RUMI'S MIGRATION TO THE WORLD OF ETERNITY

I could not dare use expressions like "death,” "passed away, “or "reunited with God" for Rumi, who attained the secret of the Prophetic Tradition "Die before you die" and who effaced his self in God while he was still alive, so I choose to consider Rumi's departure from this mortal world to the world of eterni­ty as a migration. Our master, Sultan al-Ashiqin (sultan of the lovers of God), Hudavendigar's sixty to seventy years of blessed, holy, honorable life had come and gone. The counted breaths determined for even' mortal almost had expired. The honorable Mesnevi was complete, and Rumi was tired. The sorrow of his childhood with his father Sultan al-Ulama, the years of migra­tion in physical and spiritual difficulties, his years of education in Damascus and Aleppo away from his family, the loss of his mother, his father, and his dearly beloved Shaykh Sayyid Burhan al-Din all had an impact on him. Furthermore, the loss of his friends of heart, Shams and Salah al-Din, the disrespect he had seen from his closest son Ala al-Din Chelebi, the criticism of some, the gossip that even reached his ears, his continuous endeavors, worship, and asceticism had all exhausted Rumi. He was spending his last moments in continuous reflection. This great saint was focusing on himself and he was finding the eter­nal tranquility and inner peace he searched for in himself.

One day Rumi's wife said: "It is necessary for Hudavendigar to fill this world with truth and meaning that a precious life of three to four hundred years be given to him. " Upon hearing this, Rumi replied to his wife: "Why, why, we are neither Pharaoh nor Nimrod. What do we have to do in this world of soil? How can we have peace and stability in this mortal world, the world of soil? We are put in the prison of the world for a few prisoners to be released. It is hoped that we shall soon go back to the presence of God's dear friend, our Prophet. "

I remained in this prison of the world for the goodness of others. But where is prison? Where am I? What property did I steal that they put me in prison?

Rumi sensed that his precious life was coming to an end, and he recited moving poems about death from time to time, bringing those around him to tears. I could not continue with­out sharing some of these poems:

O bird that has flown away from this tight cage of the body! You took all your possessions and ascended to the heights of the heavens.

After this, behold a new and fresh rejuvenation, a new life will come; until when are you going to continue this disorganized life, this miserable life on this earth?

Death in fact is the life of this world. Death that scares us is life itself, in fact. To think the opposite, that is to consider death annihilation instead of being born to a different world is faithlessness.

If God tears down the house of the body, do not lament, do not complain. Know this well: You are in fact imprisoned in the prison of the body. When death comes and that place collapses you will be free. "

"O my soul, there is a concealed joy, a hidden happy life beyond this cover of soil. Behind the cover concealing every-thing are hundreds of beautiful Josephs.

When the material existence, this physical body, goes away, the spirit that is your real being remains. O spirit that is infinite, O body that is mortal!

If you want to know how this happens, look at yourself every night. When you fall asleep your body seems as if dead. But your spirit is stretching its wings over the gardens of paradise.

How could the spirit not soar when it is being said, "O my servant, come!", with a very sweet appeal to the spirit from the Creator of this universe and every being, the Possessor of Majesty and Beauty.

When the sounds of waves reach the ears of a fish separated from the clear sea and fallen on dry land, would the fish not jump immediately back into the sea, its real homeland.
Under the sunlight of eternity' that saves his soul from annihilation, how would a Sufi not shiver like an atom and dance?

How unfortunate, how bad, and how astray is the one who cannot find, know, and love the Supreme Being who is so Benevolent, so Beautiful, so Lovely, and so LifeGiving.

O bird of spirit! You have been cleansed from your ambitions and sins. You have been freed from the cage of your lower self (nafs). Your spiritual wings have opened up, come! Fly back to whence you came, fly to your homeland, fly!

O those who now are separated from their cages, show your face again, appear and tell where you have been!

The ship of your body is wrecked on that sea. O those who are poured into the sea of death like the fish, even if for one moment, come out of this water, show yourselves.

Or have you been pounded on the container of the days and became salt as pearls that were pounded on? But that salt is the salve to the eye of those seeking the truth.

To see well put that salve on your eyes, put it on. O those who come to this world by being born from the world of spirits! Don't be afraid when death comes! This is not death, it is a second birth, be born, be born to the beyond.

Lovers of God who die being aware of truth melt like sugar in the presence of the Beloved.
Those who drank the Water of Life in the assembly of the Alast, in the world of spirits, die in a different way.

Those who are aware of the beyond, those who gather them­selves in the love of God do not die as the rest of the masses.

Lovers of God exceed even angels in clarity and purity. Therefore, dying in other than that rank is tar away from them.

Do you think that lions die in front of the door just like dogs?

It" the lovers of God die on the path of love they are welcomed by the king of spirits.

Lovers of God who become the spirit of each other and who know they carry the same spirit, the same gift, die with the love of each other.

Lovers fly to the heavens while the unbelievers die in the depths of hell.

When dying, the eyes of the hearts of lovers of God open and they see die unseen world.
Others die blind and deaf with the fear of death.

When die rime of death conies those who spent the nights with worship and did not sleep for fear of God die without fear and in comfort.

Those who focus only on material things and concern themselves only with earing and drinking become like oxen and donkeys, and they die in the same way.

Those who do not want to fall from the sight of God while living today and seek that view die joyfully smiling in that view.

The king of spirit takes them to the lap of favor. They do not die in an ordinary and low way.

Those whose character and morals resemble that of Mustafa die like Abu Bakr and Umar.

In fact, death is far away from the lovers of God. They nei­ther die nor annihilate. I am saying these words to describe how it would be if they had died.

Finally, Rumi's tired body fell into the hands of his last ill­ness. Fever never left Rumi. From among his dear friends, doc­tors Akmal al-Din and Gazanferi were at his bedside all the time. Yet they never could figure out his illness. His body was burning with fever. He used to put his hand in the cup filled with water next to his bed and put some water on his forehead. During the bedridden stage of his illness, earthquakes occurred for seven days and nights. The walls of many houses and gar­dens collapsed. There was chaos in the world. After the seventh earthquake, the public ran to Rumi and asked him to pray. Rumi smiled and said: "Don't be afraid, the poor soil is hungry. It wants a fat bite. It is necessary to give it to it. " And he started saying his last will to those present: "I advise you to fear God in open and secret. I advice you to eat little and sleep little, abstain from sins, continue fasting and praying, refrain from lust, endure and be patient against all discomfort and mistreatment from others, avoid being with ignorant people and those who arc preoccupied with satisfying their desires, be in the company of generous and good people. Because the best of people is one who benefits other people. The best of sayings is the one that is small but to the point. " He was preparing for his migration. It was necessary to leave the house and go to the beyond. Rumi was preparing to leave the house of this world.

That day Shaykh Sadr al-din Konavi came to visit Rumi with his most prominent dervishes. He showed great regard for Rumi. He was very sorry, expressing his wishes: "May God heal him very soon. May this illness be a reason for your level in the hereafter to rise. God willing, you will attain complete health shortly. Rumi is the spirit of the worlds. He deserves to be healthy. '" Rumi replied: "After this, may God give healing to you. Between the lover and the Beloved there remains only a shirt made of a very thin membrane. Don't you want holy light to be reunited with holy light?" And he began reciting this ode:

How would you know what kind of a majestic company I have inside me? Don't look at my pale face, I have strong iron feet. I have turned my face completely to the king who created me and sent me to this world. Since He has created me I have thousands of thanks for Him.

I sometimes resemble the sun and sometimes the. sea full of pearls. Even if I seem to be a worthless being created of soil from outside, inside 1 am the most honorable, most noble cranny.

In this village of the world, I keep on buzzing like a bee. But don't just look at my buzzing. I have a hive full of honey. How frightening is the water that rotates the water-wheel, but I am the wheel of that water, I keep rotating on that water with pleasant sounds.

All my particles are blooming, why should I perish, why should I decay? The Buraq that is under me has his saddle on and is waiting for me. Why should I be slave to the donkey?

The scorpion didn't bite my foot. Why should I be far away from the moon? I have a strong rod. Why should I not climb out of the well?

To the dove of the spirit I became a dove. O bird of my spirit! Fly! I have hundreds of fortresses that are even stronger than this.

Even if I reach homes and fall on homes, I am the light of the sun of meaning (wisdom). I was born of soil and water. My mother is mud, but I am agate, gold, and ruby.

Whenever you see any pearl, inside that pearl, in its other face seek another pearl. Because all the atoms are crying out: "I have hidden treasure inside me. ''

Every pearl is telling you: "Don't be content with my beau­ty. The light that is shining on my face is coming from the light burning inside me. " I will be quiet, you don't seem to under-stand the truth. Don't shake your head saying, "I have a spiritual eye that sees and understands. " Don't fool yourself

On Saturday, 16 December 1273, Rumi was somewhat bet-ter. He spoke to those who came to visit him until the evening. But his every word was like a will. Then the night came, and Konya was submerged into the darkness of the night. With Rumi were his friend of heart Husam al-Din Chelebi, his son Sultan Valad, and doctors. In those days, Sultan Valad was weak because of eating and sleeping very little. That night he was also very tired and exhausted. Shortly before morning, Rumi looked into the teary eyes of his son and quietly said: "Baha al-Din, I am fine, you go and sleep a little bit. " Sultan Valad could not endure it. Barely holding back his tears he stood up. When he was leaving the room Rumi looked behind him with sorrowing eyes and recited this last ode:

Go put your head on the pillow. Leave me alone. Give up on the afflicted person who walks around at night and burns.

We keep on struggling between the waves of love all night alone till the morning. If you want, you come and forgive us. If you want, you can torment us with your separation.
You run away from me so that you may not have to face the same troubles as I do. You leave the path of troubles and choose the path of salvation. We are crawling and lamenting in the cor­ner of sadness and shedding tears. If you want, come and build a hundred water mills with our tears.

We have a merciless Beloved whose heart is as hard as gran­ite. He kills lovers but nobody can hold Him 'accountable.

For the king of beauty fulfilling one's agreements is not necessary. O lover whose face turned pale, you be patient and fulfill your agreement.

I have a sickness inside the only cure of which is death. How can I say, "Come and be die cure for this illness"?

Last night in my dream I saw an old man in the neighbor­hood of love. He waved at me implying, "Come over to our side. "

If there is a dragon on the path of truth, there is also a love like emerald. Defeat the dragon with the light emitted from that emerald of love.

It is enough now, don't talk of things anymore, I am not conscious. If you have any talent talk of the history of Abu Ali Sina or mention the advice of Abu al-A'la al-Mu'arri.

Rumi was on his deathbed. He had taken his first breath when he honored this mortal world in Balkh years ago, and now he was going to give his last breath in Konya. His counted breaths, measured in blessings, love, and faith, were on the brink of being exhausted. He still was fully conscious and had a good memory. Most probably, Husam al-Din Chelebi must have writ-ten down on a piece of paper in his hand with the blood of his heart, shedding tears, this last ode that Rumi recited on his death bed. Sipehsalar narrates:

After this, Rumi's health worsened. All notable people visited him day and night. Doctors Akmal al-Din and Gazanferi were both the best doctors of the time, and they were treating Rumi. Both would hold his blessed pulse, leave the house, refer to medical books, trying to make a diagnosis, and again return to his holy presence, hold his blessed pulse, and analyze. This rime the pulse was beating differently I asked them to see and understand the honorable state of Hadhrat Hudavendigar. They saw that the diagnosis was not possible and understood that the truth of the matter was something else. They under­stood that Rumi's will was toward another world. Those busy with treatment along with others present became very sad. They could not help but lament. Everyone was anxious. The people of Konya had stopped their work, and the people of the surrounding villages came down to Konya. On Sunday, 17 December 1273, as the sun was setting, Rumi, the sun of the realm of meanings, also set to the world of eternity. Rumi closed his eyes to this mortal world in Konya, the city which he had honored for tony-four years.

That night Rumi's friends performed their final duties. All the people of Konya, young or old, were present at the funeral. Since Rumi was a tolerant, peace-loving, great saint who did good and wished well to everyone, not only Muslims but also Jews and Christians walked in his procession, shedding tears. Everyone was crying and swarming in front of the coffin as well as behind. The main street was completely full. In order to touch the coffin even once, people flowed from the byways. The officers could barely stop people with sticks and swords. The streets were so crowded that the coffin taken out of the house in the morning could not be brought to the place of prayer until evening. When the coffin was put on the musalla stone, where the funeral prayer is performed, the announcer Mu'arrif called out to Sadr al-Din Konavi: "O king of shaykhs! Please come forward, you shall lead the funeral prayer. That was Rumi's will. " Unable to control him­self, Doctor Akmal al-Din shouted out: "O Mu'arrif, follow good manners. The king of shaykhs is but Rumi. "

Sadr al-Din left the crowd and came in front of die coffin to lead the prayers. As soon as he began the prayer with the phrase Allahu Akbar, he became distraught, fainted in tears, and fell to the ground. Qadi Siraj al-Din came forward and led the prayer. According to Sipehsalar's account, when Shaykh Sadr al-Din was asked why he fainted and fell, he responded by saying: "When I came in front of the coffin to lead the prayer, I saw that the angels formed a line in front of the coffin. From the awe of the moment, I lost my consciousness. "

After the prayers, the coffin again was carried above heads and buried in the place prepared in front of the graves of Rumi's father, Sultan al-Ulama, and Salah al-Din Zarqubi. The sun had begun to set. It was a sad evening in Konya. Rumi's material being had vanished from sight, but his spiritual being was pres­ent in hearts, and it was to remain there. Understanding this truth very well, Rumi said: "After passing away, don't look for our grave on the face of the earth. Our grave is in the hearts of the gnostics, "

Rumi's blessed corpse was buried next to the grave of his father, Sultan al-Ulama. But he is alive as Sultan al-Arifin (sul­tan of gnostics) and Sultan al-Ashiqin (sultan of lovers of God) in every home, in every assembly, in everyone's heart. Rumi had become hidden from the eyes and settled in the hearts. Everyone, rich or poor, arranged whirling ceremonies according to their means. One night, in the palace of vizier Muin al-Din Pervane, the sultan of poets and literary men Badr al-Din Balkhi began to whirl. As he was whirling, he felt the presence of Rumi so strongly in his heart that he could not hold back his tears. Crying and whirling, he recited this quatrain:

O our soul, O our sultan! There remained no eye that doesn't cry with your sorrow. There remained no collar that was not torn with your mourning.

I swear by your luminous face mat on the surface of the earth. No one better that you went under the soil.

Konya mourned for forty days. For forty days, there were visitors at Rumi's grave. It is amazing mat even today people vis­it Rumi even though his grave has been converted into a muse­um and hence an entrance fee is charged. Not only Muslims, but also people of all creeds visit Rumi every day. One day Qadi Siraj al-Din came to visit Rumi's grave. He recited this quatrain stand­ing next to the grave:

O dear Rumi! The day when the thorn of death penetrated your foot,

I wish the heavens hit my head with the sword of death so that I didn't see the world without you.

Today I am here in front of your blessed soil. This is me, aren't I? What a pity, what a pity. Soil to my head!

Again, in those days a dervish recited these lines on the death of Rumi, causing those around him to weep:

O soil, because of the sorrow of my heart I cannot tell what kind of a pearl today death has given to you and what kind of a pearl you are hiding.

The trap that has been everyone's heart is trapped today.

The dear being who used to attract everyone's sympathy and admiration is now asleep on your lap.

As Sipehsalar writes, after Rumi migrated from this mortal world, wherever there is someone with a heart that is wounded, burning, and sad, he will be shedding tears and reciting couplets like these:

That sun of the hearts has set and hidden in the soil. Why shouldn't I spill soil on my head all the time?

That bird of the spring of truth has flown from the mortal plains. Why shouldn't I cry and lament like the clouds of spring? The light that illuminated the universe burned out, melted, and went out. Why shouldn't my day turn into night suddenly?

Also in those days another event occurred that saddened Rumi's family and friends and made them mourn a little more. Rumi's cat did not eat or drink anything after his passing away and survived for only seven days. Rumi's daughter Malika Khatun wrapped the cat in cloth and buried it somewhere around the shrine shedding tears. She cooked a dessert and distributed it to those who loved Rumi. As Aflaki writes, shortly before Rumi's passing away, this cat came to Rumi and meowed sadly. Rumi smiled and asked those around him: "Do you know what this cat said?" They said: "No. " Rumi said: "Soon you will go to the heavens, to your homeland with safety. What will I do without you?" Since Rumi was a mature saint completely on the Muhammadi path, he did not like ostentation and did not approve of the magnificent shrines built over graves. The capi­tal of the Seljuk Empire, Konya, has accepted many saints. But today when one talks of shrines in Konya, the first one that comes to mind is Rumi's shrine under a big green dome. Under this dome lie not only Rumi but also his father Sultan al-Ulama, his sons, his friends like Salah al-Din Zarqubi and Husam al-Din Chelebi, his grandchildren, and others among Rumi's relative’s more than fifty people. A few months after Rumi migrat­ed to the world of eternity, Amir Alam al-Din Kayseri, a promi­nent official in Konya, began, with the approval of Sultan Valad, the construction of the shrine that fascinates visitors with its material and spiritual magnificence. The shrine was constructed under the supervision of an architect, Badr al-Din of Tabriz, with the monetary and moral support of Gurcu Khatun, the daughter of Ala al-Din Khosrau II and wife of Muin al-Din Pervane. Another architect, Abd al-Wahid, built the magnificent sarcophagus of walnut wood that is 2. 65 meters in height and is considered one of the masterpieces of Seljuk wood carving. That sarcophagus was originally on Rumi's grave, but later it was transferred onto the grave of his father, Sultan al-Ulama, by order of Suleyman the Magnificent. A marble sarcophagus was built on the graves of Rumi and Sultan Valad. Although this master piece sarcophagus of wood covered with a golden-lace cloth originally was made for Rumi, why did Suleyman the Magnificent later replace it with a marble one? Suleyman the Magnificent, may his resting place be paradise, 49 was an admir­er of Rumi like his father Yavuz Sultan Selim. He was a poet himself and lover of Rumi's poetry. With the intention of doing a service to the saint whom he loved, he had the sarcophagus of walnut wood removed and replaced with a marble sarcophagus made by the most famous craftsmen of his time. In this a man­ifestation of Rumi's spiritual power also can be seen.

Rumi was a saint who did not like to show off. He thought that the high and magnificent sarcophagus that was put on his grave would suit better the grave of his father, Sultan al-Ulama. The Sultan of the World, Suleyman the Magniflcient, carried out Rumi's wish without knowing it. The sarcophagus seems to be standing up when one enters the shrine, and the public that observed it believed that Rumi's father had stood up to show respect for his son. In fact, ail those buried there stood up when Rumi arrived.

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