Shams Tabrīzī

Biography

Meeting Kamal Jundi

After studying various sciences from Abubakar Sanjasi Tabrizi, a reknown mystic teacher of Najmuddin Kubra order. When Shams-i Tabriz demonstrated his interest in learning the esoteric and the metaphysical, he recommended that he would go to a master teacher, Kamal Jundi.

Shams Tabriz who had an innate and inborn gift for the metaphysical accomplished himself as a master within a relatively short period. He was certified by Kamal Jundi as a master himself and was cautioned that he would stay away from the odinary and the mundane and that one day he will meet with someone who will act as his mouthpiece and speak to the world on his behalf. (Rumi) He was however told that he had to wait until his future student was ready to receive from him the promised gift. He was also advised by his master to stay away from the sufis as well as the faqihs (religious scholars) which he did.

Travelling Parinda

Always traveling from place to place (he was called parinda or flying bird for hat reason), Shams would show up at times at the seminaries and madrisas, however, without revealing his credentials. He disliked the mystics because they had given up the Shari’a (practice). He detested faqihs (scholars) because they indulged in useless polemics and diatribes. He avoided staying at the seminaries and khankahs. Instead he stayed at the Traders inns, showing himself as a traveling salesman. He ate very little. An occasional meal (bread and soup) would be enough for days. He virtually starved his body, as if saying no to his self. In return, he received the uncanny gift of knowing the other person’s mind, predicting the events, even transferring himself from one place to another (ta’y ardh ).

Works

• Maqalat (His conversation with Rumi, recoded by Sultan Vald)