Some of the sages say that the spirit is eternal. Some say that it is newly arrived —that is, at first it was not, then it came to be. Nonetheless, its quite some time since there was the togetherness of the spirits. The spirits are ranked troops. However, this togetherness is of different sorts. The tavern-goers have a togetherness, as do the workers of corruption.
Explore
Sufi
Shams-e-Tabrizi
Sufi1185 – 1248Tabriz (in present-day Iran)1,884 quotes
Shams-e-Tabrizi was a Persian Sufi mystic, dervish, and poet whose luminous companionship inspired the great poet Rumi and helped awaken one of history's most beloved spiritual voices. Revered as a living embodiment of direct, experiential love of the Divine, his name means 'Sun of Tabriz.'
Shams-e-Tabrizi, whose name beautifully means "the Sun of Tabriz," was a Persian Sufi mystic, wandering dervish, and poet born around 1185 in the city of Tabriz, in what is today northwestern Iran. He stands among the most cherished spiritual figures of the Islamic mystical tradition, remembered above all as the radiant companion who awakened the heart of Jalal ad-Din Rumi and helped kindle in him one of the world's most beloved voices of divine love. Through that single, luminous friendship, the light of Shams continues to shine across centuries and cultures. Shams belonged to the rich devotional world of Sufism, the inward, contemplative dimension of Islam that seeks nearness to God through love, remembrance, and direct experience of the sacred. He was nurtured in the Islamic learning of his day, yet his heart reached always toward the living spirit that gives learning its life. As a dervish, he embraced a life of holy wandering, simplicity, and serene detachment from worldly comfort, traveling from city to city in search of true companions of the spirit. Tradition affectionately remembers him as a seeker who longed to share the fullness of his inner station with a kindred soul. His era was one of remarkable spiritual flourishing. Born in the late twelfth century, Shams lived through a time when the lands of Anatolia and the wider region were vibrant centers of learning, poetry, and devotion. It was into this world that he carried his message of awakening, journeying at last to the city of Konya, where a meeting of souls awaited him. The encounter that defined his legacy took place around 1244, when Shams arrived in Konya. There he met the renowned scholar Rumi, and their souls recognized one another at once. According to cherished tradition, Shams lovingly invited Rumi toward a knowledge that cannot be contained on any page but must be lived, tasted, and breathed. A beloved story remembers Shams and a collection of books beside a fountain, treasured as a gentle image of how the deepest truths flow from direct mystical experience as well as from study. Shams taught that the heart of Sufism is found not only in reading but in "going and doing" — in walking the path itself. From this meeting blossomed one of the most profound spiritual companionships in human history. Tradition holds that Shams accompanied Rumi through a period of devoted seclusion, immersing him in the practices of the heart. Under Shams's inspiration, Rumi opened ever more fully to music, sung poetry, and the contemplative movement of the sama, the Sufi practice of devotional listening and turning. The friendship was so transformative that Rumi came to see in Shams a mirror of the Divine Beloved, and a wellspring of his own poetic and spiritual flowering. Shams's core teachings centered on living, experiential nearness to God that gives true meaning to learning. He celebrated inner transformation, the purification of the heart, and a love so complete that it gently dissolves the boundaries of the separate self. For Shams, the aspiration was not merely to accumulate knowledge but to become knowledge alight with love — to be remade entirely by the presence of the Divine. His vision invited seekers to journey beyond the surface toward the boundless inner ocean of spiritual realization. Though Shams left few writings of his own, his words were lovingly preserved by those who treasured him and by Rumi's circle. The Maqalat-e Shams-e Tabrizi, the "Discourses of Shams," is a Persian prose collection gathering his sayings, reflections, and mystical insights. Even more enduringly, Rumi enshrined his beloved companion's memory in the magnificent Divan-i Shams-i Tabrizi, naming his great collection of ecstatic lyric poetry after Shams as the very source of his inspiration. In these verses, Shams is invoked with deep reverence and tender longing, his name forever woven into the fabric of the world's spiritual heritage. In his later years, Shams journeyed onward and is remembered in connection with the city of Khoy, where tradition holds that he passed away around 1248 and was laid to rest. His resting place there has long been honored and has been put forward for recognition among the world's treasured heritage sites, a testament to his lasting place in the devotional memory of humanity. The enduring legacy of Shams-e-Tabrizi is immeasurable. Through his selfless gift of awakening, he helped kindle the flame that became Rumi's poetry — verses now read, sung, and treasured by millions across every continent and faith. Shams remains a luminous symbol of spiritual friendship, of the love that liberates, and of the truth that wisdom is ultimately a matter of the awakened heart. To this day he is celebrated as the Sun whose light, reflected through a single devoted soul, continues to warm and guide seekers everywhere.
Wisdom
But here I am speaking of the togetherness that is with the spirit. Gods knowledge encompasses all. But, this togetherness is with God. Surely God is with those who are godfearing [16:128]. He also says, Surely God is with us [9:40]. So, if at the beginning of his created nature the spirit of the Tatar had been familiar with us in that togetherness, right now he would be familiar with us, and with lmad as well.
God addressed that togetherness: "I am going to bring into existence the vicegerent of water and clay, and I am going to make you his progeny in the world of water and clay. They said, "Our God, we are at ease with You in this world of togetherness. We fear that we will become scattered and remain far from this.” He said, "I know that you do not speak these words by way of protest and discourtesy.
So, seek refuge in Me, and fear lest your togetherness be scattered. You should know that I am perfect in power. My power has no defect. In your very clothing and veil, I will gather you together and I will give you familiarity and togetherness with each other.”
Beyond the world of water and clay, after the mountain of the Unseen, we were mixed together like Gog and Magog. All of a sudden, we rose up from there and came down at the call Fall down! [2:36]. From far away we saw the outline of the province of existence. From afar, the outskirts of the city and the trees were not apparent. In the same way, during infancy we saw nothing of this world.
Little by little that came about. The harm of the bait and the trap gradually came forth to us. The flavor of the bait overcame the sufłering of the trap. Otherwise, existence would have been impossible. (742) 4 Mv YEARS WITHOUT MAWLANA I came into this world to look around. I heard words without w, O, r, d, and s, and there was speech without s, p, e, e, c, h.
I was hearing words from this side. I said to speech without letters, "If you are speech, what are these?” It said, "For me, they re toys.” l said, "Then you sent me to toys?” It said, "No, you wanted it. You wanted to have a house in water and clay, while I not know and not see.” Then I heard all the words, and [ was looking upon the level of all speech.
In the time of my childhood, a marvelous apparition had come down upon me. No one was aware of my state. My father was unaware of my state. He was saying, "First of all, you are not mad. I dont know whats going on with you. Its also not the rearing and discipline, and its not such and such.” I said, Listen to one word from me: With me you're like duck eggs put under a hen.* The hen nurtured them, and baby ducks appeared.
When the baby ducks became a bit larger, they went with the mother to the edge of the stream and entered the water. Their mother was a hen. She ran along the edge of the stream, with no possibility of going into the water. Now, father, I see that the ocean has become my mount, and this is my homeland and state. If you are of me or I am of you, come into the ocean.
If not, go back to the hens. Thats where you're hung up.” He said, "If you are like this with friends, how do you act with enemies?
I never let my father see che outward form of my acts of obedience. How could I have wanted to make manifest my inwardness and my inward states? Hle was a good man, and he had a nobility. If you said a few words, the tears would roll down his beard. But, he was not a lover. A good man is one thing, a lover sornething else. (119) Childhood 5 The fault is that of my father and mother, for they brought me up with so much kindness.
When the cat would make a mess and break the bowl, my father would not strike it in front of me or say anything. Laughing, he would say, 'What did you do this time? Its good. That was destiny, and it passed in this way. Otherwise, it might have fallen on you, or on me, or on mother.* The Lord took us to harm, but He brought it to pass in kindness.” From the reed they make candy with cajolery, from the worm they make silk with the passing of days.
Make slowness your trade, show patience, from grapes they make halva with time. *(625-26) There was a mad man who used to speak of unseen things. Whenever they tried to put him into a house, they would find him outside. One day my father had turned away from me and was talking to some people. The man came in anger toward him, his fist pulled back. He said, '*Were it not for this child,” pointing at me, "I would take you and throw you in the river.
That was a river that would have taken away an elephant, flowing into the salt desert. Then he turned to me and said, "May you be happy!” He saluted and went away. I never lost at dice—not out of trylng, but by nature. My hands wouldn't stay busy with anything. Wherever there was preaching, I would go there.
Inside me, theres good news. I wonder at these people who are happy without that good news. If they were to be given golden crowns, that should still not satisfy them: "What should we do with these? We want opening on the inside. Let them take away everything we have and give us what belongs to us in reality. When I was a child, they used to say to me, *Why are you sad? 6 My YEARS WITHOUT MAWLANA Do you need clothes? Money?" I used to say, "I wish they would take away even the clothes that I have, and then give me over to me.
When I[ was still growing up, not having reached puberty, for thirty or forty days love took away my desire for food. If they spoke of food, I would go like this with my hands and pull back my head. Yes, what a time that was. They would give me a mouthful of food. I would accept it and be polite, but conceal it my sleeve. With such a love, the Companion with His hot state seized me in the sama.
He was turning me around like a little bird. Like a husky young man who hasn't eaten for three days and finds bread—he grabs it, breaks it quickly and hastily. I was like that in His hand. My two eyes were like two plates full of blood. I was hearing a voice — "He still raw. Leave him in a corner somewhere so he can burn in himself!” Now, God forbid, if you had brought a prostitute from the tavern—I was dancing a hundred times more quickly and skillfully.
When a sincere man begins to dance, the seven heavens, the earth, and all creatures begin to dance. Ifa Muhammadan believer is dancing in the east* and there is a Muhammadan in the west, he also will be dancing and joyful. (677-78) IO. The discussion was that when I was small, I had lost my appetite. Three or four days would pass and I would eat nothing—not because of the words of people, but because of the words of the howless and whyless God.
My father was saying, 'Oh my poor boy!” My mother was saying, 'He won't eat anything.” I said, "After all, Im not becoming weak. My strength is such that if you want, FI fly like a bird out the window.” Every four days, a little lethargy would overcome me, just a moment, and then it would go. Not a bite would go down. "What has happened to you?” "Nothing has happened.
Do I appear mad? Have I torn anyones clothes? Have I jumped at you? Have I torn your clothes?” "But you don't eat anything.” My Teaching Career 7 "Today Pm not eating. *"Iomorrow, the day after, the next day?” What is a ' fellow townsman' ? My father knew nothing of me. I was a stranger in my own town. My father was a foreigner to me, my heart was afraid of him.