Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi quotes
1207 – 1273 · Medieval Islamic world, 13th century · Poet, Islamic scholar, Sufi mystic
About Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi
Born near Balkh in 1207 and died in Konya in 1273, Rumi became central to Persian Sufi literature after his encounter with Shams of Tabriz. His work explores love, longing and spiritual transformation through symbolic, devotional poetry that has had broad cultural influence.
Works: Mathnawi (Masnavi), Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi
Quotes
“Don't sit and wait. Get out there, feel life. Touch the sun, and immerse in the sea.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is not found in standard editions of Rumi’s Persian works; it appears mainly in modern compilations and online posts.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution to Rumi is disputed and likely apocryphal—the phrasing reads as a contemporary paraphrase rather than a traceable medieval line.
This line urges active engagement with life: abandon waiting, feel the world, and use elemental images — touch the sun, immerse in the sea — to express spiritual intensity and wholehearted presence, a hallmark of ecstatic poetry.