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Photographs of Konya (12)
Where Two Oceans met....
Jamil and Farhana Morris in
Konya (Dec 2001) at the place
where Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi
and Hazrat Shemsuddin Tabrizi
are thought to have had their
renowned first encounter. It has
recently been marked by this
modern erection as can be
seen. This has subsequently
been removed and it is thought
the actual place was a short
distance away.
It is situated on Mevlana
Caddesi between the shrines of
Mevlana Rumi and Hazrat
Shems.
Jamil and Farhana Morris in
Konya (Dec 2001) at the place
where Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi
and Hazrat Shemsuddin Tabrizi
are thought to have had their
renowned first encounter. It has
recently been marked by this
modern erection as can be
seen. This has subsequently
been removed and it is thought
the actual place was a short
distance away.
It is situated on Mevlana
Caddesi between the shrines of
Mevlana Rumi and Hazrat
Shems.
| 786 The Zahuri Sufi Web Site |
The Story of the Meeting of Shams and Molana
This is the story of meeting of two important figures of mysticism; Molana and Shams. This meeting had an
important effect in the world of Tassawuf (Islamic mysticism). Firstly I will introduce the characters.
Holy Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ,son of Abdollah,prophet of Islam was from the Quriash tribe of Mecca in Arabia who lived
about 1400years ago.
He was an untutored man, who had never been to school. In his youth he was involved in trade. People
used to call him "Muhammad Amin ". Amin means honest and trustworthy in Arabic. They called him this
because of his truthfulness and the trust that they had on him. In Moslems opinion he is the last Prophet of
the monotheistic faiths. He became an apostle at the age of forty. His revelations from God via Gabriel is
called "the Holy Quran" it is a divine miracle and it is the religious book of Moslems.
The Quran is a miracle since Muhammad could not read nor write and so he could not have written it
himself. He was a sincere man who always spoke the truth. He only recited the words of Allah, mostly as
conveyed by Angel Gabriel.
Molana(Rumi)
Jalal-al-din Mohammad known as Molana or Rumi, was a great Iranian mystic and poet born in 1207in
Balkh, a city in today's Afghanistan. His father Bahauddin Valid was one of the great Islamic scholars of his
time. He migrated with his family before the Mongolian attack and finally settled in Konya , a city in today's
turkey. Molana was educated by his father and other scholars and later on he taught at the seminary and
gave sermons.
Bayazid
Abu-yazid Teyfur commonly known as "Bayazid Bastami"(804-874),was a Persian Sufi from Bastam in
Iran. He is referred to as Sultan-al Arifin (king of mystics).
Divine love has a special place in Bayazid's mysticism. He was the pioneer of what later came to be known
as the "drunken or ecstatic "(sukre) school of Islamic mysticism. He was famous for the boldness of his
expressions of the mystic's complete absorption in God. Bayazid believed in the state of “union”. He believed
that the universe is nothing but a reflection of the Divine essence that encompasses everything and there is
only one Being and nothing but him.
Shams Tabrizi
Who is Shams? Shams al-din Mohammad (1185-1248) known as Shams, was one of the great
Ghalandars (wandering mystics) of the time. He was from Tabriz in present day Iran.
Not much is known about his life. He was an enigmatic figure, a wandering mystic walking on the spiritual
path of Love. His appearance was shabby and his manner rough and uncompromising. He searched the
world for someone who could understand his spiritual state. When Shams reached Konya he was in his
sixties and Molana known as “Our Lord” was 38 years old.
Sham’s and Molana’s first encounter.
One day as Molana was going home from school. He was riding through the market-place surrounded by
his disciples. Suddenly an unknown passerby, who was in fact Shams, came forward from the crowd and
gazed in Molana' s eyes and challenged him with a strange question;
“Who was greater, Bayazid or holy Muhammad?”
Molana replied: “Muhammad is greater than all the saints, how can Bayazid be compared to him?”
Shams asked again: “So why is it then that Muhammad said to God "I didn't know you as I should have"
while Bayazid proclaimed "Glory be to me, how exalted is my glory, there is nothing but God in my cloak".
Molana replied: Bayazid could be filled to capacity by a single expression of divine blessings, however
Muhammad was like an ocean.
In fact Shams wanted to test Molana with this question, it was kind of a trap and Molana had given the
most perfect and complete answer. Both Bayazid and holy Muhammad had spoken the truth. Bayazid had
said those words at his drunken state; he lost himself completely and was filled by God. On the other hand
holy Muhammad was a sincere man and he had to be able to receive many divine inspirations. His mission
was to found a religion so therefore his capacity was unlimited and his desire was endless and he was
always thirsty. For that reason he said "I have never known You as I should have".
Shams upon hearing these answers realised that he was face to face with the object of his longing, the
one he had prayed God to send him.
Their encounter was a turning point for Molana and it changed the course of life completely.
This is the story of meeting of two important figures of mysticism; Molana and Shams. This meeting had an
important effect in the world of Tassawuf (Islamic mysticism). Firstly I will introduce the characters.
Holy Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ,son of Abdollah,prophet of Islam was from the Quriash tribe of Mecca in Arabia who lived
about 1400years ago.
He was an untutored man, who had never been to school. In his youth he was involved in trade. People
used to call him "Muhammad Amin ". Amin means honest and trustworthy in Arabic. They called him this
because of his truthfulness and the trust that they had on him. In Moslems opinion he is the last Prophet of
the monotheistic faiths. He became an apostle at the age of forty. His revelations from God via Gabriel is
called "the Holy Quran" it is a divine miracle and it is the religious book of Moslems.
The Quran is a miracle since Muhammad could not read nor write and so he could not have written it
himself. He was a sincere man who always spoke the truth. He only recited the words of Allah, mostly as
conveyed by Angel Gabriel.
Molana(Rumi)
Jalal-al-din Mohammad known as Molana or Rumi, was a great Iranian mystic and poet born in 1207in
Balkh, a city in today's Afghanistan. His father Bahauddin Valid was one of the great Islamic scholars of his
time. He migrated with his family before the Mongolian attack and finally settled in Konya , a city in today's
turkey. Molana was educated by his father and other scholars and later on he taught at the seminary and
gave sermons.
Bayazid
Abu-yazid Teyfur commonly known as "Bayazid Bastami"(804-874),was a Persian Sufi from Bastam in
Iran. He is referred to as Sultan-al Arifin (king of mystics).
Divine love has a special place in Bayazid's mysticism. He was the pioneer of what later came to be known
as the "drunken or ecstatic "(sukre) school of Islamic mysticism. He was famous for the boldness of his
expressions of the mystic's complete absorption in God. Bayazid believed in the state of “union”. He believed
that the universe is nothing but a reflection of the Divine essence that encompasses everything and there is
only one Being and nothing but him.
Shams Tabrizi
Who is Shams? Shams al-din Mohammad (1185-1248) known as Shams, was one of the great
Ghalandars (wandering mystics) of the time. He was from Tabriz in present day Iran.
Not much is known about his life. He was an enigmatic figure, a wandering mystic walking on the spiritual
path of Love. His appearance was shabby and his manner rough and uncompromising. He searched the
world for someone who could understand his spiritual state. When Shams reached Konya he was in his
sixties and Molana known as “Our Lord” was 38 years old.
Sham’s and Molana’s first encounter.
One day as Molana was going home from school. He was riding through the market-place surrounded by
his disciples. Suddenly an unknown passerby, who was in fact Shams, came forward from the crowd and
gazed in Molana' s eyes and challenged him with a strange question;
“Who was greater, Bayazid or holy Muhammad?”
Molana replied: “Muhammad is greater than all the saints, how can Bayazid be compared to him?”
Shams asked again: “So why is it then that Muhammad said to God "I didn't know you as I should have"
while Bayazid proclaimed "Glory be to me, how exalted is my glory, there is nothing but God in my cloak".
Molana replied: Bayazid could be filled to capacity by a single expression of divine blessings, however
Muhammad was like an ocean.
In fact Shams wanted to test Molana with this question, it was kind of a trap and Molana had given the
most perfect and complete answer. Both Bayazid and holy Muhammad had spoken the truth. Bayazid had
said those words at his drunken state; he lost himself completely and was filled by God. On the other hand
holy Muhammad was a sincere man and he had to be able to receive many divine inspirations. His mission
was to found a religion so therefore his capacity was unlimited and his desire was endless and he was
always thirsty. For that reason he said "I have never known You as I should have".
Shams upon hearing these answers realised that he was face to face with the object of his longing, the
one he had prayed God to send him.
Their encounter was a turning point for Molana and it changed the course of life completely.
| Here is an account of the meeting between Mevlana and Shems Tabrizi as told by Yasmin Arjomand |