Reflections of a Sufi:
Rumi in Contemporary Turkish Novel
Rūmī is one of the leading figures not only in the history of Sufism, but
also in literary, intellectual, and cultural history. His personality, works,
and teachings have been interpreted and reinterpreted by different circles
over the centuries. The increasing interest in Rūmī, particularly since
the 2000s, has paved the way for his being addressed not only through
his Sufi identity, but also as a universal, humanist, and popular figure.
This study, entitled Reflections of a Sufi: Rūmī in Contemporary Turkish
Novels, aims to present a picture of the grounds on which and the ways
in which Rūmī is understood today. Within this framework, the study
is limited to ten works written after the year 2000, a period in which
we observe a significant transformation in the perception of Rūmī. In
evaluating the works examined in this study, primary sources on Rūmī
and the Mawlawī order have been taken as a basis. The Sufi concepts
included in these works have been analysed comparatively with reference
to classical Sufi texts. Where necessary, attention has also been
drawn to points at which fictional representation conflicts with historical
facts.
The first chapter of the study presents a general framework concerning
Rūmī and the Mawlawī order. In this chapter, the period in which Rūmī
lived, the nature of the Mawlawī order—which played an important
role in transmitting his thought to the present day—and the factors influencing
the transformation of the perception of Rūmī in the modern
period are discussed in outline. The second chapter analyses popular
novels and intellectual works dealing with Rūmī in light of the discipline
of Sufism and Rūmī’s teachings.
As a result of the study, it has been observed that in contemporary
Turkish novels Rūmī is often positioned on a ground different from
that of the classical Sufi tradition, and is perceived rather as a universal
phenomenon and as a humanist figure centred on love and tolerance.
This study aims to trace this transformation of perception through bestselling
literary texts and to examine the forms in which Rūmī is represented
in popular culture from a Sufi perspective.
Keywors: Rūmī; Mawlawiyya; modernism; popular literature; perception