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STUDY OF RUMI'S WORKS BY FEMALE SCHOLARS.
Muxayyoxon Matkobulova
Tashkent State University of Economics.
muhayomatgobulova@gmail.com +998932584011
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2918-3259
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14507339
ABSTRACT
Annemarie Schimmel has been one of the most sensitive Western
interpreters of Rumi for many years. Her masterfully concise and highly
readable book, published for the first time in English, discusses the religious and
cultural foundations of Rumi's Sufism and the dominant strands of his imagery.
Schimmel shows how Rumi's work, although timeless and with enduring cross-
cultural appeal, must ultimately be understood as part of the larger Islamic
mystical tradition, albeit as an expression of that tradition that remains
unrivaled in its beauty and depth. Jalaluddin Rumi can only be described
through excellence. After all, Rumi is the most famous and perhaps the greatest
representative of the mystical tradition in Islam. The Masnavi, Rumi's longest
and most fully realized poetic work, survives in the eastern lands of Islam.
Perhaps even more surprisingly, at least for those not already familiar with his
works, Rumi is also often cited as the most widely read poet in the world today.
The richness of his language and his insightful spiritual understanding of the
divine mean that Rumi has an enduring ability to transport readers across any
culture, Islamic or otherwise.
Key words:
Scholar, Rumi, Annamarie Shimmel, representative, Islam,
spiritual, ability, interpreter, discuss, religious, dominant, tradition, mystical,
female, divine.
A leading German Islamicist, scholar, literary figure, orientalist, an
authoress of and a prolific writer more than hundred books who was well-
known throughout the western world and the Islamic for her extra-ordinary
talents, mystical and innovative writings and translations of Persian, Urdu,
Arabic, Turkish and Sindhi works into English and German Annamarie Shimmel
at last left for the world hereafter on January 28, 2003. She is widely known as
an authority on Sufism. She born in Erfurt, Germany in 1922, and developed a
fascination for Islam at the age of 15 and began studying the Arabic language. At
the young age of 19, she obtained a Ph.D. in Islamic studies from Berlin
University and pursued further studies at the University of Berlin and in
Marburg, eventually becoming a professor of comparative religious studies.
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Annemarie Schimmel held the position of Professor of Indo-Muslim studies at
Harvard University until recently. Throughout her academic journey, she
delivered lectures at universities around the globe, including Ankara, Bonn,
Harvard, New York, and London. Despite remaining unmarried for 82 years, her
commitment to scholarship was unwavering, making it evident that she was
devoted to the pursuit of knowledge.
From 1958 onwards, she frequently
traveled to Pakistan to lecture, particularly focusing on Iqbal. Over time,
Pakistan became like a second home to her. She made several visits to the
shrines of Sindh, fulfilling her spiritual curiosity, and expressed a deep
admiration for Iqbal, who had always been her cherished poet, guiding her from
the beginning. When discussing his poetry, she would passionately speak for
hours, captivating her audience and often closing her eyes in sheer delight and
inspiration while reciting his verses, immersing herself in profound imagination
akin to a true poet. She approached translating Iqbal's poetry with a fervent
spiritual dedication. Her translation of Allama Iqbal’s Payam-i-Mashriq, titled
Botschaft des Ostens, stands as a significant achievement in the German
language. Additionally, her German translations of Javed Nama and Bang-i-Dara,
known as Dschavidnma Das Buch and Der Ewigkeit respectively, alongside her
scholarly work Gabraeil’s Wing: A Study of the Religious Ideas of Sir Mohammad
Iqbal, are highly respected contributions to the study of Iqbal in English-
speaking academia. Furthermore, she delivered outstanding lectures on Iqbal at
the prestigious South Asia Institute at Heidelberg University. For many years,
she consistently honored Iqbal Day in Pakistan and if ever she missed the
celebration due to prior commitments, she would mark the occasion at the
Heidelberg Town Hall or another location, setting aside all other responsibilities.
Alongside her dedication to studying Iqbal, she also immersed herself in
exploring the teachings of the spiritual mentor Maulana Rumi, whose growing
popularity in the Western world owes much to her significant contributions. Her
book, Triumphal Sun: A Study of the Works of Jalaluddin Rumi, published in
London in 1978, serves as a remarkable homage to Rumi. In her comprehensive
work, Through a Veil Mystical Poetry in Islam, she delves into the evolution of
Islamic mystical poetry, delving into the works of individual Sufi poets like the
renowned Rumi and exploring topics such as sacred verse and enigmatic and
nonsensical poetry. This book offers an insightful and captivating exploration of
some of the most exquisite literature in existence. In her publication My Road to
Sufism, Dr. Schimmel recounts her journey of becoming fascinated with Sufism.
Another significant contribution is her book Mystical Dimensions of Islam,
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published by Chapel Hill in 1975, which further solidified her reputation as an
authority on Rumi and Sufism. Annemarie Schimmel has been one of the most
sensitive Western interpreters of Rumi for many years. Her masterfully concise
and highly readable book, published for the first time in English, discusses the
religious and cultural foundations of Rumi's Sufism and the dominant strands of
his imagery. Schimmel shows how Rumi's work, although timeless and with
enduring cross-cultural appeal, must ultimately be understood as part of the
larger Islamic mystical tradition, albeit as an expression of that tradition that
remains unrivaled in its beauty and depth. Jalaluddin Rumi can only be
described through excellence. After all, Rumi is the most famous and perhaps the
greatest representative of the mystical tradition in Islam. The Masnavi, Rumi's
longest and most fully realized poetic work, survives in the eastern lands of
Islam. Perhaps even more surprisingly, at least for those not already familiar
with his works, Rumi is also often cited as the most widely read poet in the
world today. The richness of his language and his insightful spiritual
understanding of the divine mean that Rumi has an enduring ability to transport
readers across any culture, Islamic or otherwise.
Annemarie Schimmel discusses the following issues in her research called
"Shams Shukuhi": 1) ancient history and adventure book; 2) Rumi's world of
imagination; 3) Rumi's theology: the relationship between the Creator and
created beings, Rumi's views on man; 4) Comments of Persian-speaking writers
and scientists about Rumi's work; 5) Memoirs of the author. This book was
translated into Persian by Hasan Lohuti and published in Tehran in 1989. In this
work, Annemarie Schimmel explores Mawlawi's thoughts on mysticism and
theology. She pays serious attention to philosophical thoughts on topics such as
revelation, the status of man, the reflection of the material world, and the true
root of true love. Annemarie Schimmel's research on the influence of Maulana
Jalaluddin Rumi on German poets and writers in the period of 19th century
romanticism is a rare phenomenon in the field of science. She translated
Mawlavi's “Fihi mo fihi” into English. In addition, Schimmel wrote many articles
on Mawlawi's teachings. In 1948, A. Schimmel published a deep and extensive
scientific study of the images and images in "Masnavi" in German. This book is
the result of the scholar's many years of research on Rumi's creative activity.
The author of The Essential Rumi, Coleman Barks, wrote the followings about
Schimmel: “Annemarie Schimmel has been immersed in Rumi for over forty
years. Her scholarship and devotion are magnificent. She has a deep
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understanding of the poems, the mystical puns, the music, and the dancy inner
meanings of Rumi’s work."
Ms. Schimmel has created more than 120 works on topics related to Islam and
Sufism in general. The scientist was awarded with the highest awards of many
countries, including Uzbekistan. "Beloved in my soul" is one of the most
beautiful works of Mrs. Annemarie Schimmel.
Reference:
1.
Maker of Islamic civilization. Annamarie Shimmel. Oxford. Rumi's World
2.
The life and works of the greatest Sufi poet. Annemarie Schimmel, 21 May
2022, Shambhala Dragon Editions.
3.
Jo’rayeva, L. T. (2024). NASRIY ASARLARDA QO’LLANILGAN IBORALAR
XUSUSIDA.(TEODOR DREIZERNING “BAXTIQARO KERRI” VA CHO’LPONNING
“KECHA VA KUNDUZ” ASARLARI ASOSIDA). SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO THE
MODERN EDUCATION SYSTEM, 3(25), 248-251.
4.
https://mountkenyatimes.co.ke/the-role-of-annimarie-schimmel-in-the-
history-of-uzbekistan/
5.
https://storyofpakistan.com/dr-annemarie-schimmel-a-great-scholar-
hermit/
6.
www.osnabrueck.de/politik/21795.html
7.
www.uzbekistan.de/dustlik.htm
8.
http://www.dawn.com/2003/01/29/index.htm
9.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/jan-2003/29/main/top7.asp
10.
http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/awardswin2002/index.php?page=schim
mel
11.
http://www.iis.ac.uk/research/academic_publications/schimmel.htm
