The Mesnev

"The Masnavi" by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi is one of the most important mystical works of poetry in the world. Composed of six books, this poem is meant to guide readers on their path towards God. This version is considered one of the most integral English translations thanks to the expertise of Sir James William Redhouse, an expert in language who is responsible for the first Turkish-English and Ottoman-English dictionaries.

Originally published in 1881, The Mesnevi of Mevlana (Our Lord) Jelalu-'D-Din, Muhammed, Er-Rumi is a volume that accounts of the life, acts of the author and historian El Eflaki who was a disciple of Chelebi Emir Arif, a grandson of the author of the Mesnevi. Arfi died in 1320 but the dates of Arif's successors have been carried down to 1353 when Eflaki's collection of anecdotes was completed.

This work attempts to present Rumi to the English-speaking world and to shed light on his life as seen from within the Islamic mystical tradition. The knowledge presented in this work comes from Sefik Can, a great expert of Rumi and who used to be the highest authority, Sertariq, of the Mevlevi Sufi order in Turkey until he passed away on January 24, 2005. Two aspects of this work make it unique. The first is that the book was originally authored by a man who is ninety five years old and who has dedicated his entire life to the teachings of Rumu. Such a Mevlevi's view of Rumi makes this work greatly valuable. The second important contribution to the book is the foreword, which was translated by from the original turkish, written by M. Fethullah Gulen, a prominent Muslim thinker and interfaith activist of Turkey.

In A History of Ottoman Political Thought up to the Early Nineteenth Century, Marinos Sariyannis offers a survey of Ottoman political literature, from its beginnings until the beginning of the Tanzimat reforms.

FULL TITLE: The Mesnevi of Mevlānā Jelālu'd-dīn er-Rūmī. Book first, together with some account of the life and acts of the Author, of his ancestors, and of his descendants, illustrated by a selection of characteristic anedocts, as collected by their historian, Mevlānā Shemsu'd-dīn Ahmed el-Eflākī el-'Arifī, translated and the poetry versified by James W. Redhouse.___The Mesnevi is one of the most influential works of Sufism, commonly called "the Quran in Persian". It has been viewed by many commentators as the greatest mystical poem in world literature. It tells mainly the mythical and to some extent the historical past of the Persian Empire. Its diversity, complexity and profoundness, the timeless themes of power, God, love and fidelity, together make The Mesnevi one of the most compelling and memorable spiritual works of world literature. Its author, the Persian poet and Sufi mystic Jalai ed-Din Rumi (1207-1273) found his own religious order, the Whirling Dervishes. To many modern Westerners, his teachings are one of the best introductions to the philosophy and practice of Sufism. This book has entertained generations of readers and profoundly shaped culture and literature-of both Arabian Peninsula and the world- throughout the years.

International conference proceedings, Mainz, 1997 and 1998.

The articles contained in this volume collectively provide a critical overview of Turkish literature from its earliest phases in the sixth century well into the Republican period, including pieces detailing the literature of the Ottoman as well as those dealing with Europeanization. In so doing, the author illustrates the evolution of Turkish culture as reflected in the literary experience. Exploring specific genres and themes, several articles detail the development of drama from Karagoz and Orta oyunu to contemporary Western theatre, the propaganda functions of poetry, and the important place of folk literature. In addition, the volume focuses on some of the leading figures of Turkish literature, ranging from Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, Yunus Emre, and Süleyman the Magnificent, to Sait Faik and modern poets such as Nazim Hikmet, Orhan Veli Kanik, and Melih Cevdet Anday. Whether read as a whole or as individual articles, the book gives Western readers a broad and long overdue entry into the rich landscape of traditional and contemporary Turkish literature and culture. For scholars, it is an invaluable resource for courses on Turkish literature and culture.