Me & Rumi : The Autobiography of Shams-i Tabrizi

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Me & Rumi :
The Autobiography of Shams-i Tabrizi,
*[A5+] Large Glossy Paperback - 434 pages,
Translated & Annotated by William C.Chittick,
Published by Fons Vitae.

Back in Stock August 2021

Description :

The astounding autobiography of the man who transformed Rumi from a learned religious teacher into the world’s greatest poet of mystical love. Shams-i Tabrizi, may Allah be pleased with him, was the teacher and intensely close personal friend of Jalaluddin al-din Rumi, may Allah be pleased with him, arguably the greatest poet of Sufism.

Now that Rumi has become one of the best-selling poets in North America, interest in his life and times has increased dramatically. Practically every collection of his poetry provides a thumbnail biography, highlighting his encounter with Shams-i Tabrizi, the wandering mystic who became Rumi’s beloved companion. Rumi had been a sober scholar, teaching law and theology to a small circle of students, but the coming of Shams turned him into a devotee of music, dance, and poetry. Three years after Shams’s appearance out of nowhere, he abruptly vanished, never to be seen again. It was Rumi’s longing for the lost Shams that transformed him into one of the world’s greatest poets. Rumi immortalized Shams’s name by constantly celebrating him in his poetry as the embodiment of the divine beloved.

Everyone interested in Rumi’s poetry has been curious about Hazrat Shams Tabriz, May Allah be pleased with him, and beginning with Rumi’s own son and other hagiographers, a great deal of legend was built up. Over the centuries Shams became a trope of Persian, Turkish, and Urdu literatures. Modern scholarship has made little headway in explaining who Shams was or how he was able to play such a decisive role in Rumi’s life, though a good number of theories have been advanced.

Me and Rumi represents a true milestone in the study of this enigmatic figure. It makes available for the first time in any European language first-hand accounts of Shams that have never been studied by Western scholars. When Rumi and Shams sat and talked, one or more members of the circle took notes. These were never put into final form, but they were preserved and sometimes copied by later generations, ending up in various libraries scattered around Turkey. Fifteen years ago an Iranian scholar completed the long process of collating and editing the manuscripts. The book that he published, called Maqalat-i Shams-i Tabrizi, “The Discourses of Shams-i Tabrizi”, provides us with an extraordinary picture of an awe-inspiring personality.

In Me and Rumi William C. Chittick has translated about two-thirds of the Discourses into English and arranged them in a manner that clarifies their meaning and context. He provides notes and a glossary, which will go a long way toward helping readers decipher the more obscure passages. The net result is an exciting and readable book that brings Shams to life. For the first time in Western sources we are given access to him without the intermediary of Rumi and the myth-makers. Shams appears as raucous and sober, outspoken and subtle, harsh and gentle, learned and irreverent, and above all as an embodiment of the living presence of God. This large book destroys the stereotypes that have been set up by the secondary literature, and it gives access to a far more fascinating and vivid personality than we have any right to expect from what hagiographers and scholars have written.

Reviews :

"Imagine that you could go somewhere each morning, say to a corner of the sugar merchants' caravanserai, and hear Shams Tabriz talk about the veiling of the heart, the nature of exertion, or how to move beyond the agitated state of question and answer. This book gives entry into that astonishing presence. Go there for an hour a day, however long it takes. Then read Rumi's poetry and feel their opening Friendship in you. Bless William Chittick." _{---Coleman Barks}.

"William Chittick’s masterful translation of the Maqalat of Shamsi Tabrizi moves Rumi’s beloved mentor from the shadows into the light, and restores Shams to the central position of prominence that he so richly deserves. This work immediately joins the indispensable short list of scholarly works on Rumi and his community. Highly recommended for all scholars and students of Sufism, Islamic Philosophy, Persian literature, and of course for all the legions of Rumi fans."_{---Annemarie Schimmel}.

Table of Contents :

---Foreword,
---Translator's Introduction.

---[1]. My Years without Mawlana :
------Childhood,
------My Teaching Career,
------My Travels,
------Teachers and Shaykhs I Have Met.

---[2]. My Path to God :
------The Profit and Loss of Study,
------Philosophy,
------Following Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
------The Religion of Old Women,
------The Guidance of the Shaykh,
------Avoiding Caprice,
------The Companion of the Heart,
------The Saints,
------My Interpretations of Scripture.

---[3]. My Time with Mawlana :
------Our Encounter,
------My Spiritual Mastery,
------Mawlana's Exalted Station,
------Our Companionship,
------My Instructions to the Circle,
------My Critics,
------My Harshness with Friends,
------My Return from Aleppo.

---Abbreviations and Works Cited,
---Notes to the Passages,
---Index of Qur'anic Verses,
---Index of Hadiths and Sayings,
---Index and Glossary of Names and Terms,
---Table of Sources.