The Tale of Tales

The story of the life of Rumi, Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, who was sometimes called Rumi and sometimes the Lord, sometimes Mawlana and sometimes Mowlavi, is considered one of the fascinating and ancient tales that introduces us to the character of this great mystic and poet. Many stories have been told about Rumi’s life, but the tale of tales, penned by Mohammad Ali Movahhed, is the story of how Rumi came into his own in the soothing shadow of the emotions and teachings of Shams Tabrizi. From Fihe Ma Fih, the Masnavi, and the Divan of Shams to the works of Sultan Walad, Jalal al-Din’s son, the author persistently follows the traces of the profound and mystical connection between Rumi and Shams. He spares no effort in delving into Shams’ discourses, which predated the creation of the Divan-e Kabir. Movahhed wrote the book from the perspective of Sultan Walad, aiming to present the father through the eyes of the son to the readers. Movahhed’s introduction, which constitutes about a hundred pages of the book, is dedicated to introducing the sources the book draws from and describing the value of Sultan Walad’s works. Sultan Walad speaks of Rumi’s teachings and the lessons of other Mawlawiyya masters in his three books—Ebteda-Nameh, Rebab-Nameh, and Enteha-Nameh. This narrative illustrates Rumi’s life from the time of his father Baha Walad’s death to his spiritual learning and interactions in the schools of Borhan Mohaqqeq, Shams Tabrizi, Salah al-Din Zarkub, and Hosam al-Din Chalabi. After Hosam al-Din, Sultan Walad himself succeeded his father, and then Hosam al-Din, in a dream, instructed him to follow Karim al-Din Bakhtamar. The accounts conclude in the time of the narrator, Sultan Walad.