Chapitre 1: Rumî (1207-1273): poète et mystique

Pages 21 à 81 du livre. ; National audience ; One of best known orders in Western countries is the Mawlawiyya (Arabic) or Mevleviye (Turkish), better known under the name of " Whirling Dervishes ". There was not in Western languages any scientific work dedicated to this topic and accessible to a large audience. We tried to conceive a small piece of work which offers a general overview of Mawlaviyya, whilst remaining as diverse and accurate as possible.It quickly occurred to us that it would be impossible to talk about this brotherhood without evoking its famous inspirator Jalâl al-Dîn Rûmî (1207-1273). Known in western countries under his nom de plume "Mawlanâ" (Persian and Arabic) or Mevlânâ (Turkish), he was at the same time a religious man and a well-liked preacher, a great mystic, a talented and prolific poet, and a well known spiritual master. Widely admired in the Orient, especially in the Persian and Turkish cultural areas, he has been a source of interest and passion in Western Countries from his discovery two centuries ago. Since the last quarter of the 20th century, he has become a fashionable phenomenon in Europe and the United States but remains relatively unrecognised since his biographies tend to sacrifice historical truth for his taste for the wonderful, and his thoughts has sometimes been used in "dodgy" or obviously inaccurate works. Therefore it was obvious that an abstract reconstituting the personality and authentic work of this extraordinary man was missing, but not omitting the share of legend that allows us to understand how he was perceived by his contemporaries and disciples. We gave a special care to the presentation of his mystical thinking and his poetry, deeply rooted in Sufism and classical Persian literature, which deeply influenced the order's spirituality as well as the sensitivity of its peers. The historical evolution of the brotherhood, the anthropological dimension and the doctrinal aspects and rituals are studied by Thierry Zarcone, while Alberto Ambrozio tackles Mevlevis' ...