Me And Rumi: The Autobiography Of Shams-i Tabrizi Apr 2026
The discourses cover a wide array of mystical and practical spiritual concerns:
: Chittick translated roughly two-thirds of the original Maqalat , arranging them thematically to make the otherwise fragmented notes readable for a modern audience.
: The book reveals a personality that is simultaneously harsh and gentle, learned and irreverent, and profoundly outspoken—contrasting with many common stereotypes. Major Themes Me and Rumi: The Autobiography of Shams-I Tabrizi
: The text encourages constant self-transformation, urging seekers not to resist changes or cling to the known.
Before the publication of this work, Shams-i Tabrizi was largely known to the Western world through the eyes of Rumi or the myths created by hagiographers. Me and Rumi provides a direct, first-hand account of Shams through notes taken by Rumi's circle during their private conversations. The discourses cover a wide array of mystical
: Shams portrays love as a divine, purifying fire that connects the soul directly to God, often bypassing the limitations of the intellect.
: It won the World Prize for the Book of the Year in Iran and was recognized as a premier work in Iranian studies. Before the publication of this work, Shams-i Tabrizi
This book, titled Me and Rumi: The Autobiography of Shams-i Tabrizi , is a critical translation and compilation of the Maqalat-i Shams-i Tabrizi ("The Discourses of Shams-i Tabrizi"), translated into English by the renowned Sufi scholar William C. Chittick . Overview of the Work