فکرِ رومی اور عصرِ حاضر کے روحانی بحران کا حل

RUMI’S THOUGHT AND THE SOLUTION TO THE SPIRITUAL CRISIS OF THE MODERN AGE

Abstract

In the modern era, humanity stands at the pinnacle of material advancement yet suffers from an acute spiritual vacuum, existential anxiety, and a profound loss of inner meaning. Science, technology, and economic progress have indeed enriched human life externally, but have simultaneously deprived it of peace, love, and transcendence. The greatest tragedy of modern civilization is its absolutization of reason and neglect of the soul, reducing man to a mechanical being devoid of spiritual depth. Within this context of spiritual decay and intellectual fragmentation, the thought of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–1273) emerges as a timeless and universal remedy for the maladies of the modern human condition.

Rumi’s philosophy centers upon love (ʿishq), unity (tawḥīd), and self-realization (maʿrifah). For him, love is not merely an emotional state but a cosmic force that unites the human being with the Divine. His Mathnawī-i Maʿnawī is not only a masterpiece of mystical literature but also a map of the soul’s inward journey  a guide to purification (tazkiyah al-nafs), moral discipline, and spiritual ascent. Rumi maintains that reason without love becomes a “cold intellect,” which distances the seeker from truth rather than leading him toward it. Therefore, he invites humankind to look inward, recognize the reality of their existence, and attain spiritual insight through the transformative power of divine love.

This article explores Rumi’s thought as a response to the spiritual crisis of modernity. It examines how his metaphysical and ethical teachings  rooted in love, intellect, knowledge, and unity — offer a coherent framework for addressing the inner emptiness, alienation, and materialism of the modern self. The discussion includes a comparative analysis of Rumi’s philosophy with that of Carl Jung, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Henry Corbin, highlighting both intersections and divergences in their conceptions of the self, imagination, and transcendence.

Furthermore, the paper investigates how major contemporary Muslim thinkers such as Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and William Chittick have interpreted and expanded Rumi’s message in modern intellectual discourse. For these scholars, Rumi represents not only a spiritual master but also a philosophical architect whose vision can heal the fragmented consciousness of modern humanity.

Ultimately, the study concludes that Rumi’s vision of divine love, purification of the soul, and reawakening of selfhood provides a profound and practical solution to the spiritual disintegration of the modern age. Through the application of Mathnawī’s teachings in personal and social life, humanity may rediscover inner peace, moral balance, and proximity to the Divine, thereby transforming the age of alienation into an era of spiritual wholeness.