science was not written in Arabic. Being able to speak and write multiple languages, and also having the ability to translate works in different languages into Arabic, was a crucial part of Biruini’s success. “What is clearer is that his travels and training gave him the ability to translate from Sanskrit, and that he could also work with Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac,” (Robinson 114). Because of his vast knowledge of language, he was able to understand much of what was going on in the greater middle east, also giving the people who spoke the other languages a chance to learn from him.

Ahmed mentions in his article “The First Anthropologist” that Biruini “ Al-Beruni's dispassionate commentary measures up to the highest contemporary scientific standards in the social sciences,” (Ahmed 9). Biruini did not just stop at astronomy and mathematics. What he is considered most known for is his contributions to the social sciences. Biruini would study customs and the rituals that he encountered throughout his life which in a way became the earliest form of cultural anthropology. “Several Muslim historians, most notably al-Mas’udi and Rashid al-Din took serious interest in non-islamic South and East Asia; but al-Biruini, living as he did in a grand moment of Ghaznavid imperialism, was singular in his sustained interest in cultural comparison. He laid foundations of a Ghaznavid Orientalism that the dynasty was too short lived to build.” (Robinson 116). Biruini was a very important figure not only to his own time period, but even today in age because of his written work detailing the history and culture that was going on at the time. Without his work, anthropology might not be as clear cut a discipline as it is today.

Another scholar that was similar to Biruini lived almost four hundred years after him. Ibn Khaldun was also a historian and sociologist. It has been noted that Ibn Khaldun has made large contributions to the understanding of human nature. “human nature has innately equal inclinations towards doing good and evil. With this even emphasis on the weight of good and evil elements, the Quranic perspective appears to give human nature a fundamental dialectical characteristic,” (Dhaouadi 576). Ibn Khaldun focused much of his work on the human nature. Basically, what he was working on, was to discover the basic elements of what makes a person human. What do all humans have in common, and what makes them different are the starting points for Khaldun's thought regarding human nature.

Khaldun had an immense interest in human nature because it is what he though was the main contributor to civilizations rise and fall. Khaldun is regarded as the the best scholar studying and recording civilization, and even going so far as to interpret why the civilization fell. One chain of thought that stems from Khaldun is that religion, especially Islam is what contributed to Islamic civilization thriving throughout 850-1525. His thought was that because Islam is the religion of the good human nature, and that because the religion was the uniting factor between the different civilization throughout the middle east that Islam was big contributing factor to the strength Islamic civilization had, (Dhaouadi 582). Making these connections between human nature, the rise and fall of civilization is something that only Biruini had even come close to during this time. Both of these scholars that existed were huge contributors and even founders to a whole discipline that I have dedicated the last four years of my life to, the humanities. These scholars found a way to develop a methodology for understanding the things that might seem most strange to some people.

Works Cited

Ahmed, Akbar. "Al-Beruni: The First Anthropologist." RAIN, 60 (1984): 9-10.

Dhaouadi, Mahmoud. "The Forgotten Concept of Human Nature in Khaldunian Studies." Asian     Journal of Social Science, 36.3/4 (2008): 571-589.

Robinson, Chase F. Islamic Civilization in Thirty lives: The First 1,000 Years. California University of California Press, 2016.

Jalal al-Din Rumi’s Early Influences

Jalal al-Din Rumi’s Early Influences

Jalal al-Din Rumi, commonly referred to as Rumi, was a renowned Sufi poet who was born in 1207 in Balkh (currently Afghanistan), and died in 1273 in Konya, Turkey (Gretty, 2012). A visionary of his time, Rumi’s legacy has withstood the test of time, and remains the best selling poet in the English-speaking world (Robinson, 2016).

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Rumi’s father, Baha al-Din, was a well known mystic, scholar, and jurist from Khorasan (between Afghanistan and Iran), who travelled to Konya with his family and followers, establishing a religious school. After his death, Rumi became his father’s successor at twenty-five, establishing himself as a well respected scholar (Gretty, 2012). According to Robinson (2016), a common theme throughout Rumi’s early life was immigration, given his father’s traveling. This exposed him to new ways of life, as they left an “old” Islamic world and entered a “new” society where they learned Persian and experienced new people. 

Sama, the Whirling Dervishes dance.

Sufism, a form of mysticism within Islam, was a huge part of Rumi’s life, eventually prompting him to establish the Mevlevi order which became one of the most well-known of the Sufi orders Gretty, 2012). His teachings focussed on acceptance of both negative and positive experiences, and looking at the world with new eyes. He also advocated for meditation, music, and dance (Gretty, 2012). Sufis believe that the path to salvation is not through religious laws dictated by clergymen, but through the individual’s own use of the Islamic way to search for their truth. They also believe that their love and surrender for God will substitute all other needs they had once been accustomed to. Through his Sufi teachings, Rumi established a whirling dance known as Sama, that is meant to help them distance themselves from material objects (Mannani, 2010). 

Rumi thinking about Shamsaddin

Divan-i Shamsi Tabriz.

While in his thirties, Rumi met an older mystic wanderer by the name of Shamsaddin of Tabriz, who greatly influenced both Rumi’s professional and personal life. Shamsaddin helped Rumi move even farther away from the traditional Islamic way, and more towards mysticism (Mannani, 2010; Schimmel, 2017). According to Mannani (2010), Rumi was a serious and respected religious scholar until he met Shamsaddin, who altered his way of thinking.  It is accepted by multiple scholars (Mannani, 2010; Mirdal, 2012; Schimmel 2017) that Rumi was involved in a deep relationship (whether romantic or strictly platonic is truly unknown) with Shamsaddin, and when he disappeared due to the disapproval from Rumi’s family and followers, Rumi wrote collections of love poems dedicated to him, entitled Divan-i Shamsi Tabriz. During this time, he wrote ghazals, known as lyrical poetry, expressing love, longing, and suffering. According to (Schimmel 2017), Rumi wrote an estimated 36,000 ghazals, with nearly one-third mentioning Shamsaddin. With most of them, he even signed the poetry with his name as a sign of respect. It is evident that Shamsaddin of Tabriz had an incredible impact and influence on not only Rumi as an individual, but as a poet. An example of a poem influenced by Shamsaddin reads:

Not alone I keep on singing

Shamsaddin and Shamsaddin,

But the nightingale in gardens

sings, the partridge in the hills.

Day of splendor. Shamsaddin, and

turning heaven! Shamsaddin!

Mine of jewels: Shamsaddin, and

Shamsaddin is day and night […]     (Divan 1081, referenced in Schimmel, 2017, pp. 75).

Even in poems and verses that do not directly mention Shamsaddin’s name, Schimmel (2017) argues that the love and adoration Rumi felt for him was secretly expressed through hundreds of metaphors, symbols, and allusions throughout the 65,000 verses he wrote. She also argues that his initial intentions were not to express “unity of being”, but were meant to express the force of true love that alters ones life.

              

 

His poetry is heavily influenced by the Sufi tradition, specifically the topic of love, establishing him as “the founder and proponent of loving mysticism” (Mannani, 2010, pp. 164). Although his background was as an Islamic religious scholar, the Sufism he practiced influenced him to “believe in the unity and the universality of all religions”, (Mannani, 2010, pp. 165), and that God is seen everywhere. This openness is what scholars attribute to his global success, as readers from all religions, cultures, and nations can relate to it. According to Mannani (2010), “he believed in the freedom of thought and expression and in the need to be kind, generous, and forgiving to all who one comes in contact with” (pp. 165).  

Rabi'a al-Adawiya

Illustration from Divan-i Shamsi Tabriz.

When researching whether or not Rabi’a al-Adawiya, one of the first Sufis from the 8th century and among the most influential Sufi women, was a key influence for Rumi’s poetry, little to no credible evidence was found. The Sufi teachings and beliefs of Rabi’a do resemble those of Rumi’s in regards to the idea of love (Ford, 1999), however it is unknown whether her specific Sufi ideology was influential to him. Although arguably similar, the research conducted for this paper did not find direct links between Rabia’s teachings and Rumi’s early influences for his poetry. According to Robinson (2016), “Rabi’a left behind no texts of her own; nor was she signifiant enough to in her tie to attract the attention of many ninth-century authors” (pp. 55). Because she did not leave behind written accounts of her teachings, this may be why scholars have not conducted much research as to whether or not her Sufi teachings influenced the work of Rumi.

Baha al-Din

Although the links between Rabi’a and Rumi could not be directly traced for this paper, Arberry (1962) argued that some of Rumi’s earliest influences were the writings and teachings of his father, specifically a book he wrote entitled Ma-arif (discovered by Prof. Ritter). Arberry (1962) discussed how one of Rumi’s early biographers (Faridun Sipahsalar) traced his studies to his father’s writings, establishing the influence it had on Rumi’s poetry. Arberry then credits Prof. Furuzanfar for researching the sources Rumi used to write Mathnawi, and for being able to prove the link to Ma-arif. According to Arberry (1962), many difficult passages and themes to understand in Rumi’s Mathnawi could be explained by Baha al-Din’s Ma-Arif. He also argues that the influential role of Shamsaddin of Tabriz has been overestimated, while the influence of Rumi’s father has been underestimated. The Ma-arif compiles meditations on Quranic passages and God, as well as mystical experiences that accompany those meditations. It is also much more poetic than prose, consisting of rhythmic verses and imagery that resemble those later composed by Rumi. Arberry (1962) attributes these similarities to Rumi’s intense studies of his father’s work at a younger age. Arberry also makes the connection between Rumi’s whirring dance, and his father’s mention of a similar ritual in the Ma-arif. Baha al-Din was an “intoxicated mystic” by every sense of the word according to Arberry (1962), and he argues that learning from his father made him more disciplined, human, and humorous with his writing. 

Mathnawi

Jalal al-Din Rumi’s poetic genius has continuously influenced both readers and writers for centuries after his death, demonstrating his incredible talent. Based off evidence presented by Sufi and Rumi scholars, it is clear that Rumi was exposed to numerous influential individuals throughout his lifetime. From Sufi teachings as a child, and his father Baha al-Din, to Shamsaddin of Tabriz, much has gone into shaping the renowned poet he became.

                                                    References

Artery, A. J. Jalal al-Din Rumi.  Islamic Studies, Vol 1, No. 1, pp. 89-105. Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad. (Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20832622)

BBC News (September, 2009). The Life of Rumi: Jalaluddin Rumi. BBC Religions. (Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/art/rumi_1.shtml)

Chittick, William C. (March, 1993). The Spiritual Path of Love in Ibn al-Arabi and Rumi. Mystics Quarterly. Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 4-16. Pennsylvania State University Press. (Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20717149)

Ford, Heidi A. (Fall, 1999). The Miracles of Rabi’a al-Adawiya. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. Vol. 15, No. 2. Indiana University Press. (Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25002363) 

Mannani, Manijeh. (Autumn, 2010). Metaphysics od the Heart in the Sufi Poetry of Rumi. Religion & Literature, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 161-168. The University of Notre Dame. 

Mirdal, Gretty M. (Decemeber, 2012). Mevlana Jalal-ad-Din Rumi and Mindfulness. Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 51, No. 4 (December 2012), pp. 1202-1215. Springer. (Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23352778)  

Robinson, Chase F. (2016). Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives the First 1,000 Years. pp. 169-177. University of California Press. Oakland, CA.

Schimmel, Annemarie. (April, 2017). Rumi: Sufi Mystic and Poet. Encyclopedia Britannica. (Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rumi) 

Links to Photos

http://www.eloriente-express.com/2014/04/el-anhelo-de-rabia-al-adawiyya.html

http://www.hellotravel.com/events/whirling-dervishes-festival 

http://sologak1.blogspot.com/p/400-rumi-quotes.html

http://www.ideachampions.com/poetry/archives/2016/09/on_a_bone_cold.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahāʾ_al-dīn_al-ʿĀmilī

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/435934438911749471/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/435934438911749471/

https://quotefancy.com/rumi-quotes 

http://www.al-huda.com/Article_3of122.htm 

http://www.sangemeel.com/ProductCatalog.aspx?SpecialSeries=Books%20on%20Rumi&Page=1 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/463518986620359721/

http://www.rumionfire.com/shams/