The Immortal Sufi Triumvirate: Sanai-Attar-Rumi

Sanai, Attar and Rumi are the renowned Sufi Poet-laureates of Iran. They have composed Poetry in Persian on renunciation and divine love. Sanai, the court-poet of Sultan Bahiramshah, being reprimanded by a dervish, renounced his lucrative service of Sultan and retired to the wilderness to perform spiritual practices such as fasts and vigils in solitude. His fear of God and faith in His mercy were supreme. He always said, "You are a pilgrim in this world with the object of seeking god. You must realize Him at all costs." Attar was regarded as the (nur) effulgence of Mansur-Al-Hallaj reappeared in his spirit. Attar, the Star of Sufism was versatile genius. He wrote 114 books of repute. Born in Nishapur, he was a doctor but he became dervish at the instance of another dervish who aroused him from worldly stupor by passing away before his clinic. He sought salvation by conquest of passion, renouncement of possessions, detachment, constant meditation on God and association with adepts in Sufism. Attar was blessed with high spiritual experience and ecstasy. His chief subject was divine love on which he wrote immortal poems. Maulana Jalaludin Rumi was the founder of Maulvia sect noted for dance and singing songs in praise of the Lord. He worshipped his preceptor Shams Tabraiz verily, as the Lord. By the grace of Shams, he turned out a great poet and composed Masnavi containing 26,600 poems which is the marvel of erudition and storehouse of mystic secrets. It is styled as the Quran in Pehlvi. While traveling, in Nishapur, he had met Faridudin Attar who blessed him, presented him with one of his works and foretold his future greatness. When Rumi performed ecstatic dance, young and old were moved by his melancholy notes. With both hands, he showered gold and silver on the assembled musicians. Describing his final achievement, he writes, "I, a raw was matured in the fire of love and ultimately, having been roasted, I appeared reborn in the world of unity."