Rumi's (Virtue) System: Harnessing the Aesthetics of Language for the Sublimity of Faith - Selected Examples

, ,June 2025 ,Pages 36-62

Authors

Hussein Hassan Karim 1

1 University of Sulaimani / College of Islamic Sciences / Department of Islamic Studies

DOI logo 10.17656/jzsb.12428

Keywords

Abstract

In this humble research, we have explored the profound faith of Sheikh Abdul Rahim al-Mawlawi (al-Madumi) in God and His pure religion, and his adherence to the Quran and the purified Sunnah of the Prophet.

We have also witnessed the exceptionally high level of this Sheikh's mastery of Islamic and Arabic sciences, particularly the science of theology (Kalam). Al-Mawlawi reached the pinnacle of his literary creativity through his composition of "al-Fadilah" (The Virtue), a poem unparalleled in the Islamic world. He addressed every aspect of Kalam, large and small, in his magnificent and unsurpassed verses. He incorporated all the sublime meanings and sacred beliefs concerning God's essence, His glorious attributes, His wise actions, His decree and predestination, prophethood, and related matters into the poem in a way that eludes even the most accomplished didactic poets. The three branches of Arabic rhetoric (meaning, expression, and figures of speech) are reflected in the poem's verses, even in its most complex and obscure topics. Who can deny time and space to the Necessary Being—exalted is He—as Rumi said:

He was, He was, He was not, He is not where He is, He is not where He is not

Or his saying: When, when? Until He came upon Him? From where, where does He belong?

Or his saying in denying quantity and quality to the Essence of the Lord of the Worlds:

Is there an arm that reaches Him in a sleeve? How can there be no "how" when "how" is included?

His treatment of the issues of prophethood in general, and his focus on the qualities of our master and greatest Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is among the most magnificent works written on the subject, with such rhetorical brilliance.

Arabic rhetoric, grammar, morphology, and theological and doctrinal terminology resonate with complex theological and doctrinal topics that are difficult for many to understand. I am not saying that no one deals with rhetoric in this way at all, but I am certain that no one is as able as Rumi to masterfully employ rhetoric in all its branches, in addition to grammar and morphology, in organizing the discussions of theology. I say this with complete confidence in the truth and accuracy of what I am saying.

I believe that the esteemed scholar Mawlawi's commentary on al-Wasila by Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Mudarris should be studied in the universities of the region. I also suggest that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the region reprint al-Wasila with its commentary on al-Fadila. This would be a great service to Islamic sciences and Kurdish culture in general, and to university studies in the fields of Islamic theology and Islamic studies in general.

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  • First online22 June 2025
  • Published at22 June 2025

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