Wisdom

Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207 – 1273), popularly known as Rūmī, was a Sufi mystic born in what is now Afghanistan. He is one of the best-selling poets in the United States, writing more than 40,000 versesbout everything from love to death to the interior life. Rūmī believed that one’s relationship with the divine must be active. Instead of simply reciting poetry, he sang it while whirling in circles. This sacred tradition of meditative twirling inspired by Rūmī is still practiced by the Mevlevi Order—a Sufi group sometimes referred to as the Whirling Dervishes. Today, Rūmī’s quotes show up everywhere from pop songs to Pinterest, inspiring people of all faiths to join in the dance with the divine. Here are some of our favorites: