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Shams Tabrizi
Shams Tabrizi
Shams Tabrizi
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Key Information

Shams Tabrīzī[a] (1185–1248) was a Persian[1] dervish[1] and poet,[2] best known for his companionship with Rumi.

He is referenced with great reverence and grief in Rumi's poetic collection, in particular Divan-i Shams-i Tabrīzī. Tradition holds that Shams taught Rumi in seclusion in Konya for a period of forty days, before fleeing for Damascus. The tomb of Shams-i Tabrīzī was recently nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Life

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Bowl of Reflections, early 13th century. Brooklyn Museum.

According to Sipah Salar, a devotee and intimate friend of Rumi who spent forty days with him, Shams was the son of the Imam Ala al-Din. In a work entitled Manāqib al-'arifīn (Eulogies of the Gnostics), Aflaki names a certain 'Ali as the father of Shams-i Tabrīzī and his grandfather as Malikdad. Apparently basing his calculations on Haji Bektash Veli's Maqālāt (Conversations), Aflaki suggests that Shams arrived in Konya at the age of sixty years. However, various scholars have questioned Aflaki's reliability.[3]

Shams received his education in Tabriz and was a disciple of Baba Kamal al-Din Jumdi. Before meeting Rumi, he apparently traveled from place to place weaving baskets and selling girdles for a living.[4] Despite his occupation as a weaver, Shams received the epithet of "the embroiderer" (zarduz) in various biographical accounts including that of the Persian historian Dawlatshah Samarqandi. This however, is not the occupation listed by Haji Bektash Veli in the Maqālat and was rather the epithet given to the Isma'ili Imam Shams al-Din Muhammad, who worked as an embroiderer while living in anonymity in Tabriz. The transference of the epithet to the biography of Rumi's mentor suggests that this Imam's biography must have been known to Shams-i Tabrīzī's biographers. The specificities of how this transference occurred, however, are not yet known.[3]

Shams' first encounter with Rumi

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On 15 November 1244, a man in a black suit from head to toe came to the famous inn of Sugar Merchants of Konya. His name was Shams Tabrizi. He was claiming to be a travelling merchant. As it was said in Haji Bektash Veli's book, "Makalat", he was looking for something which he was going to find in Konya. Eventually he found Rumi riding a black horse.

One day Rumi was reading next to a large stack of books. Shams Tabriz, passing by, asked him, "What are you doing?" Rumi scoffingly replied, "Something you cannot understand." (This is knowledge that cannot be understood by the unlearned.) On hearing this, Shams threw the stack of books into a nearby pool of water. Rumi hastily rescued the books and to his surprise they were all dry. Rumi then asked Shams, "What is this?" To which Shams replied, "Mowlana, this is what you cannot understand." (This is knowledge that cannot be understood by the learned.)

A second version of the tale has Shams passing by Rumi who again is reading a book. Rumi regards him as an uneducated stranger. Shams asks Rumi what he is doing, to which Rumi replies, "Something that you do not understand!" At that moment, the books suddenly catch fire and Rumi asks Shams to explain what happened. His reply was, "Something you do not understand."[5]

After several years with Rumi in Konya, Shams left and settled in Khoy. As the years passed, Rumi attributed more and more of his own poetry to Shams as a sign of love for his departed friend and master. In Rumi's poetry Shams becomes a guide towards Allah's (Creator) love for mankind; Shams was a sun ("Shams" means "Sun" in Arabic) shining the Light of Sun as guide for the right path dispelling darkness in Rumi's heart, mind, and body on earth.

Death

[edit]
Tomb of Shams Tabrizi

According to contemporary Sufi tradition, Shams Tabrizi mysteriously disappeared: some say he was killed by close disciples of Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi who were jealous of the close relationship between Rumi and Shams, but according to many certain evidences, he left Konya and died in Khoy where he was buried. Sultan Walad, Rumi's son, in his Walad-Nama mathnawi just mentions that Shams mysteriously disappeared from Konya with no more specific details.[6][7]

Shams Tabrizi's tomb in Khoy, beside a tower monument in a memorial park, has been nominated as a World Cultural Heritage Center by UNESCO.[8]

Discourse of Shams Tabrīzī

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Tomb of Shams Tabrizi

The Maqalat-e Shams-e Tabrizi (Discourse of Shams-i Tabrīzī) is a Persian prose book written by Shams.[9] The Maqalat seems to have been written during the later years of Shams, as he speaks of himself as an old man. Overall, it bears a mystical interpretation of Islam and contains spiritual advice.

Some excerpts from the Maqalat provide insight into the thoughts of Shams:

  • Blessing is excess, so to speak, an excess of everything. Don't be content with being a faqih (religious scholar), say I want more – more than being a Sufi (a mystic), more than being a mystic – more than each thing that comes before you.
  • A good man complains of no-one; he does not look to faults.
  • Joy is like pure clear water; wherever it flows, wondrous blossoms grow…Sorrow is like a black flood; wherever it flows it wilts the blossoms.
  • And the Persian language, how did it happen? With so much elegance and goodness such that the meanings and elegance that is found in the Persian language is not found in Arabic.[10]
  • The meaning of the Book of God is not the text, it is the man who guides. He is the Book of God, he is its verses, he is scripture.[11]

An array of mystical poetry, laden with devotional sentiments and strong 'Alid inclinations, has been attributed to Shams-i Tabrīzī across the Persian Islamic world. Scholars such as Gabrielle van den Berg have sometimes questioned whether these were really authored by Shams-i Tabrīzī. However, later scholars have pointed out that it may instead be a question of whether the name Shams-i Tabriz has been used for more than one person. Van den Berg suggests that this identification is the pen name of Rumi. However she acknowledges that, despite the large number of poems attributed to Shams, that comprise the devotional repertoire of the Ismailis of Badakhshan, an overwhelming majority of these cannot be located in any of the existing works of Rumi. Rather, as Virani observes, some of these are located in the "Rose Garden of Shams" (Gulzār-i Shams), authored by Mulukshah, a descendant of the Ismaili Pir Shams, as well as in other works.[12]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Shams Tabrizi

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from Grokipedia
Shams-i Tabrizi (c. 1185–1248), also known as Shams al-Din , was a 13th-century Persian Sunni Muslim mystic and wandering from the city of in present-day , best known for his transformative spiritual mentorship of the renowned poet and Sufi master Jalal ad-Din . Born around 1185 in to a family with religious connections—his father was reportedly the scholar Ali (son of Malikdad)—Shams exhibited early signs of spiritual independence, rejecting formal education in favor of personal quest for divine truth. He spent much of his life traveling across the Islamic world, from to , seeking souls worthy of his esoteric teachings on love, ego dissolution, and union with , often engaging in provocative dialogues to shatter conventional piety. In October 1244, Shams arrived in , where he encountered the established jurist and theologian at a ; this chance meeting evolved into an intense, two-year companionship that radically altered Rumi's worldview, redirecting him toward ecstatic mysticism and poetry. Shams's influence is immortalized in Rumi's vast poetic corpus, particularly the Diwan-i Shams-i Tabrizi, a collection of over 40,000 verses dedicated to his mentor, reflecting themes of longing, divine love, and spiritual intoxication inspired by their bond. His own discourses, compiled posthumously as the Maqalat-e Shams-e Tabrizi (Discourses of Shams of ), offer raw, unconventional insights into Sufi thought, emphasizing direct over ritualistic observance and critiquing religious . Shams mysteriously vanished from in late 1247 or early 1248, with accounts suggesting he was murdered out of jealousy by Rumi's associates or students, though legends persist of his survival and further travels; his tomb is venerated in , . The legacy of Shams endures as a pivotal figure in Persian , symbolizing the disruptive power of authentic spiritual guidance and the primacy of love in the path to enlightenment, profoundly shaping 's legacy and influencing subsequent generations of .

Early Life and Background

Birth and Family Origins

Shams Tabrizi, also known as Shams al-Din Muhammad, was born around 1185 in , a city in the region of that formed part of the at the time. His birthplace positioned him within a vibrant cultural and intellectual hub of medieval Persia, where Persian and Islamic traditions intersected under Seljuk rule. He hailed from a devout Sunni Muslim family adhering to the of jurisprudence. His full name, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. 'Ali b. Malikdad al-Tabrizi, reflects his patrilineal descent, with his father, 'Ali b. Malikdad, serving as a religious scholar who contributed to the family's scholarly environment. Limited historical records exist on his mother, though the family's emphasis on religious learning suggests a lineage supportive of Islamic scholarship. From an early age, Shams received a rigorous education in the foundational , including the , , and (jurisprudence), primarily under his father's guidance and that of local Tabrizi scholars. This upbringing instilled a deep familiarity with orthodox Islamic teachings, though accounts indicate he concealed the extent of his erudition in later years.

Spiritual Formation and Early Travels

In his twenties, Shams Tabrizi rejected the settled scholarly life associated with his family's background in Tabriz, embracing instead the ascetic path of a wandering dervish, or qalandar, characterized by renunciation of worldly comforts and a relentless pursuit of spiritual truth. This transformation marked the beginning of his lifelong commitment to itinerant mysticism, where he sought not only personal enlightenment but also a disciple worthy of transmitting profound insights into divine love. Shams' early travels took him across Persia and , where he visited key centers of Islamic learning and Sufi activity, including , , , , , , and . These journeys, undertaken in search of deeper spiritual knowledge, exposed him to diverse interpretations of and allowed him to engage with fellow mystics, refining his unconventional views on faith. As a qalandar, Shams engaged in ascetic practices and provocative dialogues that challenged ritualistic observance in favor of direct experience of divine love (ishq), critiquing what he saw as hypocrisy in religious piety. This inner quest culminated in his search for a worthy spiritual companion capable of sharing authentic mystical authority.

Relationship with Rumi

First Encounter in Konya

In October 1244, Shams Tabrizi, a wandering Sufi from , arrived in , the bustling capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rūm in central , after decades of spiritual quests across Persia and beyond in search of a true companion capable of grasping divine realities. At the time, served as a major center of Islamic learning and Sufi activity under Seljuk rule, attracting scholars and mystics from across the region. Shams, then in his sixties and dressed in simple woolen garments, lodged at a local inn frequented by merchants, from where he observed the city's intellectual life. The fateful meeting with Jalal al-Din , a respected , theologian, and teacher at the local who had succeeded his father as head of a Sufi circle, unfolded soon after in a public square near the madrasa, possibly while Rumi was traveling by donkey accompanied by students and carrying religious texts. Shams boldly seized the donkey's reins and confronted Rumi with a piercing question rooted in Sufi paradox: "Why did exclaim 'How great is my majesty!' (or in some accounts, 'I am God'), attaining such spiritual intoxication, while the Prophet humbly declared, 'I have not known Thee (O God) as Thou deservest to be known'?" This query, drawn from contrasting reports of the Prophet's mi'raj (ascension) and Bayazid's ecstatic utterances, challenged the balance between prophetic humility and mystical union, testing Rumi's depth beyond conventional scholarship. Rumi, preoccupied with his books and offering only a distracted reply about the Prophet's superiority, prompted Shams to seize the volumes—including works by luminaries like Rumi's father Baha al-Din—and dramatically hurl them into a nearby or pool, declaring that true knowledge lay beyond ink and paper. Astonished, Rumi retrieved the sodden books, only to find them miraculously undamaged and dry, a sign that deepened his awe and symbolized detachment from in favor of direct spiritual insight. In that instant of recognition, Shams proclaimed Rumi as the destined friend he had long sought through divine guidance, and the two withdrew immediately to a private chamber in Rumi's home or a nearby khanqah for days of uninterrupted discourse on esoteric wisdom, marking the onset of their profound bond.

Mentorship and Transformative Influence

Following their initial encounter in , Shams Tabrizi and entered a profound phase of marked by extended from approximately 1244 to 1246, during which Shams deliberately isolated Rumi from his family, students, and teaching obligations to facilitate months of intensive, uninterrupted spiritual dialogues centered on divine , the dissolution of the ego, and union with the divine. This period of withdrawal allowed Shams to guide Rumi toward a deeper mystical , free from external distractions. Shams' pedagogical approach was unconventional and rigorous, employing harsh rebukes to dismantle Rumi's intellectual pride, enigmatic riddles to provoke , and ecstatic practices such as whirling and chanting to evoke transcendent states of , all designed to eradicate Rumi's attachment to scholarly authority and ignite ishq—the passionate, all-consuming love for the divine. These methods challenged Rumi's established identity as a , pushing him to confront the limitations of rational knowledge in favor of experiential union with . The impact of this mentorship on was transformative: he shifted from a conventional religious scholar focused on jurisprudence and to an ecstatic mystic whose inner awakening fueled his prolific output of devotional poetry, marking a pivotal evolution in his spiritual and creative life. However, this intense bond strained Rumi's personal relationships, particularly with his son Ala al-Din, who harbored resentment toward Shams for monopolizing his father's attention, and his wife Gowhar Khatun, who viewed the seclusion as neglectful of family duties; these tensions culminated in Shams' first temporary disappearance to in 1246, prompted by mounting familial discord, though he was persuaded to return after Rumi sent his other son, Sultan Walad, on an extensive search. Beyond the household, Shams' influence rippled through Rumi's broader social circle, inciting jealousy among his students and associates who accused Shams of being a disruptive outsider intent on derailing Rumi's respected position as and . This opposition underscored the radical nature of Shams' guidance, which prioritized spiritual rupture over social harmony.

Teachings and Writings

Core Sufi Philosophy

Shams Tabrizi's centered on the primacy of divine , known as ishq-haqiqi, as the essential force for spiritual realization, surpassing ritualistic adherence to religious forms and emphasizing an immediate, experiential union with the Divine. He critiqued hypocritical clerics and scholars who prioritized external titles and formalities over inner transformation, arguing that true faith demands heartfelt devotion rather than mechanical observance of laws. This approach positioned not as a secondary emotion but as an ontological power that connects the human soul directly to , bypassing intellectual analysis or institutional mediation. A core element of Shams' teachings was the concept of fana, or ego annihilation, which he viewed as the complete surrender of the self to achieve unity with the Divine, rendering scholarly credentials or saintly designations irrelevant to authentic sainthood. True spiritual elevation, in his estimation, required dissolving personal boundaries to reflect God's light un obstructed by ego, a process accessible through passionate love rather than ascetic withdrawal or doctrinal mastery. Shams rejected extreme asceticism, advocating instead for a balanced engagement with the world that maintains inner purity while embracing life's joys, using stories of prophets like Moses and Jesus as exemplars of devotion infused with human vitality and relational depth. Shams innovated by elevating as the universal, ultimate path to —one open to all seekers regardless of status, without need for clerical or mystical intermediaries. This of underscored his belief in direct personal encounter with the Divine, free from hierarchical constraints. His ideas profoundly shaped Rumi's shift toward a rooted in ecstatic .

The Discourses (Maqalat-e Shams)

The Maqalat-e Shams, known in English as The Discourses of Shams, represents a posthumous compilation of the oral teachings, conversations, and revelations delivered by Shams Tabrizi during his time in , primarily gathered in the 13th century by his disciples within al-Din Rumi's circle. These discourses were transcribed from memory and notes by close associates, including Sultan Walad, Rumi's son and successor. The collection, spanning the late 13th to early 14th century, encompasses over 700 distinct sections in Persian, forming the primary textual record of Shams' thought and serving as a foundational source for understanding his Sufi insights. In structure and style, the Maqalat eschews linear organization for an aphoristic and poetic form, characterized by short, vivid passages that blend spontaneous anecdotes, esoteric interpretations of Quranic verses, and bursts of personal mystical revelation. This non-systematic approach mirrors Shams' , which prioritized ecstatic over doctrinal rigidity, often unfolding through paradoxical statements and rhetorical flourishes to provoke inner awakening in . The text's conversational tone captures the immediacy of Shams' sessions with disciples, creating a dynamic, almost autobiographical narrative that reveals his spiritual journey and interactions. Central themes in the Discourses revolve around the annihilation of the ego through divine love, exemplified in parables like the moth's irresistible attraction to the flame, which illustrates the seeker's total surrender and burning away of selfhood to achieve union with the Beloved. Shams repeatedly critiques and the pitfalls of superficial religiosity, warning against the illusions of the (lower self) that hinder true , while extolling the master-disciple bond as a sacred conduit for , where the pir (spiritual guide) mirrors the seeker's potential for transcendence. These motifs underscore Shams' emphasis on over , drawing seekers toward unmediated intimacy with . The historical transmission of the Maqalat relies on medieval manuscripts housed in major libraries, including collections in Istanbul's Süleymaniye Library and Tehran's , which have informed modern critical editions like that of Mohammad Movahhed in 1990, based on collating six primary codices. Translations into Turkish appeared in the early , while the most comprehensive English rendering is William C. Chittick's 2004 edition, Me and Rumi: The Autobiography of Shams-i Tabrizi, which translates approximately two-thirds of the text and organizes it thematically to elucidate its profound influence on and 's own poetic evolution.

Disappearance and Legacy

Events Leading to Disappearance

After his earlier return from around 1246, tensions with 's family and associates, particularly his elder son Ala al-Din, who perceived Shams as an interloper diverting from his scholarly duties and family responsibilities, renewed in late 1247. These conflicts escalated from earlier jealousies within 's circle, where Shams' intense mentorship was seen as disruptive to traditional religious and social norms. In his final days in , Shams expressed forebodings of betrayal during conversations recorded in his discourses, warning of opposition from those close to and hinting at an impending separation. The last confirmed sighting of Shams occurred around December 1247, after which he vanished, with accounts suggesting he may have fled to or gone into hiding amid the growing hostility. Following Shams' earlier disappearance, Rumi had dispatched his younger son Walad to and , successfully bringing him back. After the final vanishing, Rumi entered profound despair, with searches yielding no results. This personal turmoil unfolded against the backdrop of political instability in Seljuk , marked by internal strife and the looming threat of Mongol incursions, which fueled rumors that Shams had fled to escape persecution or broader unrest.

Death Theories and Enduring Impact

The primary historical theory regarding Shams Tabrizi's death posits that he was murdered in 1248 by 's son Ala al-Din and several accomplices out of jealousy over Shams' close relationship with ; his body was allegedly thrown into a well near 's residence in . This account originates from the 14th-century Manaqib al-arifin by Shams al-Din Aflaki, which details the plot and subsequent disposal of the body, though Aflaki's work, composed decades after the event, incorporates legendary elements. Despite the tension, later reconciled with Ala al-Din, who expressed remorse before his own early death. Alternative theories suggest Shams undertook a self-imposed , possibly returning to or dying in around 1248, supported by accounts from Rumi's son Sultan Walad, which describe Shams' second departure without mentioning violence. These views are less substantiated than the narrative and emphasize Shams' wandering nature. In Sufi hagiographies, his disappearance is often interpreted symbolically as a spiritual ascension or union with the divine, transcending physical death. Local tradition has long associated a tomb in , , with Shams' final resting place; the site, featuring a 14th-century mausoleum rebuilt in later periods, became a venerated attracting pilgrims and has been nominated to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List. However, there are claims of other burial sites, such as in , , leading to scholarly debate on the exact location. Shams' enduring impact is evident in Rumi's poetry, particularly the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, a vast collection of over 3,000 ghazals composed in ecstatic praise of Shams, channeling his mentor's influence into Persian mystical literature. References to Shams also permeate Rumi's , underscoring themes of divine love and annihilation of the self. His teachings catalyzed the ecstatic form of embodied in the , founded by Rumi's followers, which emphasized spiritual intoxication (sama') and whirling dance. Today, Shams is revered in through the Khoy shrine, in via symbolic memorials in , and globally in Sufi studies as a pivotal figure in Islamic .

References

  1. https://www.academia.edu/45632355/Shams_Enlightened_by_the_Sun
  2. https://books.google.com/books/about/Rumi.html?id=EepjAAAAMAAJ
  3. https://iranpress.com/content/67007/shams-tabrizi-what-iran-known-for
  4. https://books.google.com/books/about/Me_Rumi.html?id=OJcaAQAAIAAJ
  5. https://westerneuropeanstudies.com/index.php/4/article/download/2293/1577/3324
  6. https://www.azargoshnasp.net/Pasokhbehanirani/PersianPoetRumi.htm
  7. https://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/D02193/2011_27/2011_12_27_NIZAMIM.pdf
  8. https://awliya.net/content/shams_tabrizi/
  9. https://academic.oup.com/book/5881/chapter/149158118
  10. https://thekashmirimages.com/2022/02/17/shams-tabrizi-the-sufi-behind-rumis-golden-lines/
  11. https://pdfcoffee.com/the-triumphal-sun-a-study-of-the-works-of-jalaluddin-rumi-4-pdf-free.html
  12. https://fonsvitae.com/product/me-and-rumi-the-autobiography-of-shams-i-tabrizi/
  13. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-48367-7_1
  14. https://www.profdrosmanegri.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/William-C.-Chittick-Me-and-Rumi-The-Autobiography-of-Shams-i-Tabrizi.pdf
  15. https://perlit.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_16832.html?lang=en
  16. https://americanjournal.org/index.php/ajrhss/article/download/2033/2914/3145
  17. https://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/rumi-shams.html
  18. https://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/shams-discourses-concord.html
  19. https://sufism.org/sufism/writings-on-sufism/the-conversations-maqalat-of-shams-of-tabriz-2
  20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26810294
  21. https://madainproject.com/tomb_of_shams_tabrizi
  22. https://simerg.com/2020/09/23/the-three-shams-in-ismaili-history-imam-shamsuddin-pir-shams-and-shams-tabriz/
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