Sunday, February 21, 2021

The falsehood of Shams's killing in Konya: There are aspects of Shams's life, particularly after he had left Konia for good, that need to be explored. It is untrue that Shams was killed in the reported attack on his life by his enemies among Rumi's students, including Alauddin, Mowlana's own son.The fact of the matter is that Rumi never believed in the rumour spread by his sympathisers in order to detach him emotionally and spiritually from his Master. That Rumi gave little credence to the story of shams's death is evident from his undertaking at least two, if not more, journeys to Damascus, not a nearby place, to locate Shams when the travellers reported having seen him there. Rumi's poems, particularly in Divan-e Shams Tabriz also speak of his belief that Shams was alive, only lost to him. I am fascinated by the post-Rumi period of Shams's life. I have spent more than 50 years researching this. I acquainted myself with Persian and Gujrati and spent a lot of time cruising through labrynth of books in libraries in Lahore and Karachi during my collegiate period (1955-59). In the united States, I learnt a lot during my readings at the Montclair (New Jersey) and the Princeton University Libararies. The conclusions I had arrived at after years of search and exploration were finally confirmed during a virtual the 14 days Retreat in the fascinating Oriental Languages Section on the 6th Floor of Cambridge University Library. It was very fulfilling, indeed a life changing experience. It was as if I had discovered treasure trove. Thanks to the Assistant librarion Ms: Butterfiled with whom I had been coresponding for several weeks prior to my visiting Cambridge. I owe a lot of gratitude to her. she had been constructing a list of books I had been longing to study. At my arrival, I was given the guest scholar card she had left for me, with the list of books since she had gone on vocation. I was escorted to an assigned section of the library, where Ms.Butterfield had placed all the books I had requested, with a kind note. She had discovered for me the hand written Manuscripts of Maqalate Shams Tabrizi. This was the original record of Shams's conversations with Rumi, recorded by Sultan Vald, the son of Jalaluddin Rumi. And she left a Permission Card that would allow me to visit the Archives Room of the library, to peruse the most rare and coveted Manuscript. I was thrilled and felt as if I was in Konya in the 13th century, in the company of Rumi and Shams! Ms. Butterfiled had also found for me the English translation of a hggod part of Maqalat Shams by Shahbuddin Khorasani who had written thesis on the Maqalat for his Doctrate, in 1961. This was an added pleasure, since it saved me a lot of time to fathom through ocean of wisdom and irfan (continues).

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