About The Book
Translation of Books 1,2,3,4,& 5 and Commentary by Reynold A. Nicholson (Covering all 8 Volumes of Reynold A. Nicholson's Work).
Note: On the Cover of Volume 5 it says Commentary of Books 3 & 4 whereas on the Title & Contents Page it makes it clear that it contains the commentary of Volumes 3, 4, 5 &6.
Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi's Epic poem, the Mathnawi, is one of the best known and most influential works of Muslim mysticism. This is a complete translation of the six books of the poem that amount to more than 25,000 verses. The work pursues its way through hundreds of stories used to illustrate the main theme: man's predicament in his search for God. A world class and timeless piece of literature.
'The Qur'an begins with the command Read! while the Mathnawi begins with the command Listen! The latter is an explanation of the former. We are told: Listen to the divine word! Listen to its secrets! Listen to the truth hidden within you! In other words, breezes emanating from the Mathnawi, originating in the truth and secrets of the glorious Qur'an, fan the fire of spiritual love in the hearts of students on the spiritual path.
These mystic poems remind us of Rumi's extraordinary skill in blending the philosophy of Sufism with poetry. At every age of history when people find themselves helpless in the midst of hatred and despair, Rumi's poems appear as a guiding star showing the way of love and compassion. During his lifetime he wrote 3500 poems and 2000 sonnets and the epic 'Mathnawi'.
A careful reader of Rumi will realise that these literary works are indeed not bound by just a certain period of time in history, and are not limited to a certain country or group of people. Rather the works of Rumi are very distinct in comparison to other poets. Perhaps due to this distinctness, The Mathnawi has achieved the status of Sharif Among many Muslim.
Emotion plays an important role in Rumi's creativity, for Rumi himself had an intense sense of emotion. It seems that Rumi never wanted to hide this aspect of his personality; rather he applied it in quite an admirable manner to ornament his poems.
It is said the Mathnawi opens our eyes to see, feel and love the unseen, and build a bridge between God and man
There are so many views of Rumi, and so many ways to read him? How can so many types of contemporary readers connect so intimately, and apparently quite sincerely, with this long-dead 'medieval writer'
About Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi (d. 672)
Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi was the son, father, and grandfather of great Sunni Hanafi Jurists, teachers, and qadis, originating from Balkh or Kabul and settled in and around Istanbul. Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani in al-Durar al-Kamina (1:352) cites him as "Mawlana" in the vibrant notice on his son Baha' al-Din Ahmad, known as Sultan ibn Mawlana, "one of the Imams of the Hanafi Masters, the brilliant, ascetic, pious Faqih, Usuli, and grammarian who trod the path of his father in leaving the world behind."
Mawlana's full name is Muhammad ibn Muhammad (ibn Muhammad) ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn Qasim ibn Habib ibn `Abd Allah ibn `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddiq al-Hashimi. Hajji Khalifa said in Kashf al-Zunun (1:367): "He was a thoroughly knowledgeable Imam in Fiqh according to the School of Abu Hanifa - Allah be well-pleased with him - and he was knowledgeable in the science of juridical differences, then he devoted himself to worship exclusively. Miraculous gifts (karaamaat) are mass-transmitted from him. Allah have mercy on him."
He is known in the West as a "mystical" poet, mostly because of the translation of his large Persian book of poetry of singular beauty, the Mathnawi.
As for the claim that "He invited people to the Aqeedah of Wahdat-ul-Wujoud and to the Aqeedah of the oneness/unity of all religions", then Allah Most High said, {Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful} and He said, {O you who believe! If an evil liver bring you tidings, verify it, lest you smite some folk in ignorance and afterward repent of what you did}.
About The Translator
Reynold A. Nicholson : English Orientalist, lecturer in Persian and Sir Thomas Adams professor of Arabic at Cambridge university, Reynold A. Nicholson was a foremost scholar in the field of Islamic literature and mysticism. He was born at Keighley, Yorkshire in 1868. He was a renowned author and recognized authority on Islam.
His Literary History of the Arabs (1907) remains a standard work on the subject in English, while his many text editions and translations of Sufi writings, culminating in his eight-volume Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi, advanced the study of Muslim mystics to an eminent degree.
His Literary History of the Arabs (1907) remains a standard work on the subject in English, while his many text editions and translations of Sufi writings, culminating in his eight-volume Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi, advanced the study of Muslim mystics to an eminent degree.
