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| WHIRLING DERVISHES Author: Cemil PEKCAN
Translator: Ergin SOZOZ |
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FROM THE MAN FROM TIRMIZ TO SHEMS FROM TABRIZ
Thus Mevlana became Seyid Burhaneddin's disciple and under his guidance,
continued to increase his knowledge. He travelled to Aleppo and Damascus
and met the scholars of the age. Throughout his life, Mevlana did not
forget Seyid Burhaneddin, who died in 1241, and often referred to him,
in his book, "Fihi ma Fih". Left alone after Seyid Burhaneddin's
death, Mevlana continued to enlighten the people, but this regular
existence between the mosque and the theological school was interrupted
in 1244, because the arrival of the wandering dervish Shems from Tabriz
became another turning point in Mevlana's life.
The meeting between Shems and Mevlana and their conversation during the
course of that meeting are very famous. According to the sources, Shems
stopped Mevlana by seizing the reins of his horse, asked several questions
and in the face of the answers he received, he could not restrain himself
from embracing him. Later Mevlana and Shems went to stay together at the
cell of Selahaddin Zerkub. The duration of this seclusion is said to have
been between forty days and six months. From then on Mevlana abandoned
teaching at the theological school and preaching in the mosque. He did
not interest himself, as before, in his followers. Shems occupied his whole
life. He did not even pick up his father's book "Maarif" (Education)
which he had read hitherto. This situation saddened both the people and
Mevlana's friends. According to Sultan Veled's book "Ibditname", they
claimed that they were more worthy than this unknown dervish and he had
destroyed all their relations with the Master. Some of them even went
further and threatened Shems with murder.
One day in 1245, Shems, whose heart was broken by these allegations and
threats, read to Mevlana a verse meaning. "This is the parting of the
ways between you and me," and disappeared. However, this separation,
as well as achieving the expected result, galvanised Mevlana and became
the reason for the utterance of his Iiric poems, full of love and poems
in the hope of persuading him to return. At this time, those who loved
Mevlana were saddened and regretted the feelings they had nurtured
against Shems. Mevlana sent his son Sultan Veled to bring Shems back.
Unable to resist his insistence, Shems agreed to return. When he arrived
in Konya, all those who had opposed him repented and asked his
forgiveness. From then on everything was as it had been. But this
period would not last long and a while later dissatisfactions would
re-emerge. In particular, Mevlana's younger son, Alaaddin Celebi, was
amongst the dissatisfied. In 1247, Shems disappeared again.
According to his son Sultan Veled, Mevlana went into a kind of fury and
poured the pain of separation into his poems, Finally, abandoning hope
of the return of Shems, he went back to his former orderly life. But there
were others who were the equal of Shems and at this time Mevlana found
a substitute to fill the gap he had left the jeweller Selahaddin Zerkub.
. WHIRLING DERVISHES
. THE ROAD FROM BALKH TO KONYA
. FROM THE MAN FROM TIRMIZ TO SHEMS FROM TABRIZ
. NEW PARTING OF THE WAYS
. THE DEATH OF MEVLANA
. SOME OF MEVLANA'S WORKS:
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