Fundamentals of Rumi's Thought: A Mevlevi Sufi Perspective

by Şefik Can, Zeki Sarıtoprak (Translator)

This work attempts to present Rumi to the English-speaking world and to shed light on his life as seen from within the Islamic mystical tradition. The knowledge presented in this work comes from Sefik Can, a great expert of Rumi and who used to be the highest authority, Sertariq, of the Mevlevi Sufi order in Turkey until he passed away on January 24, 2005. Two aspects of this work make it unique. The first is that the book was originally authored by a man who is ninety five years old and who has dedicated his entire life to the teachings of Rumu. Such a Mevlevi's view of Rumi makes this work greatly valuable. The second important contribution to the book is the foreword, which was translated by from the original turkish, written by M. Fethullah Gulen, a prominent Muslim thinker and interfaith activist of Turkey.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Religion

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

Şefik Can, Türk mütefekkiri, mutasavvıf, araştırmacı yazar, emekli albay, şair, edebiyat öğretmenliği gibi çok yönlü kişiliği ile tanınır.

Şefik Can (1909) senesinde Erzurum'un Terbicik köyünde doğdu. İlk okulu Yıldızeli'nde bitirdi. Çocuk yaşında babasından Arapça ve Farsça öğrendi. Kuleli Askeri Lisesi'ni 1929'da, Harp Okulunu 1931 senesinde bitirdi. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı'nın izniyle, İstanbul Üniversitesi'nde imtihan vererek öğretmenlik belgesi aldı. 1935 senesinde Kuleli Askeri Lisesi'nde Tahirü'l-Mevlevî (Tahir Olgun) merhumun maiyetinde stajını tamamlayarak öğretmenliğe başladı. 1965 senesinde emekli oluncaya kadar, çeşitli askerî okullarda, sivil kolej ve liselerde Türkçe ve Edebiyat öğretmenliği yaptı. Kişisel gayretleri ile İngilizce, Fransızca ve Rusça öğrendi. Hz. Mevlâna ve eserleri üzerine yapmış olduğu çalışmalarından dolayı, 2001 yılında Üstün Hizme Ödülü alan Şefik Can, 2005 yılında vefat etti.

Reviews

[Jiwa Rasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini patut dibaca oleh peminat Rumi. Selama ini rumi dikenal melalui terjemahan karyanya ke dalam bahasa Inggeris oleh Nicholson, AJ Arberry dan ulasan oleh Coleman Barks, William Chittick atau Annemarie Schimmel. Buku ini ditulis oleh pengamal tarikat sufi Mawlana. Malah Sefik Can adalah pemimpin tarikat sufi Mawlana di Turki. Tulisan beliau telah menjernihkan kekeliruan pengkagum Rumi tentang fahaman dan pegangan agama beliau.

Pengkagum Rumi di belahan dunia barat telah mengkultuskan Rumi dan telah memahami karya Rumi menggunakan sudut pandang barat. Petikan karya Rumi sering digunakan bagi mengukuhkan fahaman Pluralisme agama yang menyetarakan semua agama.

Buku ini memberikan perspektif yang adil dan segar tentang Jalaluddin Rumi dari sudut pandang Islam dan pengamal sufi. Penjelasan tentang beberapa konsep dan amalan sufi seperti tarian berputar, reinkarnasi dan wahdatul wujud sebagai contoh telah diberikan dengan baik oleh penulis.

[Mehran Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that left the most long lasting impression on me. Although the markets are inundated with a lot of stuff on Rumi, I could not smell Rumi in those. They came in contrast with the Rumi's Mesnevi. Among other things had a lot of quotations, some of which were life-changing, and had a good prose, but the Rumi was missing there.

So I came across this by chance. It has many excerpts from Rumi's books (Mesnevi, and Deevan-e-Kabeer). Due to some understanding of Persian I will say that translation is beyond any doubt superb.

But before I proceed, I want to clarify who was Rumi? I will emphasize that Rumi was not a philosopher, nor was he a poet (as he said himself). He was a mystic or a sufi. But what's the definition of a mystic? You'll know after reading this book.

The book deals with Rumi's life, his works and his views about different concepts, such as, beauty, music, life, and many other confusing ones. But it erases all the confusions and then replaces them with a clarity. Rumi, through the pen of the author, instead of messing up organizes and arranges them like neatly placed books on a shelve. He instills clarity in readers' minds and converges their thoughts into a singularity. Such a singularity that doesn't limits us but let's us step out of the bubble made by the world of forms.

About the author, I can say that he knew Rumi and his teachings more than any other writer (contemporary or old) who has written something about Rumi. Sefik Can used to be the highest authority, Sertariq, of the Mevlevi Sufi order in Turkey until he passed away on January 24, 2005. He wrote it when he was ninety five years old and he has dedicated his entire life to the teachings of Rumi.

I'll recommend it to everyone who is searching for the meaning of everything around him and is bogged down in the ideas and works of different philosophers in his/her pursuit.

PS If the strange rituals of whirling dervishes bewilder you then this book decrypts them.

[Hadeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe this is one of the rare books that really portrays how Rumi's life was like contrary to the western deluded perspective of viewing Rumi apart from his Islamic roots. Rumi: "I am the dust under the feet of Muhammad."

" We have to pray to God to let us know Him"
" what is the world? The world is the state of being unaware of God."

" Man's battle with his lower self is the greatest battle. To win the battle we need to know ourselves, where we came from and what we are. We need to take off the bond of the body from the spirit, turn our heads to the heavens, bec our place isnt the dirty soil."

[Akmal A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rumi atau nama sebenarnya Jalal ad-Din nama yang tidak asing lagi dalam sejarah umat Islam dan dunia kerana penulisannya yang bisa membangkitkan jiwa yang dahagakan cinta. Cinta yang agung asalnya dari hubungan yang utuh antara Tuhan dan Manusia itulah menjadi falsafah pegangan Rumi.

Buku ini mengulaskan tentang pandangan Rumi walaupun tidak secara details namun sedikit sebanyak memberi penjelasan tentang fahaman dan pandangan Rumi tentang Islam dan lebih khusus lagi mengenai sufism. Bagi aku apa yang menarik didalam buku karaya Sefik Can ini ialah di dalam bab dua, disertakan syair-syair indah karya Rumi dan juga penyair-penyair lain dari timur dan juga barat.

Aku menjadi lebih kagum dengan Rumi kerana beliau menulis syair-syair yang indah ini semasa dunia Islam berada dalam keadaan yang tidak aman kerana serangan tentera Mongol dan tentera Salib. Namun begitu, tidak ada luahan atau keluhan nasib yang dicatatkan oleh Rumi melainkan hanya puisi yang penuh makna spiritual dan berunsurkan positif. Buku ini mesti dibaca untuk jiwa yang dahagakan cinta!

[Linar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Еще в прошлом году я начал читать эту книгу. Но как-то получилось так, что я ее тогда забросил. И вот сейчас, наконец-то я ее прочитал. И, друзья, это лучшая книга, какую я когда-либо читал. Она так классно легла на душу. Она прямо-таки дополняет и обновляет мое мировоззрение. Невероятно крутая книга! Я не думал, что когда-нибудь это скажу, но Гюго с его великолепными "Отверженными" теперь на втором месте в списке моих самых любимых книг.