It may come as a surprise that a Sufi mystic from the thirteenth century is among the top-selling poets globally. In 2014, the BBC named the Persian poet Rumi as the best-selling poet in the United States, resonating with readers through his passionate verses on love, loss, and enlightenment, which have a universal appeal.
Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi remains a captivating yet enigmatic figure throughout history, captivating audiences with his powerful and enlightening words such as “I have beheaded anger with the sword of patience” and “Words of praise taste delicious, / But be careful, they are filled with fire.” Rumi’s charm lies in his ability to offer inspirational wisdom through relatable imagery and everyday language, bridging Eastern and Western perspectives with common sense and ancient allure.
However, one of the enduring mysteries surrounding Rumi has been his life story. Who was the person behind these enchanting bursts of wisdom? Respected biographer Brad Gooch, known for his notable biographies on Flannery O’Connor and Frank O’Hara, delved into this mystery by not only immersing himself in texts but also embarking on a 2,500-mile journey tracing Rumi’s footsteps. Gooch followed Rumi’s path along the ancient Silk Road in places like Iran, near Damascus on Mount Qasiyun, in Uzbekistan, and in Konya, Turkey, where Rumi spent a significant part of his life. To fully comprehend Rumi’s work, Gooch dedicated months to studying Persian language and collaborated with Iranian-American writer Maryam Mortaz on translations for Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love.
The result of Gooch’s deep dive into Rumi’s world is a remarkable and groundbreaking book that unravels Rumi’s journey from being a revered scholar and preacher of the “turbaned class” to ultimately renouncing his fame in favor of a life characterized by humility and speaking from the heart rather than engaging in the “formal double-talk” of the educated elite. The turning point in this transformation was Rumi’s close friendship with Shams of Tabriz, an unconventional outsider whose enlightenment stemmed from a life of wandering, odd jobs, and defiance. When Rumi (in his thirties) crossed paths with Shams (in his sixties), a profound disciple-master bond was formed.
Through skillful insight and clear narrative, Gooch offers readers a glimpse into this secluded and transformative relationship. Readers witness how Shams’s influence led Rumi to embrace more approachable analogies, departing from his scholarly demeanor to find his authentic voice. Shams’s teachings became the foundation of Rumi’s poetry, using metaphors like cooking to explain the evolution of the human spirit through separation’s workings. This imagery, portraying how love involves both union and separation, became a recurring theme in Rumi’s poetry and conversations, with Rumi likening the transformative process to a chickpea undergoing suffering in boiling water.
Following the loss of Shams, a mentor, friend, and potentially lover, Rumi experienced another transformative chapter in his life. Shams’s sudden disappearance after two and a half years marked a profound loss but also served as a final lesson for Rumi. Grieving deeply, Rumi channeled his emotions into poetic expressions and a spinning dance known as sama, attempting to recreate the closeness he shared with Shams in this mystical dance of enlightenment. Despite forming new relationships, Shams’s absence and the meditative whirling became Rumi’s primary sources of inspiration and creativity.
Through Brad Gooch’s evocative storytelling and insightful analysis, readers are immersed in the ancient Arab, Persian, and Turkic worlds that shaped Rumi’s ecstatic yet pragmatic poetry. Gooch’s eloquent prose vividly captures the essence of these worlds, offering a profound understanding of how they influenced Rumi’s work. With Rumi’s Secret, Gooch not only delivers a masterful literary biography but also presents Rumi in a profound light at a time when his teachings resonate more than ever. In the words of Rumi, “When you light your lamp, you are not one, you are thousands.”
