This site is intended for English-speaking Muslims eager to understand the works of Mevlânâ Jalâl ad-Dîn Rûmî within the Islamic tradition.
This simple purpose requires a few clarifying comments:
1. English-speaking: The text used for quoting the Masnevi is Reynold Nicholson’s translation published by the Gibb Memorial Trust (see here). It is not perfect, but it is literal enough, and the accompanying commentary by Nicholson is very helpful.
2. Muslims: That Mevlânâ Riumî was an orthodox Muslim, and that his writings do not diverge from that ground, is definitively clear and established, in no further need of explication. (See here.) Most available internet resources do not acknowledge, let alone embrace this fact. (A salient exception is here.) Our goal is in-reach, not outreach or interfaith dialogue. Non-Muslims are welcome, but should not expect the site to address their presumptions or preoccupations except to the extent that these also happen to be normatively Islamic.
3. Mevlânâ Jalâl ad-Dîn Rûmî: Prof. Franklin Lewis writes about something called the “Rumi Industry” — and he is right that such a thing exists. (See his book Rumi Past and Present, East and West.) The present site is meant to exist outside of that industry. Accordingly, we refer to Mevlânâ, not to the fictionalized character “Rumi” who certainly never existed in the sense that the Industry would propose.
Note that many “versions” of Mevlânâ’s work might as well be deemed spurious (e.g., Barks). See here.
4. Islamic tradition: This refers to the normative practices exemplified in the Creed (caqîda) presented here. Many Muslims (e.g., Shi’ite, “salafi”, Wahhabi) will embrace Islam but not this tradition. That is their affair; we do not in any way declare them to have left Islam.
Mevlânâ Studies 