Why Was I Ever Created?

In all three of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the essence of the teaching is: To have faith in God. The essence of Rumi’s teaching goes beyond faith and is to have love for God. Rumi’s poems consistently convey the themes of his love for God, the idea of divine love and that love it-self is something divine.

Transcript

Every day I meditate upon this, And every night I groan. Why is my own existence to myself the least known? Whence have I come? Why this coming here? Where to must I go? When will my home to me be shown? I am in desperate awe. Why was I ever created? For this, My creation, Whatsoever was the reason? Whatever is of the celestial realm of that I speak, I am ready to go, My clothes are packed, To be away thrown. Why take me to the tavern of that mighty king? I am drunk of that aroma. Joyous be that day that, In search of the beloved, I take wing towards that land. Upon that air I am flown. Where is that ear that can hear my speech and song? Who is the one who puts voice in this mouth of dust and stone? Who is in these eyes through which gazes out to see? Who is the one who wears this garment of flesh and bone? Until I am led without a doubt to my way home, Home. Let me taste the wine of eternal communion, Cry out in drunkenness, Intoxicated, Broken, Alone. I did not come here on my own accord, Nor will I thus leave. He who brought me here shall return me to my very own. Think not that I write these verses in a sober state. If sober, Such seeds I could not possibly have sown. Shams Tabrizi! If you show not your face here and now, My earthly corpse, By God, I shall surely disown. Between my beloved and I, This is the only veil. It is time to unveil and disrobe the light that brightly shone. With extreme joy I tear and shred my earthly garment, By casting of my clothes into the glory of my soul I've grown. I wear this earthly corpse for what use, To what avail? I am not a cowering crow, Of heavenly birds is my tone. I am a bird of paradise, I'm not of the earthly realm, For a few days imprisoned in my cage of flesh and bone. My soul is my guide, For my soul is of that abode. I will not speak of the earthly, I am of the unknown. The fragrant morning breeze brings news of union. With joy and with song, I'll leave this cage, This earthly throne.