Asslamu Alikum
Bountiful is the life, full and complete. or so you think, until someone comes along and makes you realize what you have been missing all this time. like a mirror that reflects what is absent rather than present, he shows you the void of your soul –the void you have resisted seeing.
The person can be anyone. what matters is to find the soul that will complete yours. ~Rumi ~The Forty Rules of Love.
Greetings all, I'm here to participate in the Weekly Contest, Pick a Word, Paint a Story Week#6, hosted in Hindwhale Community. My chosen word is 'SUN', so let's Shine!!
Rumi was a famous spiritual leader who bought peace to troubled minds through his words. He had everything a sane man would dream of– a beautiful family, unlimited knowledge, power, fame, and admiration; Yet he wasn't satisfied. Rumi was on a quest, to fill a void he wasn't aware he had. For all he knew, he was still lacking something or rather someone.
That missing piece turned out to be a person, a wandering dervish who himself was on a hunt for a true companion– to share long learned wisdom preserved in his heart– to pass the light to another heart.
Shams' presence in Rumi's life was not just about casual chit-chats over tea. Instead, it was about intense spiritual growth and self-discovery. Shams proved to be a sun in Rumi's life, illuminating his path, guiding him towards a new purpose.
Rumi claimed Shams of Tabriz as his mirror, that revealed the depths of his soul. Shams was a beacon of love that transformed Rumi from a cleric to a mystic poet advocating for love and inspiring countless hearts. This transformation was something Rumi never expected to take, yet it became his destiny.
This incredibly special friendship of two souls that were night and day, is linked to the union of two oceans by Sufis. Rumi's love for Shams was truly admirable. Their spiritual bond sends chills down my spine, a bond I've come to adore after reading their story. A bond that will never break, it's still alive stronger than ever, somewhere roaming in the wind.
Rumi was not the only one for whom Shams' presence proved to be the sun, there are many untold stories hidden in the records of history but, Rumi is a name etched on the golden pages of history.
One can wonder if shams was even real or it's entirely something stories made up! A barefoot dervish wandering the streets, transforming the life of a man who once wore fur coats and rode majestic horses. Maybe people needed someone to attribute Rumi's profound change to.
The master of dervish lodge Baba Zaman, narrated. "I felt them on me like the heat of a sweltering sun." When Shams turned towards him, momentarily distracted from his own thoughts. "That was when I clearly saw how he merited his name. This man was radiating vigor and vitality and burning within, like a ball of fire. he was indeed shams, 'the sun'". ~The Forty Rules of Love.
Maybe Shams was never a person at all, but a light – a light that the Almighty choses to ignite in the hearts of those He desire to guide. Stories or not! I choose to believe in Shams. Shams of Tabriz is a name that has deeply inspired me. A name I discovered through Elif Shafak's 'The Forty Rules of Love'. The same shams became my sun too. Even after finishing the book, I'm still living in it. Where I had no place left for love, I've greatly come to love love.
Just like that, everyone needs a Shams in their life – someone who could illuminate their path and help them grow. Even today Shams of Tabriz is alive in the hearts, that tend to give love. In humans that are the sun's of others, to those that have a void.
I don't have any active social accounts except for Whatsapp. So I won't be able to share it on Twitter or any other platform.
I'll invite @nxzeehx @may2015 @shuly to participate.
Link to the contest
Nafeela
