Jalaluddin Rumi, was a persian poet and mystic that existed in the 13th century. His lineage consisted of theologians like his father and was born in a place called Balkh (presumed to be Afghanistan today). Escaping the wrath of the Mongol Invasions initiated by the warlord Genghis Khan, his family traveled across Muslim lands until finally settling in Konya (Turkey). He succeeded his father as a theologian and religious teacher after the latter's time of death and slowly built his own reputation .
Even before it became popular, Rumi's writings is thought to have influenced western literature for several centuries already and there have been educated references to him in the work of prominent writers and authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. As of recent times the notoriety of his work in the West has only expanded to an astonishing degree since Rumi was regarded as one of the best-selling poet in America in the year 1997.
If there is any broad thought on describing Rumi's works, it is the supreme love of God. His impact on thought, literature and all types of unique and stylish expressions in the realm of Islam cannot be denied.
